Part 2 - Mark Smith-Soto reading

Let's close the work week with part 2 of Mark Smith-Soto's reading at the Glenwood Community Book Shop held on February 21, 2009. But first, here is one of my favorite poems by Mark published in Our Lives are Rivers.

Café of Mirrors

Here it is again, one of those moments
when human beings seem beautiful to me,
even their flaws touching, a mouth too large
on that woman, a bald spot on a boy

named Roberto, my perceiving renders
them tender, I know that they are not so,
but a knowledge within that knowledge
argues for them, gauzes each dot or blot

with a kind of love, and I myself am bettered
by this flare of neon from my head,
lighting the mirror so that I am flattered
into a grin, though I catch at the next table

a man just staring around, his goatee
diving off his chin into the rest of our lives

--Mark Smith-Soto

Contest Information, Festivals, and Contest Results

Submissions are open for the Kaji Aso Studio 21st Annual Haiku Contest. Prize information and guidelines are here.

The North Carolina State Insect Museum is holding its Annual Hexapod Haiku Challenge. Details are on this page.

Submissions for The 6th International Tanka Festival Competition （ITF Tokyo Competition）will be accepted between April 1st and June 30th, 2009. Contest and festival information are at tankanews.com.

The International Festival of Haiku will take place May 22nd through May 29th, 2009. Location, contact information, and a listing of events are available on this pdf document.

Results of The First International Erotic Tanka Contest are located on this pdf document.

Part 1 - Mark Smith-Soto reading

I briefly met Mark Smith-Soto three years ago after a presentation by Richard Gilbert at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. I recall that we talked about haiku, free verse poetry (for I was beginning to write longer poems), and a reading that Luis Rodriguez did at the Carolina Theatre the previous year. I walked away from our conversation with a feeling that I had been nurtured by a kind and gentle teacher. I immediately went home and ordered Mark's book Our Lives are Rivers, a wonderful volume of poetry that has accompanied me on many of my travels.

I received word several days ago that Mark would be reading from Waiting Room, a new book of his poems, at a beautiful little book shop in Greensboro, NC. Armed with a camcorder and a love for poetry, I attended the reading last Saturday.

And now, for your viewing and listening pleasure, I present to you Mark Smith-Soto:


Subsequent installments of the reading will be posted over the next few days or weeks.

I highly recommend Waiting Room; copies can be purchased at Glenwood Community Book Shop, Al Brilliant, proprietor. Contact information is located at the end of the video.

Christopher Herold - Three Questions

Blogging Along Tobacco Road is celebrating an anniversary this month! Today's Haiku - Three Questions installment marks the 52nd in the series; how appropriate that our guest is Christopher Herold, one of four editors (the others having already been featured) kind enough to welcome this fledgling into The Heron's Nest eight years ago.

Thank you, Christopher...for your patience and encouraging words over the years. Your contribution is timely and much appreciated!

Also, my sincere thanks to all the poets (see the honor roll to the right) who have taken time out of their busy schedules to contribute to this little project. Your thoughtfulness made this milestone possible.

And now, Christopher Herold:

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Dear Curtis,

You've really ramped up your website. So many wonderful updates! A big BRAVO to you and hai-kudos.

So, here's what I have for you.

Appreciatively,

Christopher

* * * * *

1. Why do you write haiku?

If anything could move more swiftly than the speed of light, then it’s got to be the mind. For me, the process of writing a haiku is like casting a grappling hook from a speedboat at a desired target: an epiphany that’s already rapidly disappearing in the past. When the hook catches, I can reel myself back to take a longer look. Why do I do this? Call it an obsessed fascination with the intricacy of being, and being connected to everything.

2. What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

Renku has long been one of my passions, particularly live renku. Karma Tenzing Wangchuk and I founded the Port Townsend Renku Club last year and the group is flourishing happily. My enjoyment of renku differs from my love of haiku. For me, renku has more to do with practicing social skills than creating a brilliant poem. Communal word-sculptures demand honing our sensitivity and our support of fellow writers, embracing differences while working to achieve, not an end-product but a harmoniously enjoyable journey.

Now and then I’ll write a tanka, or haibun, and, on very rare occasions, free-verse. Oh, and I lovingly remember the oh-so-naughty limericks my parents, great aunt, and grandfather used to bandy about. I’m not much good at writing them myself, I’m sorry to say.

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



dark dark night
a leaf strikes the pavement
stem first

Ueno Basho Festival Anthology, 1993
The Unswept Path — Contemporary American Haiku (White Pine Press, 2005)



foghorns
we lower a kayak
into the sound

HSA Harold Henderson Contest, 2nd. Pl., 1999
In the Margins of the Sea — Snapshot Press, 2000
The Unswept Path — Contemporary American Haiku (White Pine Press, 2005)



lost at last
among old growth cedars
the sound of the river

Wind Changing Directions
(HPNC, Two Autumns Reading Series, 2008)

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If you've been enjoying this weekly series and have not contributed, please consider sharing your response to the three little questions that Christopher answered. You must be a published poet in order to participate.

Alexis Rotella will be our guest next week.

What a wonderful way to start year two!

PoetTea reading Part 4

Bob Moyer, Dave Russo, Curtis Dunlap, and Charlie Smith continue reading haiku, haibun, and senryu in part 4 of the PoetTea reading held in Winston-Salem on February 7th.

Publications, Awards, & Submissions

Here are a couple of belated news items:

The spring issue of Simply Haiku is online.

The Heron's Nest Readers' Choice Awards for 2008, Volume X have been posted.

And this just in from Jeffrey Woodward:

Call for Submissions
Modern Haibun & Tanka Prose
Issue 1. Summer 2009

You are invited to submit haibun and tanka prose for the Summer 2009 premiere issue of Modern Haibun & Tanka Prose. The submission deadline is March 31, 2009. Submissions will NOT close earlier than the deadline.

Modern Haibun & Tanka Prose is a biannual journal—a print literary journal, a PDF ebook, and a digital online magazine—dedicated to the publication and promotion of fine English haibun and tanka prose. We seek traditional and innovative haibun and tanka prose of high quality and desire to assimilate the best of these Japanese genres into a continuously evolving English tradition. In addition to haibun and tanka prose, we publish articles, essays, book reviews and interviews pertinent to these same genres.

Modern Haibun & Tanka Prose specializes in fine haibun and tanka prose. All selection decisions will be made at the sole discretion of the editor.

Previously unpublished work, not on offer elsewhere, is solicited.

Modern Haibun & Tanka Prose, Baltimore, Maryland USA. Website: http://www.modernhaibunandtankaprose.com/ Editor: Jeffrey Woodward. Email up to five haibun, five tanka prose, and five short works to the Editor at MHTP(dot)EDITOR(at)GMAIL(dot)COM . Before submitting, please read the detailed submission guidelines and haibun and tanka prose selection criteria on the website at www.modernhaibunandtankaprose.com/submit.html.

Modern Haibun & Tanka Prose looks for top quality haibun and tanka prose in natural, modern English idiom. No payment for publication. No contributor copies. Publishes a print edition (6" x 9" trade paperback), a PDF ebook, and an online digital edition.
Thank you for sharing this call widely.

Sincerely,

Jeffrey Woodward, Editor, Modern Haibun & Tanka Prose
http://www.modernhaibunandtankaprose.com/

PoetTea reading Part 3

Charlie Smith, Dave Russo, Curtis Dunlap, and Bob Moyer continue reading haiku and senryu in part 3 of the PoetTea reading held in Winston-Salem on February 7th.

Geert Verbeke - Three Questions

Geert Verbeke is our guest this week for a round of Haiku - Three Questions. He writes:

Born in Kortrijk, Flanders (Europe) on 31 May 1948. Father of four and husband of one! Children: Hans (1969), Saskia (1972), Merlijn (1984) & Jonas (1986). His soul mate is Jenny Ovaere, ex-teacher now companion for Joker travelling. Author of poetry, novels, meditations & fairy tales, has written haiku since 1968. Wrote a few books about singing bowls. Survives excellently without membership cards or decorations. Agnostic thinker & liberal Democrat. Recorded 11 CDs with relaxation music on Singing Bowls. His pathway has taken various avenues, he did some 'bread and butter' jobs: factory worker, service station attendant, artist, parks department worker, jazz-photographer, volunteer in terminal care & expert in Creative Problem-Solving (C.O.C.D, Antwerp). Geert does not claim to be a guru nor a teacher.

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1) Why do you write haiku?

I have been writing and publishing haiku for over 40 years now. The reason? I like observing and reflecting, as a modest but eager student. Becoming a master is not my aim. I write haiku to study in depth my own mind in confrontation with poetry, zen, world peace and all kinds of extraordinary stuff such as you, the moon, koi, etc.

2) What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

Besides haiku, I love in particular tanka, haibun and haiga, but fragmentation is not my purpose. All haiku are poetry!

3) Of the many wonderful haiku you've written, what do you consider to be your top three?

A haiku is no sheer drudgery, no top-class sport. What this means is that my haiku are not written for the victory platform of a bicycle race, not with the Tour de France in my mind! Sorry, I have no top three. I can only give you two haiku and a tanka chosen at random:


old pond
master Bashō jumps
the smell of sake

(from my book Frogs, published by Cyberwit, India)


the monks
drink green tea
the abbot sleeps

(from my book Thé Toi, published by Cyberwit, India)


when I pare apples
you calmly slice tomatoes
as soon as I kiss you
you strew flour in my hair
and on the kitchen floor

(from my book Tanka, published by Cyberwit, India)


Geert Verbeke

Leo Baekelandlaan 14
8500 Kortrijk
Flanders -Belgium

Europe


WEB HOME PAGE: http://www.haikugeert.net
BLOG REIZEN - JOURNEYS: http://haikugeert.skynetblogs.be
BLOG SCHRIJVEN - WRITING : http://haiku-e-zine.skynetblogs.be

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If you've been enjoying this weekly series and have not contributed, please consider sharing your response to the three little questions that Geert answered. You must be a published poet in order to participate.

Christopher Herold will be our guest next week.

PoetTea reading Part 2

Here is part 2 of the PoetTea reading held on February 7th in Winston-Salem. Charlie Smith joins Bob Moyer, Dave Russo, and Curtis Dunlap in reading a few haiku and senryu.

Have a great Friday!

Norbert Blei - Poetry Dispatch No. 269

Norbert Blei has a fine article over at Poetry Dispatch entitled The Poetry of Persona and the Divided Self. He writes:

Not every poet finds a reason or need to develop a voice within a voice, another 'persona' if you will, but for sometime a number of poets (Americans in particular) have been getting outside/inside themselves in a way writers of fiction create 'characters' or characters to voice other levels of meaning.

Click Poetry Dispatch No. 269 to read the entire article.

Hmmm...has this technique been used in writing haiku?

Publications, Meetings, and Contest

Call for Submissions for March Issue
WORLD HAIKU REVIEW

Submission Guidelines

FOR MARCH 2009 ISSUE

WORLD HAIKU REVIEW

Call for Submissions for the Next Issue - A Simplified Version

Dear Kuyu,

The next issue is planned for March 2009 and it will continue to be focused mainly on haiku and/or about haiku. However, if works of other genres are submitted they can be included if they are exceptionally good. We drastically simplified the contents of call for submission:

As for haiku poems in English or in English translation, send in by e-mail essentially anything you like, traditional or nontraditional and up to ten haiku poems, which have not been published or are not planned to be published elsewhere, to: kalaramesh8@gmail.com
AND worldhaikureview@gmail.com

The only criterion for selection is quality.

We will put selected haiku poems in either the Neo-classical Haiku, Shintai (new style) Haiku or Vanguard Haiku sections according to their characteristics. Therefore, you as a writer of haiku need not worry about this classification at all. Just follow whatever haiku your muse dictates, let it compose itself and choose the best of the poems thus created and send them to us.

As for other works relating to haiku (haibun, articles, essays or book reviews on haiku etc.), just send in whatever you think would deserve publication in WHR. Once again, quality is the only key. I will mention some indications about our selection criteria below for those who may be interested to know them.

We wish to continue to endeavour to present a unique haiku magazine which, while deeply rooted in tradition, is full of new ideas, innovative features or critical views. It will continue to aim at the highest standards and top quality as before.

Kengin to all,

Susumu Takiguchi
Managing Editor and Acting Editor-in-Chief, World Haiku Review
Chairman, The World Haiku Club

INDICATIONS FOR HAIKU SELECTION CRITERIA

THOSE LIKELY TO BE REJECTED

1 Hackneyed, clichés, imitative or derivative;
2 'So what?' haiku;
3 Too short to be good;
4 Made artificially vague or unintelligible (false 'yugen');
5 Gimmicky as opposed to real skills;
6 Bad English;
7 Template-like, or ticking-box-kind factory haiku;

THOSE LIKELY TO BE ACCEPTED

1 New and/or original;
2 Have something to say;
3 Reflecting poetic truths, sincerity and honesty;
4 Coming from your heart and soul;
5 Based on your real and deep experiences;
6 If products of your imagination, true, fine and deep at that;
7 Transcending rules & regulations and yet good;
8 Good choice and order of words;
9 Have good rhythm;
10 Pictorial and/or musical and other sensory feel;
11 Have some sense of humour;
12 Reflecting the grasp of the essence of haiku (a sense of brevity, humour, somewhat detached view or karumi)

INDICATIONS FOR SELECTION OF OTHER WORKS

Basically, many things about haiku would apply to them as well. Additionally:

THOSE LIKELY TO BE REJECTED

1 Repeating what others have said many times;
2 Trapped by and subservient to rules and regulations;
3 Uncritical parroting of received views or conventional wisdom;

THOSE LIKELY TO BE ACCEPTED

1 Critical (the more so, the better);
2 Innovative;
3 New contributions to the understanding of haiku;

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AMERICAN TANKA
RETURNS TO A BIANNUAL PUBLISHING SCHEDULE
NEW EDITOR & SUBMISSION ADDRESS

We are pleased to announce that Mr. Michael McClintock is the new editor of American Tanka and is reinstating its original biannual publishing schedule. Send submissions in the text of an e-mail (no attachments) to americantanka [at] gmail [dot] com. By regular mail, send submissions to:

Michael McClintock, Editor
9230 N. Stoneridge Lane
Fresno, CA 93720

Founded in 1996 by Laura Maffei, American Tanka remains dedicated exclusively to presenting contemporary English-language tanka. Published yearly, the journal has a world-wide circulation and its list of contributors regularly includes many of the most well-known tanka poets of today.

The journal strives to give every poem its particular significance by following a "one poem per page" philosophy in print.

American Tanka is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) corporation. Our purpose is to provide a beautiful print venue for the publication of the best and most vivid tanka being written in English today, and to promote the reading and writing of tanka poetry worldwide. We are qualified to receive tax-deductible bequests, gifts and donations. Donations and gifts will help us increase the frequency of publication of the journal and engage in outreach programs to widen the readership for tanka poetry.

American Tanka invites you to discover the power and beauty of the tanka form. The price for a single issue is $12 U.S./$14 outside the U.S. (includes shipping and handling). Or subscribe and receive two issues (one per year) for $20 U.S./$24 outside the U.S. To order a copy or a subscription, or to make a donation, send a check or money order payable to "American Tanka" to:

American Tanka
c/o Tim Younce
4906 W. State Route 55
Troy, OH 45373

Please indicate whether you are subscribing, ordering a single issue, or ordering back issues (and which ones). Mr. Younce may also be contacted by E-mail for additional subscription and donation information at: atanka [at] earthlink [dot] net.

American Tanka maintains a website at:

http://americantanka.com

DEADLINES:

Submissions for Issue #18 close February 28

Submissions for Issue #19 may be sent from April - August 2009

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Haiku Society of America Quarterly Meeting

The Haiku Society of America will be holding its national quarterly meeting at the University of Oregon in Eugene from March 6-8. For more information on the program and registration, please click on the following link and check under Announcements: http://honors.uoregon.edu

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Robert Spiess Haiku Award Competition

Reminder: The deadline for this year’s Robert Spiess Haiku Award Competition is in-hand on March 13. Details are here:

http://www.modernhaiku.org/issue39-3/spiessawards2009.html

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CONTEST INFORMATION FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 7 - 12

The Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Haiku Competition for Grades 7-12

Founded by the Sacred Heart Church in Camden, NJ, and sponsored by the Nick Virgilio Haiku Association in memory of Nicholas A. Virgilio, a charter member of the Haiku Society of America, who died in 1989. The Haiku Society of America cosponsors the contest, provides judges, and publishes the results in Frogpond and on the HSA Web site.

Deadline: In hand by March 25, 2009. Entries received after that date will not be accepted.

Eligibility: Any student in grades 7 through 12 enrolled in school as of September 2008 may enter.

Regulations: Submit up to three haiku per student. All haiku must be previously unpublished, original work, and not entered in any other contest or submitted elsewhere for publication. Please follow the guidelines carefully. Publication is defined as an appearance in a printed book, magazine, or journal (sold or given away), or in any online journal that presents edited periodic content. The appearance of poems in online discussion lists or personal Web sites is not considered publication. Judges will be asked to disqualify any haiku that they have seen before.

Submissions: Each haiku must be typed in triplicate on 3" x 5" cards. The haiku must appear on the front of each card; your name, address, age, grade level, and school (please include the school address) must appear on the back of (only) one of the cards for each haiku. Please do not send self-addressed stamped envelope with your entries. All winners will be notified. Winning haiku and commentaries will appear in Frogpond. Do not use staples for any purpose. Failure to follow this format will make it impossible to judge an entry and may result in the disqualification of a submission without notification.

Entry fee: None.

Submit entries to:

Tony Virgilio
Nick Virgilio Haiku Association
1092 Niagara Rd
Camden, NJ 08104-2859.

Adjudication: Judges named by the HSA.

Awards: Six haiku will be selected and each awarded $50. The winning haiku and list of winners will be published in Frogpond and on the HSA Web site. The high school of each student winner will receive a one-year subscription to Frogpond.

Rights: All rights revert to the authors after publication.

Correspondence: Please keep a copy of your haiku; entries cannot be returned.

It would be VERY helpful for any interested students to read the haiku written by previous winners. A link to those winners is as follows: http://www.hsa-haiku.org/virgilioawards/virgilio.htm

Darrell Byrd - Three Questions

Darrell Byrd, age 71, is an agricultural biologist living in the Imperial Valley, California, a diverse agricultural oasis in the northern Sonoran Desert.

He became interested in Japanese culture while serving in the Pacific Fleet stationed in Sasebo, Japan.

He recently rediscovered haiku and contributes regularly to online haiku lists and photo-haiku sites. His haiku have been published in Frogpond, The Heron's Nest, Modern Haiku, Acorn, Simply Haiku, Paper Wasp, and WHCmultimedia.

Darrell takes advantage of the desert and mountain terrain of his environs, and of his years at sea, for inspiration in writing his haiku.

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1) Why do you write haiku?

Haiku was a huge challenge for me several years back. First, I was somewhat familiar with haiku from my love of Japanese culture, which I developed while stationed in Sasebo, Japan with the US Navy in the mid nineteen sixties along with my beautiful West Virginia bride. That is another culture I gained much love and respect for. Together we found many similarities in Oriental and American folk culture which we treasured. I don't remember exactly where, but around the year 2000, I read some English language haiku and was fascinated by it. It wasn't in 5-7-5 syllable count, which I thought at the time was essential. After a little online research, I began submitting to online haiku forums and contests. I loved the concept of presenting an image that allows the reader to absorb and interpret the story without being told exactly what to think, an instant in time in nature. Do you see what I see?

2) What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

I love to write cinquains, a form that is not Oriental with a strict syllable count pattern. Cinquains allow more freedom in expression and thought. I also write tanka, haibun and occasionally participate in collaborative renku.

3) Of the many wonderful haiku you've written, what do you consider to be your top three?


willow scent
a kingfisher hangs
in the air

The Heron's Nest, Dec 2002



march bluster
the dragon kite
rattles its tail

Frogpond, XXIV:3



boyhood home
a sculptured salt lick
the mare left

Frogpond, XXV:3

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If you've been enjoying this weekly series and have not contributed, please consider sharing your response to the three little questions that Darrell answered. You must be a published poet in order to participate.

Geert Verbeke will be our guest next week.

PoetTea reading Part 1

North Carolina Haiku Society members Bob Moyer, Dave Russo, and Curtis Dunlap read haiku at the PoetTea reading recorded today in Winston-Salem, NC.

Charlie Smith joins the reading in part 2.

Alexis Rotella news and Part 3 of her reading

Alexis Rotella will have one of her haiku read on Public Radio on February 14th. Here is a message she received from Travel with Rick Steves:

"We’ve selected your poetry submission from last year to use on an upcoming episode of Travel with Rick Steves. Your haiku about Venice will be read near the end of program #162, which airs the weekend of February 14, and includes callers about romantic travel destinations for Valentine’s Day. You should be able to hear it locally on WYPR 88.1 FM from Baltimore on Saturday afternoon, February 14 starting at 1pm Eastern time. (Travel with Rick Steves will debut this weekend on the WYPR stations.)"

You can also hear it online February 15th in the audio archives in the radio section of their website, as well as a podcast from i-Tunes and other podcast directories.

Congratulations Alexis!

Here is part three and the final video of the 1984 Great Swamp Reading that Alexis participated in at Morris County Community College. This installment features Alexis reading a number of her haiku.

Feb. 15th reading and concert

Sunday Afternoon Salon
February 15, 2009, 3:00 pm
PSI Theater, Durham Arts Council

[This concert will serve as a benefit to help with health care expenses for Jaki Shelton Green's daughter, Imami, who recently came down with an aggressive form of cancer. When she got the cancer, Imami's health insurance was dropped because she could no longer be a fulltime student. This has been a real financial hardship for the family.]

The Triangle-based Fleur de Lisa, the only women's a cappella group performing all original music, will be featured in concert on Sunday, February 15, at the PSI Theater, Durham Arts Council. Fleur de Lisa's unique song creations are a mixture of classical, jazz, blues, and art songs. Their lyrics are based on published poems from the US and Japan, many from North Carolina. The February 15 performance will also feature Jaki Shelton Green, the first Piedmont Poet Laureate, Grey Brown, a finalist for the Piedmont Poet Laureate, and rising classical guitarist David Krawiec.

Fleur de Lisa have been featured performers at celebrations for National Poetry Month, the Durham Historical Society, and the Haiku Society of America's national conference.

Jaki Shelton Green is known for her dynamic and moving presentations. She received the North Carolina Award for Literature in 2003. She is the 2007 recipient of the Sam Ragan Award and a member of the prestigious North Caroliniana Society.

Grey Brown, a finalist for the Piedmont Poet Laureate, directs the Literary Arts program for the Health Access Network at Duke. Her poems are known for their ability to connect with all people.

David Krawiec has studied classical guitar at the NC School of the Arts and with master teacher Ed Stephenson, of Meredith.

This concert will be part of the first in a series of Sunday Afternoon Salons. Tickets are $5. For more information, or to reserve seats: 919-810-2863, or haikusongs@gmail.com

Fleur de Lisa

http://www.haikusongs.com/

"Fleur de Lisa sound beautiful. The harmonies and blends are engaging - and enhance the lyrics. They have fun creating their music as well." --Elias J. Torre, President, Durham Arts Council

Cindy Carlson
Grants & Outreach Coordinator
Asian/Pacific Studies Institute
Duke University
323A Trent Drive Hall, Box 90411
Durham, NC 27708-0411

Tel: 919-668-2280
Fax: 919-681-6247

Robert Spiess interview

Mark Alan Osterhaus has a web page of an interview he recorded of English language haiku pioneer, Robert Spiess, some years ago. Mark writes:

"I wanted to let you know that I have posted the only recording of Bob Spiess that I know of, from an interview I conducted with Bob back in 1988. I had the recording cleaned up and converted to a digital format before posting it on my website. If you feel that this interview and haiku reading by Bob has merit, you are welcome to share this with your email list. . ."

It is extremely important that such recordings be made. In these days of inexpensive audio and video devices, it is very easy to preserve a little haiku history.

Thank you for sharing this Mark!

Conference, Contest, Publication news

Here are a few items of interest:

Dear members of the Haiku North America mailing list:

I just updated the HNA web site with an overview of HNA 2009,
registration forms, and a call for submission to the conference
anthology.

http://www.haikunorthamerica.com/hna_2009.html

Please help spread the word to your friends and colleagues!

Dave Russo
HNA Web Administrator

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The winners of the fourth annual Heron's Nest Illustration Contest have been posted. Congratulations on having your work included in the upcoming volume of 2008 poems!

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a sealed jar of mustard seeds

60 new haiku by Scott Metz

or

ant ant ant ant ant number 9

edited by Chris Gordon

*now available*

for a copy, or info, please contact Chris Gordon at:

mrcr3w@yahoo.com

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Announcing "hazy moon" February 2009 Kukai

The February 2009 Kukai theme is "hazy moon" . Use the exact words "hazy moon" in the haiku. No more than a total of three haiku may be submitted. Haiku submitted to the kukai should not be workshopped, appear on-line in forums, or in print.

Haiku

Author, Country

To: kukaieditor@poetrywriting.org
Subject:"hazy moon" kukai
Submissions: Thursday January 01, 2009 – Tuesday, February 17, 2009 Midnight.
Voting: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 – Tuesday, February 24, 2009, Midnight.

The results will be published in the Saturday, February 28, 2009 Sketchbook.

Recent letters to the Sketchbook editors and discussions on various forums indicate that some assumptions about a kukai must be spelled out. From now on (April 1, 2008), Haiku entered in the Sketchbook kukai must be previously unpublished; they must not be workshopped; they must not appear on any list, forum, group, blog, or in print. In short, if the haiku has appeared on the internet or in print we consider it to have been published. The voting in a kukai is anonymous and publication anywhere voids anonyminity. Any haiku found to be previously published will be disqualified.

The Editor’s at Sketchbook
Karina Klesko and John Daleiden

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The 3rd Haiku Circle will take place on Saturday, June 6th (9AM-6PM) at the Red House Tree Farm Northfield, MA.

This year's event will include the following:

1) Letterpress print: All day workshop with Ed Rayher & Greg Joly.

2) Nature sketching for beginners: All day workshop with Mary Forrester.

3) The persona haibun: The art of empathy: Workshop with Maggie Chula.

4) Naturalist walk: A focus on butterflies with Ted Watt.

Peggy Lyles & Carl Patrick will be featured readers.

Cost will remain the same at $65.00 with a discount to $50.00 for early registration (before May 1). Fees include all meals. Camping and book table space with advance notice. Music will be provided by harpist Piper Pichette. We welcome you to join us!


Please make check payable to "Wanda Cook/Haiku Circle" and mail to: Wanda Cook, P.O. Box 314, Hadley, MA 01035

For more information:

-vincent tripi at (413) 772-2354
-Raffael de Gruttola at (508) 653-3354 or cellinixo@aol.com
-Wanda Cook at willowbranch32@yahoo.com
-Stanford M. Forrester at bottlerockets_99@yahoo.co

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The 6th International Tanka Festival in Tokyo 2009 Competition（ITF Tokyo Competition）

Call for Submissions

Open to everyone

Entry Fee: None

Submission Period: April 1st～June 30, 2009

Address for submissions:

ITF Tokyo Competition

c/o Nihon Kajin Club,

Shuei Bldg. 2F, 1-12-5,

Higashi-gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo, 141-0022, Japan

Rules:

1) Tanka must be previously unpublished and not under consideration elsewhere.

2) Send two copies of each tanka, with your name and address on one copy only.

3) Any theme is acceptable.

4) Winning tanka and commended entries will be published in the Festival brochure.

Prizes: The Japan Times Prize, The Tanka Journal Prize, The Amelia Fielden Prize,

The Hiromi Itoh Prize, The Yasuhiro Kawamura Prize, The Aya Yuhki Prize etc.

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The 6th International Tanka Festival in Tokyo 2009

ITF Tokyo 2009 will be held by The Japan Tanka Poets' Society and the members of The Tanka Journal as follows:

October 10th Registration at Akasaka Yoko Hotel

11th The 6th International Tanka Festival in Tokyo 2009 ( 10 a.m. to 19p.m.)

at the Meiji Shrine Sansyu den

(JR Harajuku, Subway Meiji Jingu mae)

12th Day trip to Nikko

Aya Yuhki: ayayu-ki@sc4.so-net.ne.jp

Alexis Rotella reading - Part 2

Part 2 of the Alexis Rotella reading: