Dan Schwerin - Three Questions

Dan Schwerin has been writing haiku since 1995. He lives in Greendale, a suburb of Milwaukee, with his wife Deb and their teens Rachel and Andrew. He was most recently the district superintendent of the United Methodist Church in Milwaukee, and just over a year in his appointment to the church in Waukesha.

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1) Why do you write haiku?

Art changes my mind. After work I collect passing moments for perspective. If I am lucky I can sift the truthfulness or lightness from a full day while chiseling haiku. I am a United Methodist minister in a large downtown urban church in the northern midwest. Perspective is the adventure of what to do with the play of light and shadows in each day. Haiku help.

Haiku works juxtaposition—a microcosm reveals the macrocosm. Mumbling images around the mouth aids in processing my reflection on the grand scheme of nature and life. I go to haiku for epiphany, beauty, and a change of mind.

2) What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

I have written tanka, haibun, and free verse. Every week brings the art of writing a sermon structured in narrative. Haiku keep me in the essence of things.

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

I have had several in the red moon anthologies, but I like what Charles Trumbull did by putting these together in the current issue of Modern Haiku, volume 40.1 (winter-spring 2009).


the swinging branch back to its level Sabbath


leaves past peak
except the devil's paintbrush,
of course


All Saints' Day
he's back in church
with six strong men

Thank you, Curtis. This series has helped me find kindred spirits out there.

Take care,
Dan
Daniel W. Schwerin
Minister
First United Methodist Church
121 Wisconsin Ave.
Waukesha, WI 53186
262.542.4256
www.fumcwaukesha.org

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The next installment of the Three Questions series will be slightly different.

John Dunphy haibun essay

John Dunphy has written an exceptional essay entitled Haibun: union of prose and poetry. John writes:

Some authors write prose, while others write poetry. A few try to distinguish themselves in both fields, with varying degrees of success. As a haiku poet, I have the option of writing works that successfully combine prose and poetry in one unique form.

Continue reading Haibun: union of prose and poetry...

I also recommend John's What is a haiku - and what isn't? essay.

New book - Geert Verbeke

A new book by Geert Verbeke is available. For more information, visit the links below the picture.


WEB HOME PAGE: http://www.haikugeert.net
JENNY IN BHUTAN: http://haikugeert.skynetblogs.be
BLOG SCHRIJVEN: http://haiku-e-zine.skynetblogs.be
NIEUW BOEK: SCHAKENDE HEREMIETEN = 15 euro
NEW BOOK: HERMIT about haiku writing: 15 euro
Boeuf & Bouvier: 10 euro
Photobook ICE (128 pages) : 25 euro

The Heron's Nest Print Edition

The print edition of The Heron's Nest is available. Webmaster & Contributing Editor, Paul David Mena writes:

Volume X of The Heron's Nest will soon appear in the mailboxes of those who submitted pre-publication orders. We are pleased with it and have good hopes that our readers will also be pleased. If you haven't yet ordered your copy (or copies) please follow the easy instructions under "paper subscription" here:

http://www.theheronsnest.com/journal/

And please consider making a small gift to assist in keeping The Heron's Nest coming through this year and beyond. Your support is important and deeply appreciated!

The Heron's Nest is a vital bridge for bringing modern English language haiku to the masses. Read what others are saying:

"For 10 years now The Heron’s Nest has been a standard-setter for contemporary haiku, not only for the journal’s content, but also because of its innovative hybrid nature that so perfectly bridges the worlds of electronic and print publication. Hats off to the excellent editors. May you have many more decades of success!"

Charles Trumbull, Modern Haiku


"The Heron's Nest has become the journal of choice for many poets whose work explores the more traditional realms of English-language haiku. Having this fine work collected yearly between covers grants the more traditional pleasures of reading at leisure and in comfort. Always a welcome addition to any haiku library."

Jim Kacian, Red Moon Press


"The Heron's Nest has delivered haiku worthy to be read, imagined, and felt. It has accomplished this by avoiding the distractions of haiku trends and poetics debates. It values the poetic experience and the haiku poet's sensibility. That's all. It is enough."

Randy Brooks, Brooks Books


"Christopher Herold's baby has matured into a much-heralded showcase for fine haiku. I can't count the number of beginning haijin whom I have steered to theheronsnest.com for examples of consistently high quality poems. I congratulate all of the editors on this milestone anniversary, and I look forward to the pleasure of immersing myself in the pages of The Heron's Nest for many years to come."

Carolyn Hall, Acorn


"The Heron’s Nest represents for me - even from its first issues - a place where the voices of contemporary haiku poets are gathered from everywhere and presented to the postmodern reader. Congratulations to its founder and to its editors!"

Ion Codrescu

Founder editor of Albatross and Hermitage international haiku journals


". . . deserving of its standing in the upper echelon of English-language haiku journals. Its solid editorial stance and the commitment of its editors invariably inform selections that strike an engaging balance, from universal human-oriented work to haiku that evidence genuine naturalistic competence."

John Barlow, author and editor The New Haiku, Wing Beats: British Birds in Haiku, etc.

ISSN 1538-7747
$17 US
$19 Canada and Mexico
$21 Other Locations

The print edition is perfect for carrying many unique haiku voices with you when you travel. Order your copy today.

Flash fiction haibun & Red Moon Press

Deborah P Kolodji has written an entertaining story entitled One Breath Moments. The story is unique in that it educates and introduces the non-haikuist to the world of ginkos and haiku. Perhaps we would have less spamku if more of these type of stories were written.

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I received a notification from Jim Kacian that contemporary haibun volume 10 is available from Red Moon Press. Editors Kacian, Bruce Ross, and Ken Jones consistently produce the finest series of haibun and haiga anthologies in the world today. Hurry and order your copy.

Billie Wilson - Three Questions

Billie Wilson was born in 1941 and grew up in rural Indiana. She moved to Alaska in 1962 and lives in Juneau with her husband Gary who was born in, and introduced her to, North Dakota. All three states continue to influence her haiku. She began writing "haiku-like poems" in the 1960s, but it wasn't until 1997 that she discovered the worldwide haiku community and began a serious study of the genre. Studying led to a deeper appreciation of the haiku potential and a desire to begin her development as a haiku poet. Her work has appeared in many of the leading haiku journals and anthologies. Some of her awards include the Harold G. Henderson Memorial Award, the Gerald Brady Memorial Award, and The Heron's Nest Readers' Choice Poem of the Year.

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1) Why do you write haiku?

For all the reasons given by others who’ve responded here at Tobacco Road, but I’ll add a bit anyway. When I was in 4th grade, I wrote my first poem. In an instant, I heard an inner voice – informing, “I’m going to be a writer.” Decades later, I wrote my first haiku. And in that instant, it seemed as though the world opened itself to me in an intimate new way. That was way back in the 1960s when 5-7-5 was all most poets knew, and it was as if my heart began beating in 5-7-5. Sounds a bit much by today’s more sophisticated ways of discussing haiku, but you asked .

2) What other poetic forms do your enjoy?

I once couldn’t read or write enough free verse. W. S. Merwin was a favorite. I went through a sonnet stage for about five of my “flower child” years, and practically memorized everything Edna St. Vincent Millay ever wrote. But now, I’m 99.9 percent committed to haiku. I spend an hour each morning reading vintage books and journals – as well the many modern journals to which I subscribe. I’ve tried my hand at tanka, but it is still a challenge for me. I enjoy haibun, but don’t seem to find the time to write as many of those as occur to me.

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

I can hardly believe how warmly the haiku community has welcomed me into the fold. It is a splendid fold, to be sure, made up of some of the most generous-spirited folks I’ve ever known. I must admit, though, that most of the time, I still feel very much the rookie. Most of the time, when a decent haiku pours out of my pen, it still feels like a fluke. I used to write as many as a dozen bad haiku every day. Since learning more about good haiku, I sometimes am lucky to write one or two decent ones a month. My standards have been set so much higher by reading the work of much-admired and respected haijin, so sometimes I don’t even bother to put an idea on paper. So, I pretty much aim for “decent”. If “wonderful” happens – wow! Maybe these?



winter wind—
a cradlesong sung
in an ancient tongue


The Heron's Nest Editor’s Choice Award VIII:4 (2006); and Readers' Choice Poem of the Year



prairie dusk—
the rustle of field mice
wintering in


Winner for December 2004, The Haiku Calendar (Snapshot Press)




whalebone
from a beach near Savoonga—
winter rain


First Place, Harold G. Henderson Award, 2003

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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 Billie answered. You must be a published poet in order to participate.

Dan Schwerin will be our guest next week.

The Sound Of Poets Cooking - an anthology cookbook

This just in from Richard Krawiec:

I'm looking for poems for an anthology. The website and info is below. Please send me something or pass it along to anyone you think is interested.

http://writershelping.webs.com/

The Sound Of Poets Cooking - an anthology cookbook

WRITERS HELPING THE COMMUNITY

These are difficult times for everyone, and in an effort to produce a fun anthology/cookbook that will also address the needs of writers and the communities they live in, we are seeking poems that make reference to an item that might be used for food. The poems do not need to be about eating or cooking, they only have to mention something that can be eaten. There is no cost to submit one poem. If you wish to submit more than one, the fee is $1 per page. If you are submitting haiku, you may submit three at no cost. If wish to submit more than three haiku, the fee is $1 per groups of three.

The anthology will feature both well-known and lesser-known writers. Proceeds from the sale of the book will go to provide writers grants to teach free writing workshops in their communities. There will be a simple, one-page application form at the back of the anthology to apply for this program. These grants will be available to all writers, not just the ones whose work appears in this anthology.

Although we are primarily looking for poems, if you have a favorite recipe, simple to moderate in preparation and cost, feel free to send that along as well.

SUBMISSION PROCESS

Submissions Accepted Through June 1, 2009. Decisions made by July 1, 2009.

DO NOT SEND ATTACHMENTS

Submit poems to foodpoems@gmail.com. Put "Poetry Submission" and your last name in the subject line of your email. . Please paste your poem(s) in the body of the email. Include a one-paragraph biography at the bottom of the email. If you are sending a recipe, add the word "Recipe" to the subject line. If you are submitting more than one poem, we will reply with directions on how to submit payment for the additional poems.

Previously published poems are welcome. Note when and where they were published.

Simultaneous submissions are fine.

Gualala Arts 2009 Whale & Jazz Festival

POETRY & JAZZ
– a night of Japanese poetry –
Saturday, April 11
7:30 p.m.
– Book Signing Party –

All performances accompanied by Shirley Muramoto on koto and Karl Young on shakuhachi unless noted otherwise.

“Notes from a Jazz Geisha, Tokyo” written and performed by Blake More. “I discovered Jazz in Tokyo, thanks to the tutelage of a delightfully generous, engaging Japanese patron.”

"Cast Your Fate To The Wind" an American pop standard written by Vince Guaraldi, with lyrics by Carel Werber arranged for koto and shakuhachi by Shirley Muramoto and played with Karl Young.

On this Same Star by Mariko Kitakubo, Tokyo performance artist and tanka poet, performs her original tanka in Japanese. Linda Galloway, American tanka and haiku poet, will present the English translations by Amelia Fielden. In addition to the koto and shakuhachi accompaniment, Mariko plays the hamohn.

“A Selection of Haibun” written and performed by Renée Owen accompanied by musician Brian Foster on shakuhachi flute.

INTERMISSION

"Shaei" – Diagonal Shadows by Hikaru Sawai – a koto solo played by Shirley Muramoto

"Yoshino Shizuka" – is a classical-style number by Katsuko Chikushi played by Shirley Muramoto and Karl Young

"Basho Inspired Butoh” arranged and performed by Don McLeod. Don McLeod is an internationally acclaimed butoh dancer and movement artist. Haiku selected from Basho: The Complete Haiku by Jane Reichhold.

Thanks to Sponsors

Kodansha Books of New York & Tokyo

Sue Friedland and Karl Young for lodging

Joel & Jeremy Crockett of Four-Eyed Frog Books for tonight’s bookstore

– Cover artwork “Kimono” by Barbara Kelly –

For more information about this event or the performers, see the Gualala Arts Center website at http://www.gualalaarts.org/.

Publications, Call for Submissions, Haiku music, and a Sheryl Crow reading

The March issue of Contemporary Haibun Online has been released.

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The spring issue of The 2River View has been released. North Carolina Haiku Society member, Richard Krawiec, has two poems in this issue. Click the embedded player below Richard's name to hear him read his poems.

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Concise Delight Magazine of Short Poetry is a biannual print journal dedicated to publishing the very best of very short verse, from one to nine lines in length (not including title). Every short form, from one-line epigrammatic poems to three-tercet poems, and free verse up to nine lines in length, are welcome. Poems will not be judged by any of the widely varying haiku standards, nor as senryu, nor as zappai. Poems will be evaluated for their intrinsic poetic merit. Poems published in Concise Delight will not be labeled nor categorized. This is not a magazine about form; it is a magazine dedicated to top quality very short verse. Submissions are open for the summer 2009 issue.

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Visible Verse Videopoems Call for Submissions: Pacific Cinémathèque and curator Heather Haley are seeking videopoem submissions from around the world for the annual Visible Verse screening and performance poetry celebration. SEE THE VOICE: Visible Verse is North America’s sustaining venue for the presentation of new and artistically significant poetry video and film. Guidelines and information are located here:

http://www.heatherhaley.com/visibleverse.html

http://writingcontests.wordpress.com/2009/03/11/visible-verse-videopoems-call-for-submissions/

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Prahas David Nafissian has uploaded a set of piano poems entitled, 'Haiku for Piano.' He writes:

I used a 5-7-5 rhythmic structure for the poems, borrowed from the syllabic structure of a traditional haiku. To have a listen, simply go to your favorite music site -- iTunes, Napster, Lala.com, Amazon.com, Shockhound, or Emusic -- and search for:
prahas haiku

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And while we're on the subject of video poems and music, here's Sheryl Crow performing one of her classic songs as a poem:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39NXtZhycuM

Carlos Colón - Three Questions

Carlos Colón is the author of 11 chapbooks including Mountain Climbing and Clocking Out, two collections of haiku and concrete poetry; Sassy, a collection of linked poems written with Alexis Rotella, and Circling Bats and Wall Street Park, two books of concrete renku written with Raffael de Gruttola. His work has appeared in a variety of publications including The Red Moon Anthology, Modern Haiku, Journal of Poetry Therapy, Writer’s Digest, and Louisiana Literature. His poetry has also been part of three public art projects: the “Let the Good Times Roll” mural in Shreveport’s Festival Plaza, "Highway Haiku," and a renku display outside of a temple on Sado Island in Japan. In addition, Colón edited Voices and Echoes, the 2001 Haiku Society of America Members' Anthology and is editor of Shreve Memorial Library's Electronic Poetry Network (http://www.shreve-lib.org/poemofday.htm).

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1. Why do you write haiku?

The first reason: Through my years of writing poetry, I had most of my success by writing short poetry (usually humorous rhymed poetry), so when I came across a number of haiku publications in the 1990 Poet's Market, I decided to give them a try. Also, because I had been writing poems in various shapes, I felt I could easily work within the constraints of a haiku. I had previously written a rhymed poem in the shape of a turkey, and the poem even had internal rhyme as well, so I figured I should be able to shape my thoughts into 17 syllables. Well, it wasn't that easy! I spent weeks on one haiku, and I never got it right. A few years later, I revised it enough for publication, but I still consider it more abandoned than finished.

The second reason: Modern Haiku editor Robert Spiess's rapid response for rejection or acceptance was one of the overriding reasons I continued writing and submitting haiku. After waiting three or four months for each rejection, a two-week rejection was refreshing . . . well, in a way.

The third reason: Discovering Marlene Mountain's concrete poetry in The Haiku Anthology was also a significant event, because I had been writing concrete poetry for 20 years, but had never considered using it in a haiku context. I feel very fortunate to have been able to later collaborate with Marlene Mountain, and with Alexis Rotella, and with many more writers whom I greatly admire.

This explanation was originally published as part of a "Beginner's Mind" article in Woodnotes 30 (1996).

2. What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

Concrete poetry, renku, limericks, sonnets, quatrains, free-verse, and a little tanka, haiga, and haibun.


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


pointing
my way home
the starfish


published in RAW NerVZ HAIKU III:1 (1996) as part of "Mardi Gras Parade"
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at the hazardous
        waste site
an eight-leaf clover


Point Judith Light II.2 (1993)
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zen concert
an air guitar
slightly out of tune


published in RAW NerVZ HAIKU III:1 (1996) as part of "Mardi Gras Parade"
w/ Alexis K. Rotella
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Thank you for this opportunity, Curtis, and for this important on-going series.

Best,
Carlos

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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 Carlos answered. You must be a published poet in order to participate.

Billie Wilson will be our guest next week.

Friday Interlude: Campus Tradition

Let's start Friday with a little music. I'm privileged to work with a very talented group of people. Here are a couple of clips I recorded of Campus Tradition. This remarkable four piece band have been together for nearly a decade.

Part 3 - Mark Smith-Soto reading

I'm pleased to present to you part 3 of the Mark Smith-Soto poetry reading held in Greensboro last month. Mark reads from his new chapbook entitled Waiting Room. Copies of Mark's book can be purchased at Glenwood Community Book Shop, Al Brilliant, proprietor. Contact information is at the end of the video. Parts 1 & 2 are located on this page.

Mid-week news

The new issue of Sketchbook has been posted.

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Carlos Colón sent this:

As reported in the November 2007 HSA Newsletter, Laura Flett, who attended the March 2007 HSA Quarterly Meeting in Shreveport, had a large article and photo in the Shreveport Times about a haiga project she displayed in her front yard. Thirty-four haiku were burned into tree cookies (thin slices of trunk) and arranged in a spiral. Flett's "Heart Journey" haiga were later exhibited at the All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church on "Artist Sunday."

Laura's "Heart Journey" is now posted on her Facebook page. Follow this link to take the journey:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/album.php?aid=2014832&id=1540572021

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Caribbean Kigo Kukai #01

Dear haiku friends you are invited to participate in The Caribbean Kigo First Kukai

The is Kigo LENT

Send one haiku which includes the word lent to gillenacox@tstt.net.tt

Example:

season of lent —
we choose the lime hot sauce
for our fish

-gillena cox


Deadline for sending entries is March 17th 2009

Deadline for sending votes is April 2nd 2009

Voting: Score your votes using a total of 6pts

Example:

Haiku#76………3pts

Haiku#34………2pts

Haiku#8………1pt


Send your votes to gillenacox@tstt.net.tt

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Faith & Belief, QUAD, Derby, UK

Deadline: 16 March 2009

QUAD invites artists, poets and writers to submit original text-based compositions for exhibition on the non-gallery walls of QUAD during the period 9th May - 26th Jun 2009. We are looking for text-based works in the form of Japanese Haiku poetry that will be shown on the non-gallery walls in QUAD, including corridors, stairwells, and landings throughout the building. The theme we would like you to respond to is Faith & Belief.

Celebrating 2009 International Year of Astronomy, which marks the 400th anniversary of the first use of an astronomical telescope by Galileo Galilei (and the 40th of the Moon Walk), we would like to invite artists, poets and writers to submit their work to help the citizens of the world rediscover their place in the Universe. Whether you want to address the idea of belief in relation to scientific achievement and the technological progress of exploration, or if you want to draw attention to questions such as 'where do we come from?' and 'what are we here for?' this is your chance to share your thoughts and put words on your imagination. We would like you to explore the breadth of aspects of faith, including (but not limited to) science, secularism, religion, prayer, meditation, ritual, myth, self-awareness, transcendentalism, diversity, existentialism, spiritualism, conflict and philosophy.

Download the pdf below for submission guidelines here:
http://www.derbyquad.co.uk/files/faith__belief_submission_information.pdf

QUAD
Market Place
Cathedral Quarter
Derby
DE1 3AS
http://www.derbyquad.co.uk

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Quincy Jones has started a petition to ask President Elect Obama to appoint a Secretary of the Arts. While many other countries have had Ministers of Art or Culture for centuries, the United States has never created such a position.

Please take a moment to sign this important petition and then pass it along to your friends and colleagues. The petition is located at:

http://www.petitiononline.com/esnyc/petition.html

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And what a unique way to let someone know that you're thinking about them while they're in the hospital.

Karen Klein - Three Questions

Karen Klein is a retired literature professor and a visual artist. Since retirement, she has become a professional modern dancer with the Prometheus Dance Elders Ensemble. A past secretary of the Haiku Society of America, her haiku and senryu have been published nationally and internationally. With Raffael DeGruttola and Judson Evans, she edited Wind Flow, a chapbook of the Boston Haiku Society, published December 2008.

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1. Why do you write haiku?

In 1994, I decided I needed to be more observant of the world around me, and to do that I would write a daily haiku. I knew nothing about haiku, but thought it was three lines with a syllabic pattern of 5-7-5. Empowered by ignorance, I wrote for a year. At its end, a poet-friend (not a haijin)published a small book of my ink drawings and selected poems; naively, I titled it 'from the Haiku Year'. The same friend sent the book to Raffael who met with me and gently explained that nothing I had written was a haiku. He invited me to join the Boston Haiku Society; I did, learned how to write haiku there, and have been happily there ever since. What I try to do with my ink drawings applies to what I try to do with haiku: "to get the maximum expressiveness with a minimum of marks." I like that challenge.

2. What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

I love renku and am part of a New England group, 'the immature green herons.' I also write longer, lyric poems; often a haiku is the nub or germ of the longer poem. My life has been enriched immeasurably by the poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins, W.B.Yeats, T.S. Eliot, Wallace Stevens to whom I return again and again, and my spirit by the work of Adrienne Rich.

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

I have no idea what my top three are. I'm still often puzzled both by the acceptances and the rejections I get. Why these and not those? But here are three that have personal resonance for me.


early snow
news of his death
in an email

Modern Haiku, 35:1(2004)


night music
empty bed blues
solo sax

RAW NerVZ, VIII:1(2002)


afternoon sky
18 month old
finds the moon

bottlerockets, 19(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 Karen answered. You must be a published poet in order to participate.

Carlos Colón will be our guest next week.

HNA, Cherry Blossoms, & Editing Haiku

Registration information for Haiku North America 2009 has been posted. HNA will be held in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on August 5th through the 9th. The theme for this biannual event is "Crosscurrents."

The results of the annual Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Invitational have been posted. Congratulations to the winning poets! and a hearty thank you to all involved in making this event possible.

I happened across a web page today entitled The Writer's Way: Editing Poetry. I thought you might be interested in the poem the author uses to illustrate her point.

Will English language haiku ever overcome elementary school teachings?

Beary web site and reading

I received an email yesterday from David Giacalone informing me that Roberta Beary has joined the ranks of haiku poets who have web sites. In honor of Roberta's web presence at robertabeary.com, I present to you a video of this lovely multi-award winning poet reading two haiku.


A list of poets with a web presence is available on the links page at tobaccoroadpoet.com.

Two Publications - Submissions

DailyHaiku

Submission are now open for DailyHaiku Cycle 7! http://www.dailyhaiku.org

DailyHaiku is a print and daily online serial publication that exists to promote and preserve the gentle written art of haiku. DailyHaiku publishes the work of Canadian and international haiku poets, blending contemporary, experimental, and traditional styles to explore the boundaries of English-language haiku. Through our special features section, we also aim to chronicle the diverse and ever-changing landscape of contemporary haiku-related forms. We're now looking for a new roster of six talented haiku poets for our upcoming cycle (Volume 4, Cycle 7, Spring/Summer 2009). If selected as a contributor, you will be responsible for providing a total of 28 haiku over a six-month period.

Submission Period: March 1st--31th, 2009 (closes 11:59 pm Mountain Standard Time)

How to Submit: Email submissions to desk@dailyhaiku.org

What to Submit: Ten unpublished haiku---no more, no less---your contact information, and a 75 word biographical note. We do not accept work published or under consideration by other journals or websites.

Payment: One contributor copy of the print volume featuring your work.

Notes: Edited by Patrick M. Pilarski and Nicole Pakan, DailyHaiku features the work of six authors presented over a six month time frame. Each week, the work of a different author from the current contributor team is featured on the website. The contributor team at DailyHaiku changes twice per year---once in April and once in October. We also publish a series of special features, and all contributed work will be considered for inclusion in our annual print journal. Published once a year in the early fall, the print journal features the work of the previous two contributor teams. One exemplary week of contributed haiku each year will also be awarded the DailyHaiku Editors' Choice Award and featured prominently in the print edition. Previous contributors: to keep the journal dynamic, we ask that you wait at least one or two cycles before re-submitting to DailyHaiku.

For specific submission guidelines and more information about this publication, please visit: http://www.dailyhaiku.org

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World Haiku Review

MARCH 2009 ISSUE

Submission Guidelines

Dear Kuyu,

The next issue is planned for March 2009. We will stop considering submissions as soon as we have enough good works to publish. So, hurry!

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. (If you feel the attached selection criteria are too vague, consult a few other leading publications for their criteria and judge them for yourself.)

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 all other works relating to haiku (renku, 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.

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

Rebecca Ball Rust - book

In the Night Shallows, a selection of haiku from Rebecca Ball Rust, is available from Rosenberry Books. Rust is founder of the North Carolina Haiku Society and past President of the North Carolina Poetry Society. Her prose and poetry have appeared in literary journals, anthologies, newspapers, and on radio and television. Her work has been published in Japan, Russia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and accepted for publication in China and Romania. She is former dance reviewer for the Raleigh News & Observer and former editor of the North Carolina Haiku Society Press.



Copies can be ordered from the Rosenberry Books catalog page.

Alexis Rotella - Three Questions

Alexis Rotella is our guest poet this week. She is the editor of Modern Haiga and has published more than two dozen poetry books. Her work has appeared in numerous anthologies and hundreds of journals including The New York Times (Metropolitan Diary), Christian Science Monitor, Glamour, and Family Circle. Her well known longer poem "PURPLE" has appeared in hundreds of publications around the world and most recently appeared in Bernie Siegel, M.D.'s Love, Magic & Mudpies (Rodale Press). Rotella served as president of the Haiku Society of America (Japan House) in 1984 and was editor of Frogpond. She is a licensed acupuncturist and certified nutritionist in Arnold, Maryland.

http://www.alexisrotella.com

http://www.youtube.com/rengagirl

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l. Why do you write haiku?

Haiku find me. Haiku help me make sense of life; they're like page markers on this one journey. This one says, "You were here," another says, "You witnessed this precious moment." We are lucky to be able to share our lives with each other in this simple yet profound way.

2. What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

I write senryu, tanka, renga and longer poetry.

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

My three favorite haiku:


Eavesdropping
on the leaves
dropping.


A garden snake
slips out of
its knot.


The monk
sounding a butterfly
out of the bell.


(Eavesdropping, MET Press, 2007)

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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 Alexis answered. You must be a published poet in order to participate.

Karen Klein will be our guest next week.