A Christmas poem by Pris Campbell

Snow Globe

Wiry haired Nick on my left,
the one yet to die in a plane crash,
and John, once-lover,
now friend, on my right,
hold me in our giddy weave
through the snow bombed Boston Commons.

Christmas Eve…
our futures still stretched out ahead of us
on some gypsy’s palm.

We kiss where the sidewalks meet.
Nick’s mouth tastes of weed,
John’s of some sweet sticky punch.
My laugh slices the dark like a laser.
A star loosens; falls.

I wish this night
might become a snow globe
to take home and shake
on some other Christmas Eve.
I want to see us again,
we three on this holy night
high and shivering,
young and invincible,
as we dance to the last tinkling
strains of Liebestraum.

--Pris Campbell

Previously published in Sketchbook Journal, 2007 and The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, 2009.

Haiku North America 2011

New Location: Haiku North America to be Held in Rochester, New York, July 27–31, 2011

Organizers of the 2011 Haiku North America conference are pleased to announce that Rochester, New York, will now host the 2011 HNA conference, to be held July 27–31, 2011. The conference will maintain the theme of education in haiku and will take place at the Rochester Institute of Technology, cosponsored by the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, by the Postsecondary Educational Network-International funded by the Nippon Foundation of Tokyo, and by the Rochester Area Haiku Group. Led by Jerome Cushman, the local organizing committee also includes Carolyn Dancy, Deb Koen, and Deanna Tiefenthal, with local and long-distance help from Francine Banwarth, Randy Brooks, and others. Anticipated activities include an Erie Canal boat cruise, banquet, regional readings, a memorial reading, anthology, T-shirts, and possible visits to nearby cultural attractions, including the National Museum of Play and a guided tour of historic Mt. Hope Cemetery, the oldest Victorian municipal cemetery in America and burial site of Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglas, and poet Adelaide Crapsey. More details will be provided at www.haikunorthamerica.com and on the HNA Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Haiku-North-America/113127392085466 (please take a look and click Like! if you're a Facebook member). For more information, please contact Jerome Cushman at jercush@aol.com or Michael Dylan Welch at welchm@aol.com. We look forward to seeing you at Haiku North America in Rochester!

Note: Randy Brooks and Millikin University regret that they are not able to host HNA in 2011. We’re grateful for Randy’s initial work in planning HNA for 2011, and also grateful to haiku poets in Rochester, New York, for taking on the conference. Don’t miss it!

—Michael Dylan Welch, Garry Gay, and Paul Miller

Call for Proposals

If you already submitted a proposal for HNA at Millikin University, it will still be considered (no need to resend). If you would like to submit a new proposal, please send it to Michael Dylan Welch at WelchM@aol.com by January 31, 2011. The theme will be education in haiku, but proposals do not have to fit the theme. Proposals can include papers, presentations, panel discussions, readings, workshops, or other activities featuring haiku and related literature (except tanka) in North America. Please provide the following details with your proposal (directly in your email message; no attached files, please):

1. Title (as you would want it to appear in the conference program—make it catchy or provocative if appropriate).

2. A maximum of 50 words describing your presentation (as you would want it to appear in the conference program; please write to attract an audience.

3. Additional descriptions or goals of your presentation (for the benefit of conference organizers), mentioning any planned handouts or activities.

4. Special needs such as digital projection (for PowerPoint presentations), audio, whiteboard, etc.

5. Length of time needed or preferred.

Jennifer Gomoll Popolis - Three Questions

Jennifer Gomoll Popolis is a Chicago native currently living in Springfield, IL. When not writing haiku, she may be found freelance writing, cooking, gardening, volunteering, knitting, and spending time with her husband, John.

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1) Why do you write haiku?

I suspect I've been interested in haiku long before I knew about haiku—or should I say, before I knew haiku wasn't necessarily the 5-7-5 form taught in high school. Many of the poems I loved as a kid, an undergrad, and as a young adult tended toward brevity, clear images, and nature with a hint of human nature. When I cracked open my first Modern Haiku in 2005, I had an 'of course' moment. All the things I love get mixed into those tiny word pots--plants, animals, moons, stars, Zen, footprints, frying pans, pine needles—and come out saying something about the human condition. It's a challenge to come up with a good haiku—one that's both mundane and profound--and I enjoy that.

2) What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

I love a good haibun, though I have yet to write a decent one. Haiga is another world I'd like to explore. Although I've generally turned away from contemporary western poetry, I still have a soft spot for my old heroes: Anne Sexton, T.S. Eliot, Marianne Moore, Robert Frost . . . also just started reading Jane Hirshfield and she's knocking my socks off now.

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

Thank you for considering the possibility that anything I have written can be considered 'wonderful.' Here are a few recent ones I enjoyed writing:




Sunday afternoon
end of a dog's leash
whipping through the grass

The Heron's Nest XII:4 (2010)




head shop
a row of buddhas
a row of bongs

Modern Haiku 41:3 (2010)





autumn rain
the bird bath full
and empty

Acorn #24 (2010)

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If you've been enjoying this weekly series and have not contributed, please consider sharing your response (whether it be for haiku or tanka) to the three little questions that Jennifer answered. You must be a published poet to participate.

Sunday updates - December 19

WORLD HAIKU REVIEW

Re: Call for Submissions for the Next Issue

Dear Kuyu,

The next issue of World Haiku Review (WHR) is planned for January 2011.

As for haiku poems in English or in English translation, send in by e-mail anything you like, traditional or non-traditional on any topic, free or formal style, kigo or muki, up to ten poems which have not been published or are not considered for publication elsewhere to: kalaramesh8@gmail.com AND susumu.takiguchi@btinternet.com Suggested themes: existence, war and winter scene

The only criterion for selection is quality. Please therefore send in your finest works as soon as you can. There is no set deadline but when enough number of good works are received we will announce that and the submission will be closed soon after that. We at this end will put selected haiku poems in either the Neo-classical, Shintai (or new style) or Vanguard sections according to their characteristics. You, as the writer, need not worry abouth this classification. Just send what happens to come out best.

As for other works relating to haiku (haibun, articles, essays, haiga or bookreviews on haiku etc.), just send in whatever you think would deserve publication in WHR. Once again, quality is the key.

I will mention some indications about our selection 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 always.

Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!

Kengin to all,

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

* * *

INDICATIONS FOR HAIKU SELECTION

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 (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 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 Away from rules & regulations and yet good;
8 Good choice and order of words;
9 Have good rhythm;
10 Pictorial and/or musical 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)

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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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Ellen Olinger has started a second blog. She writes:

I began a second blog last summer, where I'm posting a few new short holiday/winter poems.  And some new photos by Karl this week on the first blog.

Merry Christmas, Ellen

Ellen Olinger

Poems from Oostburg, Wisconsin
http://ellenolinger.wordpress.com

Poems Inspired by the Psalms and Nature
http://elingrace.wordpress.com

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Djurdja Vukelic-Rozic

sent this:

Dear Curtis,

Here is a gift for your visitors, Stjepan Rozic's haiku collection Song of a Nightingale.

Wishing you Happy Holidays,
Djurdja and Stjepan

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Click on the link below to view the results of the

15th International Kusamakura Haiku Competition 2010

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Journal of Renga & Renku update:

We’re happy to say that, despite Norman having been snowed in and virtually incommunicado for some weeks now, we’re still on track with Issue 1 being available for purchase if not at year’s end, then early in 2011. Purchase and pricing details will be available on our website by then too.

We’ll be finalizing page design and the proofreading stages of the manuscript when Norman’s internet connection has been restored and after that, contributors/sabaki can expect to receive a pdf of their section of the content for a last look-over.

The journal will run to some 150 large-size pages of renku articles and poetry and the list of contributors is roughly that number too. The listing is available for view on the DR website here:

http://www.darlingtonrichards.com/index.php/titles/journal-of-renga-renku-list-of-contributors/

We’re also offering all contributors a few lines of page space to introduce themselves to JRR readers if they’d like to. Our invitation is copied below should you not have received yours yet – we’d love to hear from (and about) you.

*

Invitation

Dear contributor, please help us create a vibrant and interesting bio page for JRR. In 50 – 100 words, tell us who you are, where you live and what attracts you to renga/renku. Bios should preferably not be in the first person and please, not be a list of prior publications – too much fiddly formatting. We’ll load them as they arrive, into the outline on our website here:

http://www.darlingtonrichards.com/index.php/titles/journal-of-renga-renku-list-of-contributors/

so you will be able to check back after a few days to proof read your entry. Please reply within 7 days to rengarenku@gmail.com (rengarenku @ gmail.com) and sabaki, please pass this on to the renju in your poem so we can get their information too.


Moira Richards
Norman Darlington
--
Journal of Renga & Renku
http://www.darlingtonrichards.com/

Poets and Poems - Merrill Ann Gonzales

What a marvelous place to be
where the day falls away
in an easy walk
and the soul rushes over
every rock and weed
in its symphony
under the hawthorn tree!

Merry Christmas
GOD Bless us every one!

     Merrill Ann Gonzales...written 12/9/10

Jim Kacian - Three Questions

Jim Kacian is the creator of The Haiku Foundation, a nonprofit organization which begins January 1 2009 and is dedicated to archiving the first century of haiku in English and expanding the second; co-founder of the World Haiku Association, founder and owner of Red Moon Press, and past editor of Frogpond, the international membership journal of the Haiku Society of America. He has published thirteen books of haiku, all of which have received awards, the most recent of which is long after, published in Italy and appearing in three languages (English, Italian, German).

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1) Why do you write haiku?

god only knows
it's a kind of curse, perhaps for some infelicity in a previous life, whereby i am now enthralled (often in the middle of what otherwise might be a perfectly enjoyable sleep) by the muse and must do her bidding
all i know is that i must continue, else lose it
and i don't wish to lose it . . .

2) What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

i enjoy pretty much all other poetic forms
a sestina with a toothsome falanghina, for instance, its darkness hidden within a bright surface
a terza rima requires brandy, a sonnet mead, and tanka sake (haiku is so much more shochu)
absinthe for vers libre, vodka for a quatrain, claret for heroic couplet, and for ballad perhaps a humble beer
for epic, something with legs, like a single malt, and i'm happy go to hell with a villanelle and gin

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

a completely unfair question
so instead of choosing which amongst my children shall be overlooked, i'd prefer to offer three poems i particularly favor by other poets:


losing its name
a river
enters the sea

—John Sandbach


why go there
when it's here now?
the Cage exhibit

—R. Grey


under the pier,
the sea roars in—
a woman, a man

—Jack Galmitz


thanks for having me, curtis

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If you've been enjoying this weekly series and have not contributed, please consider sharing your response (whether it be for haiku or tanka) to the three little questions that Jim answered. You must be a published poet to participate.

Sunday updates - December 12

The December issue of Notes from the Gean is online.

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Djurdja Vukelic-Rozic sent:

The Kloštar Ivanic' 2010 Haiku Miscellany

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The 2011 Anita Sadler Weiss Memorial Haiku Awards

Announcing the 2011 Anita Sadler Weiss Memorial Haiku Awards, sponsored by the Haiku Poets of Central Maryland and dedicated to the memory of Baltimore-based haiku poet and teacher Anita Sadler Weiss.

Deadline: IN-HAND by JANUARY 31, 2011.

Sponsor: The Haiku Poets of Central Maryland.

Eligibility: Open to the public, ages 18 and up. (The contest coordinators are prohibited from entering.)

Awards: Total of $300.00 in prize money: First Place, $175.00; Second Place, $75.00; Third Place, $50.00. Five ranked Honorable Mentions will also be awarded. (Contest coordinators reserve the right to lower the prize money if an insufficient number of entries is received.)

Entry fee: $1.00 per poem. Poets may enter up to 15 haiku.

Submission Guidelines: Entries must be the original work of the poet, unpublished, and not under consideration elsewhere. Clearly print or type each individual haiku on three separate 3 x 5-inch white index cards. On the back of ONE CARD ONLY clearly print or type your name, address, and email address (if one is available). Include a No. 10 (business-size) SASE (or SAE plus US$1 for return postage for entries sent from outside the U.S.) for notification. Entry fee MUST accompany submissions. Send fee in U.S. currency or check or money order payable in U.S. dollars to "Haiku Poets of Central Maryland." Entries not following guidelines will be returned or discarded (if no SASE/SAE + $US1 enclosed) Entries without SASE or SAE + return postage will not receive winner notification.

Send entries to: ASW 2010 Awards, c/o Elizabeth Fanto, 51 Gerard Avenue, Timonium, MD 21093 USA. Do NOT email entries.

Notification/publication: Winners' list will be mailed on April 6, 2011, to commemorate Anita Sadler Weiss' birthday. Notification of winning poems will be sent to competition participants and made available to the public for an SASE while supplies last. The winning poems also will be printed in The Dragonfly, the newsletter of the Haiku Poets of Central Maryland. All rights remain with the poets.

Adjudication: The name(s) of the judge(s) will be announced concurrently with the winning haiku.

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Scott Owens sent this reminder about Poetry Hickory:

Just a reminder that the next Poetry Hickory is Tuesday, December 14 at 6:30 at Taste Full Beans Coffeehouse.  Featured Readers will be Al Maginnes, author of Ghost Alphabet and Film History among others, and Larry Johnson, author of Veins.  Maginnes and Johnson are both instructors at Wake Tech Community College in Raleigh.

Open Mic readers will be Helen Losse, Poetry Editor of The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, CVCC Instructor Justin Ganser, and Statesville's Doug MacHargue, whose work has been published recently in The Wild Goose Poetry Review.

Poetry Hickory will be preceded by the NC Writers' Network Writers' Night Out at 5:00.  All events are free and open to the public.  Poetry Hickory is sponsored by Main Street Rag Publishing Company.

If you would like more information, reply to this email or call Scott Owens at 828-234-4266.

I hope to see you there.

Scott Owens

Helen Losse - Seriously Dangerous

Helen Losse's new book of poems entitled Seriously Dangerous is scheduled for release May 17, 2011 and will sell for $14, but you can get it now for $9 + shipping by placing an Advance Discount order from the Main Street Rag Online Bookstore or, if you are more inclined to pay by check, they are $12.50 each including tax and shipping.

If buyers want to pay by credit card, they need to call the card number in to 704-573-2516 between 9am and 5pm (Eastern time), M-F and the same price applies for credit card sales over the phone as sales paid for by check. The mailing address for checks is: Main Street Rag, PO Box 690100, Charlotte, NC 28227-7001.

Please remember that ordering in advance does not mean you will receive the book prior to the release date listed on my Author's Page.

In Seriously Dangerous, as in her other work, Helen Losse shuns the commercial world in favor of the natural one and remains stunningly true to herself and her spiritual vision. As she notes in her seminal poem, "Where Light is Going," "It would be easier to speak as others believe,/not to feel the ocean's intentions nor to sense/the pull of the moon." And indeed, the success of Seriously Dangerous is contingent upon Losse's refusal to accept that easy path. 
--Tim Peeler, author of Checking Out

Losse is a Winston-Salem poet and Poetry Editor for the online literary magazine The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature. Losse's poem, "Four Snapshots of the Sea-Going Boats" won first place for poetry in the 2009 Adult Writing Contest of the Davidson County (NC) Writer's Guild. Her poems have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and twice for a Best of the Net award, one of which was a finalist. A former English teacher, Losse has a BSE from Missouri Southern State University and a MALS for Wake Forest University, where she wrote her thesis on the redemptive value of unmerited suffering in the life and works of Martin Luther King Jr. Helen's other books include Better With Friends (Rank Stranger Press, 2009) and two chapbooks. Her recent poetry publications and acceptances include The Wild Goose Poetry Review, Main Street Rag, Iodine Poetry Review, Blue Fifth Review, The Pedestal Magazine, ken*again, and L

Haiku Foundation News

Jim Kacian sent this Haiku Foundation update:

Hi All:

Please come visit the new haiku foundation forums and let us hear your voices. We'll roll out a new forum every day this week, and i hope at least one of them will hold interest for you. We begin today with a free discussion area: chime into the topic already posted, or feel free to begin a topic of your own (we'd especially appreciate this latter option). Go to <http://www.thehaikufoundation.org/forum_sm/index.php> and you may register (which allows you to comment) or simply browse as a guest. Thanks for having a look.

Jim Kacian
President
The Haiku Foundation

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David Grayson sent this:

Hi all,

I wanted to send you a note to let you know that I'm writing a new column for The Haiku Foundation website. Entitled "Religio," the column is devoted to the intersection of haiku and religious tradition. In the column, I will focus on multiple religious traditions, and present a different topic each month for discussion. The first column/discussion is scheduled to go live tomorrow (Thursday) at http://www.thehaikufoundation.org/forum_sm/.

I want to encourage to you to check out the column and post any thoughts and comments you have. The new Haiku Foundation discussion forum is designed to enable people to easily post comments and discuss haiku topics.

Besides my column, two additional ones are launching this week.

Happy haiku!

Best wishes,

David

Publication updates - December 9

The end of semester at work and school has sidelined me for a while. I'm hoping my schedule will be less hectic during the spring semester.

Okay, here are a list of online journals that released new issues this month:

The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature

Haibun Today (December 2010) is now online

The Heron's Nest (and don't forget about the Reader's Choice Awards)

haijinx Issue III-1

Shamrock No 16