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

Sat May 2 13:39:44 PDT 2009

I'm so glad you said this Dennis, and I completely echo your sentiments. Ed's superb book is one of my favorites. My goodness, am I ever glad Mike Reese and I didn't publish our book a few years earlier! Ed's coming Anisoptera guide is sure to become a classic. Ed, your contributions to odonatology are unique and priceless. My only concern is that you've set the bar so high for yourself!
Bob DuBois

Bob DuBois
Research Scientist
Ecological Inventory and Monitoring
Department of Natural Resources
1401 Tower Avenue
Superior, WI 54880

ph: (715)392-6976
fax: (715)392-7993
Robert.Dubois at Wisconsin.gov

________________________________
From: odonata-l-bounces at listhost.ups.edu [mailto:odonata-l-bounces at listhost.ups.edu] On Behalf Of Dennis Paulson
Sent: Saturday, May 02, 2009 3:23 PM
To: Odonata-l
Cc: azurebluet
Subject: Re: [Odonata-l] Dennis Paulson's and other recent books

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

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