CORY REYNOLDS | DATE 9/28/2026

In 'Queer Flora, Fauna and Funga,' a pulsating, symbiotic bog of ideas

“This book is an art object, a state of mind, an experiment, a statement, a question, a challenge, a gift, an enigma, a conundrum, a solution,” Frances Cannon writes in new release Queer Flora, Fauna, and Funga: A Radical Forage Through Art and Writing. “Queer nature is such a tantalizing concept. Bisexual flowers? Polyamorous lichens? Gay animals? Of course! Lesbian seagulls, hermaphrodite snails and sex-changing fish, oh my! It’s natural for humans to be queer, it’s natural for animals to be queer, and when you start looking, you can find queerness in all life forms.” In this highly-anticipated 384-page reader from Valiz, the reader is invited to examine queer science and nature through myriad lenses, including botany, horticulture, ecology, biology, mycology, queer theory, history, experimental writing, art and cultural anthropology. “Many pieces contradict each other, and I think that tension is essential to avoid a dull and tired homogeneity.… This book is a pulsing, symbiotic bog of ideas.” Pictured: Céline Baumann, Trial of Invasives, 2025.