Sunday, October 26, 2008

Hortensia Anderson - Three Questions

Hortensia Anderson lives on the lower east side of New York City. She is the author of numerous chapbooks as well as a volume of poetry, Trust (fly-by night press, 1995). She is interested in the function of the Internet on poetry in the 21st century. Her current passion is renga and other forms of collaborative poetry.

She has been on dialysis since 1981.




1. Why do you write haiku?

For you.

I can remember Zen Master Seung Sahn answering the question "Why do you sit?" with those two words. I gave his response an unspoken one word - "jerk". It took me decades to grasp his meaning.

Originally, I wrote haiku as poetic reminders of "epiphanies" for me. As I kept studying haiku, I realised the finest haiku re-created the "epiphanies" in the reader.

So, to answer your question again:

For you.


2. What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

I don't consider haiku a "form".


3. Of the many wonderful haiku you've written, what do you consider to be your top three? (Please provide original publication credit).



spring thaw —
the stream parts to embrace
the stone

Mainichi - Best of 2002



midnight swim —
we glide through the galaxy
naked

5th Annual Suruga-Baika Winner



moonlit night —
the pond floats
a water-lily



I consider this my absolute favourite. I can't provide original publication credit as it has been repeatedly rejected. I don't care. I love it.



Charlie Smith will be our Haiku - Three Questions guest next week.

7 comments:

Magyar said...

Ah... the floating lilly, just as seen in the moon-light at my pond. I like that one too_! _m

nora said...

Me too, Hortensia. Thank you for sharing it with us.

Mike Rehling said...

Ahhh... I love the ones that get away from the editors, but resonate with the rest of us... Thanks!

Anonymous said...

So lovely to accept the invatation this poet offers - for you. Each of these opens me to something new day.

Theresa Williams said...

I, too, love the water-lily. Thank you for posting it, Hortensia. Thanks for the epiphanies.

Area 17 said...

I love all the haiku, and surprised that the water-lily haiku has been rejected by a number of magazines.

A very gifted writer in various genres, Hortensia is greatly missed:


i.m. Hortensia Anderson
June 24, 1959 – May 21, 2012
http://tobaccoroadpoet.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/sad-news-hortensia-anderson.html

Unknown said...

Every time i think of you H-, my eyes fill up.