Sunday, October 16, 2011

Susan Nelson Myers - Three Questions

Susan Nelson Myers
Susan Nelson Myers is a poet, artist, beekeeper, and small business entrepreneur who resides in Mayodan, North Carolina. Her work has appeared in Contemporary Haibun Online (online and print edition), The Dead Mule School of Southern Literature, Frogpond, and Prune Juice and is forthcoming in a number of other publications.  Susan was one of four poets to write the first renray entitled Ephemera, a collaborative genre of poetry for two to four people that emphasizes jazz-like improvisational verse. Susan also provided a Spanish translation of Ephemera.

Susan received an editor’s commentary for her haibun entitled a pot of beans and a Best of the Net 2011 Nomination for her free verse poem entitled Fourteen Days. Susan also received a Denny’s Award for her "removing sandals" haiku.



1) Why do you write haiku?

i enjoy the focus required by haiku.  focus on a moment...focus on the richness of the right word in the right place...focus on resonance.


2) What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

i enjoy haibun and tanka, but my first love will always be haiku.


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


autumn’s palette —
a flash
of crow’s wing blue

Frogpond - Volume 34, Number 2, Spring/Summer 2011



swell’s cusp —
i stand on top
of rain

Frogpond - Volume 34, Number 2, Spring/Summer 2011



removing sandals
i breathe deep
the horse’s mane

Denny’s Award - XIII Calico Cat International Bilingual Haiku Contest - Origa Kankodori Press -
http://origa.livejournal.com/184757.html





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

5 comments:

Area 17 said...

A wonderful collection of haiku by Susan Nelson Myers!

Those last two lines are stunning in the first haiku:

a flash
of crow’s wing blue


Very fresh and original, and spot on re Natural History, yet full of poetry at the same time.

swell’s cusp —
i stand on top
of rain


Another original haiku, full of incredible depth despite what appears to be simple words (yet is far from simple).

removing sandals
i breathe deep
the horse’s mane


Tight disciplined writing that still creates acres of room for the reader.

These are all new favourites for me!

Susan writes haiku for readers of all backgrounds, yet is also a writer's writer.

As the renray was mentioned, I can let you know that Notes from the Gean published that renray, plus one more involving Susan.

I also added the comments by the participants, and the breakdown of a renray too, for anyone else wishing to have a go at this very interesting new form!

Two renray at Notes from the Gean: two renray

All I can say again is that Susan's haiku are remarkable.

For anyone not too familiar with her work, seek her out in all quality magazines! ;-)

Alan

Pris said...

I love love love her work. The examples she gave of her haiku are so typical of how she really finds the heart of haiku--finding the unusual in the ordinary.

Anonymous said...

The voice of Susan Nelson Myers is new for me. What a discovery. Her diction and syntax are so original and enlivening. Threw my perception into a kind of bliss. Thanks to the poet and this blog.

snowbird said...

Well, Susan may love haiku most, and perhaps that may be part of her excellent haibun. She can curl your hair with words if she likes. A wonderful poet and a lovely lady. I enjoy her work a great deal...but you gotta' watch her... you never know quite what she's up to when you venture forth.
Thanks Curtis for persenting this lovely lady's work.

Terri L. French said...

I recently had the pleasure of spending the weekend with Susan and collaborating on renray. I love the way she looks at the world and shares he insight. Her words speaks volumes and resonate to the core.