Irregular Numbers of Beasts and Birds is a collection of portraits, odes and ruminations about life's minor and major disasters and recoveries. In vivid, unsentimental prose, Helman draws individual resonance from universal themes. He creates a sense of shared humanity distilled from the infinitessimally specific. Helman emphasizes the cyclical nature of life (the volume is divided into four sections based on the seasons) as well as the human tendency to repeat the "same old stories" over and over again. But at the same time, he reminds us that every lived moment is truly its own.
"A man who is half-wolf writes a novel, dedicates it to his wife. Half the pages are covered with words, the others with paw prints..." A fascinating compendium of edgy fairy tales from Cecil Helman. Bizarre inventions and moving observations - a book as deep as it is hilarious.