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Risus Sardonicus is an original book of stories, poems, essays, anecdotes, and over seventy photographs by Warren Martin Hern, and it resists classification. It is a compilation of thoughts and observations collected over several decades of the author's life. The book contains some of the author's outstanding wildlife and landscape photographs of North and South America and unique portraits of his beloved Shipibo Indian friends, but the writings of the author are at its core. The writings range from poignant to exuberant to painful to funny. Their scope ranges from intimate to global.

Risus sardonicus is a Latin term for the characteristic expression seen on the faces of people who are dying of tetanus. The "sardonic smile" results from the painful and continuing spasm of the victim's facial muscles. The title poem of this book describes the death throes of an Ibo baby in West Africa, whose suffering the author witnessed in 1961, and to whose memory this book is dedicated.

This extraordinary collection unfolds from a life lived deeply. Dr. Hern's experiences roam over a wide range, including early surgical lessons in the Peruvian Amazon and adventures with his Shipibo friends; the turbulent streets of the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago; hiking the Canadian and the Colorado Rockies; life and political action in Boulder, Colorado; and the deaths of his father and of his friend Segundina.

Risus Sardonicus is a rich slice of human experience.

Read a review of Risus Sardonicus by Eugene B. Brody.