OUT IN THE WILD
Out in the Wild is a lyrical ode to the overlooked wonders of the world around us. Through humor, reverence, and unflinching honesty, Shimica Gaskins transforms ordinary elements of nature, collard greens, potatoes, bees, roots, and hummingbirds into storytellers of history, identity, and resilience.
Each poem reveals the hidden narratives tucked inside the natural world: the collard greens that symbolize survival and prosperity, the potato that spans continents and cultures, the cotton fields that contain both pain and pride, the bees that fight for life amid a warming planet. More than a collection of nature poems, Out in the Wild is a journey through ancestry, environmental justice, and the cultural memory carried in the land itself. Gaskins reminds readers that nature is not separate from us, it is our origin, our witness, and our inheritance.
Tender, bold, and contemplative, the book invites readers to pause, breathe, and look again at the world they thought they already knew. Every page offers a moment of recognition: a reminder that nature’s story is our story.
SHIMICA GASKINS
Shimica Gaskins is a writer, poet, lawyer, and lifelong advocate dedicated to justice, storytelling, and elevating the beauty found in everyday life. A Southern girl at heart, her earliest memories are grounded in the outdoors, walking dirt roads, listening to the hum of summer insects, and learning that every plant, meal, and moment carries a story worth honoring. For more than two decades, she has worked across law, policy, and advocacy, specializing in criminal justice reform, poverty, and children’s rights. Her work as an Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow reflects her unwavering commitment to building communities where children and families can thrive.
As an author, Shimica brings the same depth of purpose to the page. She is a lover of language, an aspiring bird watcher, and a creator of books that speak boldly to children and adults alike. Whether she is crafting poetry or policy, her mission is rooted in truth, humanity, and connection. She lives in beautiful Altadena, California, with her husband and two children. Out in the Wild is her debut poetry collection, a culmination of memory, ancestry, and the natural world that continues to guide her.