[Odonata-l] Dennis Paulson's and other recent books

[Dennis Paulson]

Ed Lam, who has so much praise for other books, gave us only hints of  
his own books. Anyone who has his Damselflies of the Northeast knows  
what a superb book Ed can put together, with beautiful and accurate  
paintings and drawings and informative text. Now he is working on a  
field guide to the Anisoptera of North America north of Mexico, and  
that is surely to be one of the most significant books to savor for  
the future. Be sure to visit his website http://homepage.mac.com/ 
edlam/ to travel with him as he gathers material for his book. Don't  
forget to check out his other works while you are there, for example  
http://homepage.mac.com/edlam/Illustration/44.html.

Dennis Paulson


On Apr 22, 2009, at 8:03 PM, azurebluet wrote:

> Hi Marion and all,
>
> I also received my copy of "Dragonflies and Damselflies of the  
> West" yesterday and I wish to congratulate Dennis Paulson for  
> putting together such a feast of a book. I couldn't wait until the  
> kids were in bed so I could finally sit down and have a closer  
> look. It is well written and designed and features the most  
> comprehensive collection of photographs of western Odonata to date.  
> With it's guidance I may yet be able to figure out those western  
> Argia!
>
> As someone who's main occupation is thinking about dragonfly field  
> guides, it still amazes me how far they have come. I can recall a  
> time when the only field guides available were Virginia Brown's  
> Cape Cod and Sid Dunkle's Florida books. Then there was a little  
> booklet from Algonquin Park, a stapled color guide to Wisconsin,  
> and then Dunkle's extraordinary "Dragonflies Through Binoculars."   
> Now amid the disheveled stacks in my studio there are guides to  
> Hawaiian damselflies, Alberta damselflies, Indiana, Ohio, British  
> Columbia and the Yukon, Northeast Ohio, California, the Southwest,  
> the North Woods, Massachusetts, California again, Texas, Alaska, a  
> great Beginner's Guide. What have I forgotten? Had Bob DuBois and  
> Mike Reese published "Damselflies of the North Woods" a few years  
> earlier I needn't have bothered doing my damselfly book.
>
> I ordered three other guides this winter. The second edition of  
> "Dragonflies and Damselflies of Northeast Ohio" by Larry Rosche,  
> Judy Semroc, Linda Gilbert and Jennifer Brumfield, is quite  
> different from the first. It is now mainly a photographic guide.  
> Although I am a big advocate of illustration, it is a vastly  
> improved book and the large, beautifully reproduced photographs are  
> a visual treat. However I do think they missed an opportunity to  
> use Jennifer Brumfield's lovely illustrations to greater advantage.  
> I have to stick up for illustration. Their consistent orientation  
> allows for easier comparisons between species but with only the  
> species' names present on the plates the section feels like an  
> illustrated index and a bit of an afterthought.
>
> The "Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Algonquin  
> Provincial Park and the Surrounding Area" by Colin Jones, Andrea  
> Kingsley, Peter Burke and Matt Holder is a book that does feature  
> drawings and paintings. It reminds me of the Richard Lewington  
> illustrated odonate guides to Europe and Great Britain, two of the  
> most beautiful dragonfly guides ever produced. I particularly love  
> the Gomphid plates. Well-organized and wonderfully insightful, I'll  
> try not to be too obvious if  when I steal something from it for my  
> own book.
>
> Published in 2007, "Dragonflies and Damselflies of Georgia and the  
> Southeast" by Giff Beaton is not brand new but I had to replace my  
> copy after it got ruined in yet another flood in my basement last  
> year. Now indispensable, the Southeast needed a guide like this. It  
> is very well written, and Giff's photographs are uncommonly good  
> and show what they need to show. Four pages of Powdered Dancer  
> (Argia moesta) variations = great stuff.
>
> Got room for more? Allen Barlow's New Jersey book and a guide to  
> Arizona and Sonora by Doug Danforth and Rich Bailowitz are due out  
> this year. And what about that Donnelly fellow? And Ken Tennessen's  
> larvae book? A lot to look forward to!
>
> Best wishes,
> Ed Lam

-----
Dennis Paulson
1724 NE 98 St.
Seattle, WA 98115
206-528-1382
dennispaulson at comcast.net



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