Mushroom is a synecdoche

Corrado Nai

A Syn·ec·do·che (noun): a figure of speech in which a part is made to represent the whole or vice versa. “I like
to write about fungi” I say. “Ah, mushrooms, isn’t it?” they answer. What are they on about, spitting out synecdoche like Dante?
Some languages don’t even have two different words for them. “I like to write about fungi” I say in that language. “Oh, right?” they
answer. It is curious that something as iconic as mushroom forms, and we do not yet know how. Meanwhile, I am quite sure that the
Word software will mess up this structure, or the device with responsive design you are reading this on won’t respond very well, after
all. But if you don’t see a mushroom, that kind of proves my point, doesn't it? Mushrooms are just an ephemeral part of a mysterious
whole. There is so much below the surface, out of sight, ignored. This poem might as well look like a glob.
  Or                                     like                        an                   umbrella   where                    it                              rains                       

beneath          
spores 
foraging hyphae art
truffles
medicine sclerotia culture
cuisine sporangia passion
mycorrhiza
mythology Spitzenkörper mycoremediation
queerdom septa literature
smut
farming moulds amateurism
biotechnology mildew
biomaterials yeasts (wine psychonautics citizen science                    
diy beer before bread?)
participation lichens (yes, them too) misconceptions
storytelling Structures like mycelium tradition
which is still  
                      thin and y   e    t  
                                                                                    ke e p  s        e n   t  a    g  
                                                                                                                                              n      l     n 
                                                                                                                                                            i      g

The Science

Fungi are having a moment, but there is still much to catch up on. Only around 5% of all fungi are described, and most fungi do not form mushrooms. It is still unknown what are the environmental conditions needed for most mushrooms to form, as well as why mushrooms have the shape they have. Science and society are catching up at an incredible speed and yet many people are still confused about fungi. Are we ready for the fungal renaissance?

The Poet

Dr. Corrado Nai likes to write about fungi. He has published before in FUNGI Magazine, Small Things Considered, Tor.com, and others. He holds a MSc in microbiology (ETH Zurich) and a PhD on black yeasts (Free University Berlin). He is excited to see all the different communities experimenting and engaging with fungi, and to witness how we will improve our collective future with the help of fungi. Corrado lives in Jakarta with his wife and daughter.

Next poem: One Hundred One Thousand Meters by Iris van Zelst