Sunday, December 13, 2009

Alice Frampton - Three Questions

Alice Frampton, a licensed pre-school teacher, stumbled upon haiku in January of 2000 while reading The Poet's Market. Luckily, she discovered Frogpond and a very helpful editor, Jim Kacian. Since then, she has been coordinator for the pacifi-kana region of Haiku Canada, taught haiku to elementary and high school poetry classes, helped found the Seabeck Haiku Retreat, had her haiku and related works published in many excellent journals and books, been embraced by numerous other fine haijin, and is now an associate editor for The Heron's Nest. In 2007, after thirty-four years living in Canada, she moved back to her hometown in Washington State to be with her aging mother. She is the author of one book: a gate left open (2009) published by Red Moon Press.



1) Why do you write haiku?

I write haiku to create. After trying many different forms of poetry, I found haiku is the way I want to express what I am feeling right here, right now. Mostly I write for people, to convey what I would like to show them at any given moment. Does this mean that I write solely from an instant? No, it means that something jogs a moment and I want to share it with a friend and maybe, if it goes out into the world, with other poets. Since my youth, I have always written down snippets of ideas that touch me. Haiku fits this nicely.

2) What other poetic forms do you enjoy?

I love writing for children: poetry, songs, word play, even stories. I enjoy using nursery rhymes and songs and creating more verses for them. And I’m fond of using these as fun teaching tools, the sillier the better. I’m pretty good at limericks, too.

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


These are my favorites:



so much to do

my son points out

the lightning


Haiku Canada Newsletter Vol. XIV February 2001




all the answers

in the back of the book –

summer solstice


The Heron’s Nest Vol. X September 2008




snow-covered hives

miles to go

for groceries


Frogpond Vol. XXVIII No. 2 Summer 2005




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 Alice answered. You must be a published poet to participate.

10 comments:

  1. alice, my coffee, coffee, coffee girlfriend, so nice to see you here at tobacco road!
    enjoyed your haiku!
    hugs, pamela

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  3. Alice,
    really enjoyed the covered hives - feeling the distance remaining - for bee and narrator - effective layering.

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  4. I wanted to send a comment to Alice, who always offers a SMILE, and then I see a comment ahead of me by Pamela who always offers HUGS. So, two warblers with one stone: thank you both for all you do for the Haiku World. Specifc comment for Alice: I love your noting the role of a memory "jog" for creating haiku. I will carry it with me today on a haiku walk with friends in the hills above Steinbeck's "Pastures of Heaven" west of Salinas.
    Neal Whitman

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  5. I'm glad jpenstroke opened up your third "favorite" for me, Alice. When read the poem, I immediately thought of an allergic-reaction hives instead of bee hives. Mothers, no matter how sick they are, are never supposed to be sick enough to ignore their motherly duties. Even with a case of hives, they must trudge through a blizzard to feed their families.

    - Carlos Colon

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  6. i really want to try writing more verse for children. i'd love to hear more about how people started doing that :)

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  7. Always love to read your haiku, ALice. You are an encourager and inspiration to me! Terri French

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  8. Hi, Alice, You know what they say about a "busy person"... so much depends upon Alice...she's amazing. Love ya, Merrill

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  9. Dont forget to get Alice's new book:"a gate left open"...here's a sample...

    landfll-
    weeds growing over
    some saddle shoes

    rock throwing ...
    our circles
    about to meet

    Surprising poems...full of the odd way life flows around us.

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  10. Alice and Curtis - Two wonderful people and people I consider friends - what a delightful blend! You are both terrific and add so much to the poetry community. Thanks for being who you are, and for being so willing to share your expertise to a struggling novice.

    Warren

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