Are you looking for The Insect Epiphany?

Dr. Barrett Klein—entomologist, professor of biology at University of Wisconsin LaCrosse, and brother extraordinaire—has a book out!

The Insect Epiphany is available "everywhere books are sold" as the line goes. 

You can hear Barrett talk about his book on Science Friday! (How cool is it that my brother was on Science Friday?)

He's been on a ton of podcasts and shows recently, and got to showcase his book at the recent Wisconsin Book Fair in Madison WI, which I hope gets people interested in what technically is a niche kind of book. But it isn't, really, because it touches on all of humanity and our place within this world alongside nature and our insect neighbors.

Other reasons to check out The Insect Epiphany if you know me, would be some artwork by my mother Karen Anne Klein, as well as a picture of a viola I made (that I play on) and how that relates to the contributions of insects in our culture.

But truly, the best reason to read this book is that it is an extension of Barrett himself. I wish everyone could know Barrett. His enthusiasm is contagious, and his kindness and curiosity come through on every page of The Insect Epiphany. He is brilliant and fun, and his appreciation of the world and its insect inhabitants is both inspiring and touching.

I love my brother, and I love that through this book I can share some of what makes him special. Go get this book.
 

 

Luna Moth Dream

If I really wanted this blog to be entertaining I would simply write about my brothers all the time.  Either of them is an easy go-to topic for me at parties because there are endless interesting stories available, and in case I'm in a situation where the company is boring, talking about Arno or Barrett keeps me amused.  I love them and could not have asked for kinder, funnier, or more intelligent siblings.

Arno is a neuroscientist who currently works at the Child Mind Institute in New York City.  He always talks to me about his work as if I'm a knowledgeable colleague, which is flattering, but consequently I have no clear idea what he does.  The bits I can follow are fascinating, and he does important research that will improve people's lives, but don't ask me to explain any of it.

But this post relates to a project coordinated by my other brother.  The baby of the family by four minutes, Barrett is an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin LaCrosse where he specializes in entomology and insect sleep research.  He's also a talented artist who has done lots of model making and scientific illustration, and he is particularly interested in cultural entomology which is where insects meet art.

Last year he commissioned 30 artists to make small books with the theme "Insect Dreams."  He was generous enough to invite me to participate, and despite the limits on my time there are moments when an intense little project is a good distraction from other things so I recently buckled down over a weekend and made my contribution.

Want to see?