Recently off the University of Delaware Press is A Writer's Voice: Collected Work of Twentieth Century Biologist and Conservationist, Joseph P. Linduska, compiled and neatly edited by Louise E. Dove. The book is a wonderful and engrossing anthology of the wit and wisdom of an extraordinarily gifted biologist, conservationist and outdoor writer. Joe Linduska, who died in 1993, was a gentle man, maybe even a gentleman, but he certainly was genuine and, with a permanent starburst twinkle in his eye, a certifiable character. I'm pretty sure that he was the world's only Czech-American leprechaun.

You don't have to have known Joe Linduska to enjoy this book thoroughly, but those of us who gained his friendship, and treasure it still, may want to bronze this little (270-page) opus. It will give all readers a glimpse into his considerable intellect, his foresight as a scientist and conservationist, the breadth and subtlety of his humor, and his consummate skill as an outdoor writer. The latter is the "most wonderfullest" thing about the book.

What readers may not discover, or perhaps not even suspect, is that Joe was a highly skilled technical writer. But that's another story. Better yet, it could be part of another book?a biography of Joe?which could include a virtual encyclopedia of hilarious anecdotes about the subject. But Joe is not the gist of A Writer's Voice.

In this work, most of the writings are from 1986 to 1993, when Joe wrote a weekly column ("colyum" he called it) for the Kent County News, in Chestertown, Maryland, where he and his sainted bride Lillian resided. But it includes a smattering of magazine and newspaper articles as far back as the late 1950s, about the time he really hit his stride as a conservation writer. In nearly all of his published pieces, besides cogency, there is a subtle, snake-charmer wryness?what Joe himself referred to as "a little gimmick" and suggested was a literary device. Baloney, I say. Except when forced into pedantic technical writing, Joe wrote what and how he thought, and humor was simply, innately manifest in his insights and outlook.

But read a few examples for yourself. On the diet of a western house finch, he wrote that it is "as unselective as an opossum or a derelict coon hound," and that bird's digestive tract "has the thoroughness and efficiency of a septic tank." He referred to the American woodcock as a "woodland Durante," whose peenting vocalizations are akin to the "eructations of a flatulent frog." He characterized the European starling as a "squeaky-voiced, nest-thieving, black-hatted wretch? [that] found its way over most of the world, often with the help of stupid people." He advised that ichthyologists are fishermen who have gone to college.

Satire and a poorly disguised curmudgeon persona were other vehicles. For example, on a one-time proposal by "some gang of addlepated nitwits" to have the great blue heron replace the Baltimore oriole as Maryland's state bird, Joe threatened to move to Delaware in retaliation, and insinuated that the Baltimore Orioles ball club and Cal Ripken might follow suit.

Joe's writing featured a variety of colorful expressions and statements. "Land O'Goshen, sakes alive and grease my collards!" for example. For another, he defined destiny as "Sooner or later you're gonna get it."

Joe was a master of self-deprecating humor. He was not loath to mention, in one manner or another, his appreciation for the elixir merit of martinis (in fact, for travel and cheapskate purposes, he actually invented clear Pepsi in liter bottles long before the bottling company did). And there was the well-document rift between Joe and his "Chesterpeake" Bay retriever, Fitzhughs Standing Ovation (aka Duke, aka Damnuduke), whom Joe enlisted initially as columnist alter-ego. After wresting the column regularly away from Joe, by popular demand, Duke added insult to injury by taking some ineffectually subliminal shots at his indignant master/fellow journalist by referring in print to Joe variously as the "Ole Man," "Old Guy," "Old Busybody," "Ole Pop," "Old Geezer," "Old Skinflint," "Old Pinch Penny," "Old Crosspatch," "Old Crab," "Old So-Called-Colyumist," "Old Goat," "Old Big Shot," "Ole Big Mouth," "Ole flint-hearted Joe the Shmo," "Old Bellyacher," and "Ole Grouch."

Don?t think for a minute that I have substantially high-graded from the book's contents. The entire volume is awash in writing that is highly informative and entertaining?a cross between the literary styles of George Ade and Dan Jenkins. But see for yourself.

One last thing?the Foreword is very nicely penned by one Lonnie Williamson, of the Creek Confederacy Williamsons, Alphonse for decades to Joe's Gaston (or vice versa), and quite a fine colyumist himself.

A Writer's Voice can be ordered on-line at http://www2.lib.udel.edu/udpress. Its retail price is $42.50.

Thanks, Joe. Thanks, Louise.