Sunday, October 19, 2008

Tea, Haiku, and Wu

Bob Moyer, Kate MacQueen, and I participated in a haiku reading and tea tasting at the Golden Flower T'ai Chi Center in Winston-Salem, NC yesterday. IMHO, there's no better combination of events than sipping fine teas while reading and listening to haiku; in fact, it can be inspiring: I walked away with a couple of haiku moments that will likely become poems.

This reading was especially enjoyable in that it was very informal. I also liked the format of the poets reading about three poems each, then pausing while tea connoisseur, Julie Reynolds, enlightened us about the teas we were sampling. This alternating between poems and tea is ideal for patrons and poets.

Julie Reynolds serving tea and smiles.

Many thanks to the Golden Flower T'ai Chi Center for allowing Bob, Kate, and me to read our poems. And a special thanks to the many fine people I met yesterday who, hopefully, will begin to chronicle their own life experiences through haiku.

Curtis, Kate, and Bob


waking. . .
the bar's green bracelet
stuck to my face

-Bob Moyer


bright Venus
two hawks settle
deep in the pine

-Kate MacQueen
The Heron's Nest, October 2001


lunar eclipse —
sipping moonshine
from a sake cup

-Curtis Dunlap
Frogpond Volume XXX:3 (October 2007)


I fondly call Bob Moyer "Mr. Winston-Salem". Every time I visit Bob, I leave Winston-Salem with a deeper appreciation for this fine town's arts, culture, and history. Brother Bob is a walking Winston-Salem encyclopedia. And true to Bob form, just when you think it couldn't get any better, well, it gets better.

Below is a photo of Ms Mona Wu standing beside one of her many beautiful works of art. The picture is a haiga entitled The Shy Orchid. Due to size limitations on this web page, the photo I took doesn't do this magnificent work of art justice. I encourage you to visit monawu.com or stop by the Artworks Gallery at 564 North Trade Street. You'll be very pleased you did.

The lovely artist Mona Wu

And finally, I've put together a little slideshow of images taken yesterday. Enjoy!

4 comments:

  1. Yesterday was fantastic! Such a pleasure to meet you and Kate and to hear y'all (and Bob) read. Wow - I look far too serious in my photo (not enough Speckled Hen?).

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  2. I think you look great in the picture! I would've enjoyed downing a few more hens in the company of you kind and wonderful people. :-)

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  3. Ah Speckled Hen, that's a local 'real ale' in England. ;-)

    The event looked really good, and as someone who likes informal or semi-informal poetry events I really liked the idea of three haiku at a time with a short tea and tea talk inbetween. That is a lovely idea.

    Mona Wu's art looks fantastic on her website, and your photograph is great because it encouraged me to visit her website. If Mona lived near me I would be begging her to sell some of her work. I love the printwork too!!!!!

    Curtis, you look even taller then me, and I'm 6' 3"! ;-)

    all my best,

    Alan

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  4. Hello Alan,

    I've just returned from a conference. Hopefully, I'll catch-up on email today.

    The tea tasting/haiku reading was fabulous. Wish you could've been there.

    You should be able to order Mona Wu's art through her web site. If you have any difficulties in ordering, let me know and I'll contact her for you. Her work is phenomenal!

    You and I are the same height. Compared to my grandfather, I'm a runt. He was 6'6"! My oldest son (31) is 6'4", my youngest (age 15) is 6'1" and still growing! :)

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