Included in Library Journal's "25 Key Indie Fiction Titles, Fall 2014-Winter 2015"
Within the writer's life, words and things acquire power. For Borges it is the tiger and the color red, for Cortázar a pair of amorous lions, and for an early Egyptian scribe the monarch butterfly that metamorphosed into the Key of Life. Ducornet names these powers The Deep Zoo. Her essays take us from the glorious bestiary of Aloys Zötl to Abu Ghraib, from the tree of life to Sade's Silling Castle, from The Epic of Gilgamesh to virtual reality. Says Ducornet, "To write with the irresistible ink of tigers and the uncaging of our own Deep Zoo, we need to be attentive and fearlessabove all very curiousand all at the same time."
Rikki Ducornet's essays explore eros, violence, dreams, fairy tales, and art as alchemy--the Deep Zoo at the core of humanity.

Included in Library Journal's "25 Key Indie Fiction Titles, Fall 2014-Winter 2015" Within the writer's life, words and things acquire power. For Borges it is the tiger and the color red, for Cortázar a pair of amorous lions, and for an early Egyptian scribe the monarch butterfly that metamorphosed into the Key of Life. Ducornet names these powers The Deep Zoo. Her essays take us from the glorious bestiary of Aloys Zötl to Abu Ghraib, from the tree of life to Sade's Silling Castle, from The Epic of Gilgamesh to virtual reality. Says Ducornet, "To write with the irresistible ink of tigers and the uncaging of our own Deep Zoo, we need to be attentive and fearless--above all very curious--and all at the same time." "Ducornet's skill at drawing unexpected connections, and her ability to move between outrage and meditativeness, are gripping to behold."--Star Tribune "This collection of essays meditates on art, mysticism, and more; it'll leave a reader with plenty to ponder."--Vol. 1 Brooklyn "Rikki Ducornet's new collection The Deep Zoo is filled with smart and surprising essays that explore our connections to the world through art."--Largehearted Boy ""The Deep Zoo" acts as a kind of foundational text, a lens to view her work and the other essays through. . . Subversive at heart and acutely perceptive."--Numero Cinq "Ducornet moves between these facets of human experience with otherworldly grace, creating surprising parallels and associations. . . The Deep Zoo is a testament to her acrobatic intelligence and unflinching curiosity. Ducornet not only trusts the subconscious, she celebrates and interrogates it."--The Hea