Haiku Society of America Meetings
Haiku Society of America meetings are held at various locations throughout the U. S. The HSA also supports other local, national and international haiku activities.
Haiku Society of America
1999-2006 Meeting ArchivesThis archive contains minutes, descriptions, and haiku from HSA meetings that took place during the past HSA quarterly meetings.
Fourth Quarterly Meeting 2006: December 2: New York City, NY
4th Quarterly Meeting
New York, New York
Saturday, December 2, 2006Theme: Haiku & Art
11:00 a.m.
Tour of the Rubin Museum of Himalayan Art with Stanford M. Forrester.
Meet promptly at 11 in front of the museum:
150 West 17th Street @ Seventh Avenue (212-620-5000).
Admission: $10 for adults; $7 for seniors.
Please RSVP directly to Stanford if you plan to attend:
bottlerockets_99@yahoo.com or P.O. Box 189, Windsor, CT 06059
12:30 - 2 Lunch at local restaurants
2:30 HSA 4th Quarterly meeting The Tenri Cultural Institute, 43A West 13th Street
(between Fifth & Sixth Avenues).
Business meeting
3 - 4 Entering the Conversation: Writing from Art by Marilyn Hazelton.
Marilyn will read poems written for and presented at a recent exhibit of French and American Impressionist paintings, describing how her process of writing haiku and tanka assisted in the composition and revision of longer poems.
4 - 4:30 Break for conversation, book table, & refreshments
4:30 - 5:45 Pond Glancing: An Exploration of Ekphrastic Poetry by Peggy Garrison.
In this workshop we will examine and write poems inspired by visual art.
6:00 p.m. Dinner at local restaurant
Third Quarterly Meeting 2006: Winston Salem, NC - September 16 (Annual Meeting)
The North Carolina Haiku Society hosted the HSA Quarterly Meeting for the Fall of 2006. This was the first time that an HSA Quarterly Meeting is held in the Old North State. Most of the events will take place on Saturday, September 16, 2006.
First Quarterly Meeting 2006: March 4: Boston, MA
1st Quarterly Meeting March 4, 2006 Boston, Massachusetts
Kaji Aso Studio
40 St. Stephen Street (Back Bay area)
1:00 pm (The EC will meet at 9:00 am)
Tentative ScheduleHSA General Meeting
Haiku Book FairReadings by:
The Boston Haiku Society Poets
The Haiku Poets of Western MassachusettsWorkshops:
The MetroWestRenkuAssociation
Poets will present renku in the Bluenotes Form with blues harmonica accompaniment.The Immature Green Heron Renku Group
Group will present a workshop on their readapting into a renku performance piece of a play called HAIKU written by Kate Snodgrass, the Artistic Director of the Boston Playwrights Theatre.Stanford M Forrester
There will be a workshop by Stanford M. Forrester on a yet to be named "beat" poet.Exhibition of haiga
There will be an exhibition of haiga by Peggy McClure and Raffael de Gruttola with Japanese calligraphy by Tadashi Kondo from their Portfolio 'the rattle of windchimes.'
Fourth Quarterly Meeting 2005: December 3, 2005: New York, NY
Saturday, December 3rd 2:30 – 6:00 p.m.
Tenri Cultural Institute
43 A West 13th Street
(North side of the street between Fifth & Sixth Avenue )Program:
Charles Trumbull : President's Address
Red Moon Press -New Resonance Four : Readings by local Poets
Jerry Kilbride, A Tribute: Readings and Reminiscences by Attendees
From the Audience : All members invited to read their work
Third Quarterly Meeting 2005: September 25, 2005: Port Townsend, WA
(at the Haiku North America Conference, September 21-25)
Second Quarterly Meeting 2005: June 24-26, 2005: Minneapolis, MN
First Quarterly Meeting 2005: Aril 1-3, 2005: Evanston, IL
(in conjunction with the C.G. Jung Institute of Chicago)
Fourth Quarterly Meeting 2004
National HSA Meeting in Seattle in December:
All HSA members and friends are invited to attend the fourth quarterly meeting of the Haiku Society of America on Saturday, December 4, in Redmond, Washington, a suburb of Seattle. Weekend events begin at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, December 3, with a reading from The Tanka Anthology at Elliott Bay Book Company (http://www.elliottbaybook.com/index.jsp), Seattle's premier bookstore. Featured readers include Margaret Chula, Christopher Herold, Michael McClintock, Pamela Miller Ness, Francine Porad, Michael Dylan Welch, and Paul O. Williams.
On Saturday, December 4, from 10:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m., the HSA meeting will be held in meeting room #2 at the Redmond Regional Library (http://www.kcls.org/red/redhomepage.cfm) at 15990 NE 85th Street in Redmond, which is about 20 to 30 minutes east of downtown Seattle. Presenters, with papers, workshops, or readings, include Michael McClintock, Pamela Miller Ness, Charlie Trumbull, Michael Dylan Welch, and Ruth Yarrow. The new Northwest regional haiku anthology will also make its debut with a reading of the entire book, complete with koto musical accompaniment provided by Elizabeth Falconer. The day's events will include a break for lunch, a book table, and much socializing. Please bring a printed selection of your poems (such as in a trifold brochure) to trade with others and to read at open reading times. Evening events include a visit to the Bellevue Botanical Garden for its spectacular Garden d'Lights show of holiday lights (http://www.bellevuebotanical.org/calendar/fmcalendar.htm), and then a meal at a nearby restaurant. We are also working on a haiku activity for Sunday, December 5. If you're planning to come for the weekend, please let us know.
Quarterly Meeting Schedule for December 4, 2004
10:00 - Welcome and Introductions (round of haiku reading)
10:30 - “Driveway from Childhood: Excavating Key Images Through Haiku”
Workshop led by Pamela Miller Ness, HSA newsletter editor (New York City)11:30 - Lunch break (nearby restaurants)
1:00 - Haiku Society of America business meeting and announcements (and round of haiku reading)
Charles Trumbull , HSA president (Evanston, Illinois)1:45 - Wind Shows Itself — reading of the 2004 Northwest regional haiku anthology (edited by Larry Hussey, Connie Hutchison, Mary Fran Meer, Francine Porad, and Marilyn Sandall, with artwork by Carol Blackbird Edson)
Read by
Carol Blackbird Edson,
Dejah Thoris Leger, and
Dean Summers
Koto music by
Elizabeth Falconer2:15 - “The Difference Between Haiku and Senryu” Workshop led by Michael Dylan Welch, HSA first vice president
3:15 - Break
3:45 - Haiku reading: Michael McClintock (Pasadena, California)
4:00 - “Haiku Awareness in Wartime?” Presentation by Ruth Yarrow
4:30 - Round of haiku reading
5:00 - Depart for the Bellevue Botanical Garden (12001 Main Street in Bellevue) to view the “Garden d’Lights” holiday light display
7:30 - Dinner at Las Margaritas Mexican Restaurant (private room) 437 108th Ave NE in Bellevue (425-453-0535) “Haiku Database Project” Presentation by Charlie Trumbull Music performance by singer-songwriter Dejah Thoris Leger Rounds of haiku reading
If you need help with local transportation or hotels, please contact Marilyn Sandall at msandall1@mindspring.com or 206-523-5525, or Michael Dylan Welch at welchm@aol.com or 425-836-8875. Northwest haiku poets look forward to seeing you at this special meeting!
Third Quarterly Meeting (National Meeting) 2004:
Saturday, September 17–18 at:
Tenri Cultural Institute
43 A West 13th Street (between 5th and 6th)
New York, NY 10011Time: 2:30 - 7:30 pm
Speakers:
Charles Trumbull - Presentation: Haiku Database
Also - Important Vote on new haiku definition, related HSA businessWilliam Higginson & Penny Harter: Renku workshop
Michael Dylan Welch: Prensentation: "The Four Stages of Haiku Mastery"
Tom Painting: Writing and Editing Workshop
Any questions please contact the regional coordinator, Efren Estevez, at the coordinates at the bottom of this message.
--Related Events open to all:
Friday Night, September 17:
1) 5:30 - 7:30 Wine & Cheese Party at Pamela Miller Ness's, 33 Riverside Drive, Apt. 4-G (212)875-9342 RSVP by Wednesday 9/152) 7:30 Dutch treat dinner at Zen Palate, 2170 Broadway (between 76th & 77th Streets) RSVP to Pamela by Wednesday, 9/15
Saturday Evening:
1) Dinner after the Annual meeting at a local restaurant2) Party at Hiro Sato's apartment (2 blocks from Tenri Institute directions available at the Annual Meeting)
2) Sachiyo Ito Dance Event (see this link for details)
Look forward to seeing one and all!
Efren
Efren Estevez
jice2@optonline.net
Tel: 516 922 5132
Second Quarterly Meeting 2004: June 18–20, Boston, MA
Friday, June 18: 7–10 PM
Renku writing conducted by Judson Evans and Raffael de Gruttola, hosted by Karen Klein at her house in Cambridge, 416 Mt Auburn St.
Saturday, June 19 (at the Kaji Aso Studio, 40 St. Stephen St., Boston)
9-12 noon - HSA EC mtg.
1-2 PM - General Meeting: greetings, reports, haiku go-around by members present.
2-3 PM - Tanka Reading by five poets in the Red Moon Tanka Anthology
3-3:30 PM - Short intermission & review of books by publishers
3:30-4:30 PM - MWRA renku group: multimedia presentation with slides, music, and blues singer Lloyd Thayer, dobro.
4:30-5:30 PM - Readings by the haiku poets of Western M.A. from their recent anthology, NAMI.
5:30 to 7 PM - Dinner at a nearby Asian Restaurant
7-8 PM - Sumi-e Demonstration by Kaji Aso
8-9 PM - Reading of haiku, tanka, and haibun by BHS members
Sunday, June 20: 10 AM (convene at the Kaji Aso Studio)
A visit to the public Rose Garden behind the Museum of Fine Arts in Fenway. For additional information, contact Raffael de Gruttola at cellinixo@aol.com
First Quarterly Meeting 2004: March 19–21, Fort Worth, TX
The first quarterly meeting of 2004 will be hosted by the Fort Worth Haiku Society. If you are coming, please contact Brenda Roberts at brephoenix@aol.com.
Friday evening, March 19
5:30 Gather in the Green Oaks Hotel lobby
6:00 Supper in a nearby restaurant 8:00 getting acquainted -- sharing poetry and time
Saturday, March 20
9:00-10:00 HSA EC meeting at Four Star Coffee Bar
10:00-12:00 Japanese Garden ginko (weather permitting -- alternate plans for museum or tour of Tropical Garden under glass at the Botanic Gardens)
12:00 -1:30 Lunch at Ol' South Pancake House
1:30-2:00 Report by the HSA president on Society business (back at Hotel)
2:00-2:40 "Haiku in Hispanic America" (Bonnie Frederick)
2:45-3:25 "72 Spells" (Susan Delaney)
3:30-4:00 Break (browse book tables)
4:00-4:30 "Native American Haiku" (Charles Trumbull)
4:45 - 5:30 "haiku: the road to revision" Tom Painting & Pamela Miller Ness (participants should bring work in progress "those haiku they feel are not quite there yet and may benefit from revision in a workshop setting)
5:30 - 6:30 private time -- rest & refresh
6:30-8:30 Dinner at a nearby restaurant
8:30 or so Haiku Reading in the hotel
Sunday, March 21
8:00 Breakfast at the hotel (check out before noon)
9:00 (Tarantula Train - tentative) trip to stockyards possible in place of the train if not available.
The meeting will take place at:
Green Oaks Hotel
There is no cost for the conference, and the general public is welcome to participate. (We may pass the hat to offset some of our out-of-pocket expenses.) Lodging (the hotel is offering special rates to HSA members), special events and meals are the responsibility of the attendees.
For additional information, please contact coordinator Brenda Roberts at brephoenix@aol.com.
Fourth Quarterly Meeting 2003:
Saturday, December 6, San Francisco, CAMark your calendars for Saturday, December 6 when the quarterly HSA meeting meeting will be held in San Francisco at Fort Mason Center, Room C-235. There will be presentations, workshops, readings, and music. Here are the planned activities:
Jack Foley from KPFA radio in Berkeley will give a talk on haiku of the Beat poets.
June Hymas will speak on the history of the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society.
Fay Aoyagi and Patricia Machmiller will read from Kiyoko’s Sky, Kiyoko Tokutomi’s book of haiku that they translated. They also will discuss how they worked together to retain Kiyoko’s style and meaning.
Rich Krivcher will pay tribute to Earl Johnson.
Carolyn Hall and Pamela Miller Ness will be featured readers.
Paul O. Williams will conduct a workshop on how to transform poetic dust into distinctive haiku.
Garry Gay will moderate a panel discussion on haibun. Panelists will include Ebba Story, Jerry Kilbride, w. f. owen, and Paul O. Williams.
Gerard Yun will play shakuhachi and talk the origins of the instrument.
Laurie Stoelting and photographer Paul Mckown will perform a haiku slide show duet.
The conference is open to everyone and will run from 10 A.M. until 5 P.M. with a break for lunch. A $10 donation for the day is recommended.
After the conference, we will meet at La Barca Mexican restaurant for dinner and the Haiku Poets of Northern California (HPNC) Christmas party.
If you plan to come, please contact Rich Krivcher at (916) 965-8072 or aproposediting@juno.com.
— Rich Krivcher
Third Quarterly Meeting (National Meeting) 2003: September 20-22, Evanston, IL
Notes from the HSA Executive Commitee Meeting and Other Remarks
Back to you again to report on another successful EC meeting. This one took place in Evanston, Illinois at the 3rd National HSA meeting. Though we did not have a quorum, many important issues and ideas were discussed in order to set the stage for the following year. Pamela Miller Ness and I were in attendance as well as our invited guest, Charlie Trumbull. Charlie, as you may well know, has literally been one of the pillars of the HSA. He was the newsletter editor for a number of years and has made countless contributions to our society as well as the haiku community in general. Pamela and I thought it a great opportunity to tap into some of Charlie’s knowledge while we were in the neighborhood.
The first thing I brought to the table was that as president, I recently created an HSA Definitions Committee and appointed Bill Higginson as chair. There has been a feeling all around that the “official definition” needed to be revisited. Bill was happy to take on this daunting task and reactivated the previous definition’s committee from the early 90’s. The two other members are Lee Gurga and Naomi Brown. Please join me in a big thank you to them all. (For more detail, please see Bill’s committee report in this issue of the newsletter.)
Another important topic, that I felt needed to be addressed head-on is that of the annual membership anthology. Every year we have a different guest editor/s who puts together this important document for posterity’s sake. The anthology is a panoramic snapshot of who we are at a given time. This anthology is a place were we ALL can be represented, and its editorial and production values reflect on our organization. In the past and more recently, we’ve had wonderful anthologies, but each one has had different production values as well as editorial styles. What I believe we need is to create a coordinator’s position to oversee the anthology every year. (This position does not necessarily have to be an EC position.) This coordinator would serve as a resource to the guest editor so that each publication would be assured of a certain amount of editorial and stylistic consistency. This position or job could also be tagged onto an existing officer’s list of responsibilities, but I think that could be too taxing. If there were an anthology coordinator’s position, that person could handle most of the advertising, printing issues and selling issues, so that the guest editor could focus on the main task at hand.
On a similar note, we would like to thank Jerry Ball, Naia, and Wendy Wright for editing the 2002 anthology that just came out. Word has it that the 2003 anthology edited by David G. Lanoue is at the printer as we speak and should be in your hands very soon. I hope for 2004 that every member will participate by submitting to the anthology. This is your society and everyone should be represented. Thank you again to all past, present and future editors as well as contributors!
Another item on my agenda was membership numbers. We talked about the need to continue to recruit new members as well as encourage old members to renew. A good idea to increase membership is to have a guest book at all regional meetings. The regional coordinator could do a follow-up mailing, e-mail or phone call to any walk-in/visitor who showed interest. (Regional Coordinators can contact Pamela Miller Ness for HSA flyers.) HSA flyers could also be displayed on a table, so visitors could take one.
Another idea is to appoint one person in the regional group to serve as the “official welcomer”. An additional tactic is to have each member take a handful of flyers and distribute them to people they know might be interested in haiku or simply point them to our website. Yet another suggestion is for each regional coordinator to utilize the HSA website and post the date, time and location of their next meeting. This could increase the number of walk-ins. There are plenty of isolated people who surf the web and find out about us that way.
There have also been plenty of members who have faded out of the picture for various reasons. Why not e-mail or phone one of your friends who used to be active and get them back on an active basis? If we each got one person to join or rejoin we would double in size. I think this is everyone’s responsibility. Let’s make this one of our goals!
About the time you receive the [HSA Newsletter for 2003], you’ll have in your hand the 2004 election ballot. I urge everyone to vote. Please. This is each member’s right and the opportunity to participate in the decision-making process. It seems that every year, whether membership numbers are up or down, we get an average of 150 people voting give or take a few. This also means that there are about 600 members who don’t vote. This year we have a run-off in one of the positions, so this is a perfect opportunity to make you vote count. (Remember what happened in Florida!) I truly believe a strong membership is an active membership.
This is also the place to thank the HSA Nominating Committee for putting together the slate of officers for next year. This looks as if it would be an easy job, but I promise it wasn’t. The committee spent days, months, years and streams of endless e-mails to complete their job on deadline, which they did. Raffael de Gruttola chaired the committee with Howard L. Kilby and Bill Higginson also taking very active roles as members. A big thank you.
As I mentioned before, Charlie Trumbull has contributed to the society and the haiku community in many ways, and this brings me to yet another thank you. Charlie officially presented to me on behalf of the HSA the Index of Frogpond, the Journal of the Haiku Society of America. Volumes 1-25 (1978-2002). This index will be an invaluable resource for members and haiku scholars around the world and will be part of our legacy. It contains everything imaginable, and the amount of time it must have taken to research, organize and present the material is quite unimaginable. The next step will be to determine how to make this accessible to every single member. We’ve already talked about hard copy and electronic options. This is very exciting. Thank you again Charlie. (For more information on this subject please see Charlie’s note in this newsletter.)
The general meeting, as you all can guess, was a total success. Joe Kirschner, Charlie Trumbull and others did a great job planning a seamlessly smooth meeting. Everything worked like clockwork, and the attendees were showered with a well prepared presentations by poets from around the country. Kudos to them all!
Stanford M. Forrester, HSA President
Notes From the General Meeting
By all objective accounts the meeting was a splendid affair. Attendance at various activities ranged from 14 to about 35. Attendees came from the New York City area, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, downstate Illinois, Japan, and the greater Chicago area. There were even a few non-haiku poets among them.
The conference opened on Friday evening with a gathering in the University Inn lobby. From there about 14 of us went across the street to Tommy Nevins Irish Pub for dinner. Throughout the weekend, if someone was not at the session they could often be found at Nevins.
Later we went down the street to Barnes and Noble for an open-to-the-public haiku reading. A student from the local high school joined us for the entire reading. At one point she recited her first (and only) poem. Most moving. In contrast, another chap ostentatiously plopped himself down at a table directly under the nose of the reader and proceeded to bury his nose in some book on mechanics. Speaking of juxtaposition! Michael Nickels-Wisdom, who was reading at the time, continued with aplomb, not missing a syllable.Saturday was an intensive day. President Stanford Forrester opened the meeting. The first presenter was Horst Ludvig from Gustavus Adolphus College in Minnesota, who spoke on "Recent Haiku Analysis in Germany" and recounted his efforts to get the Deutsche Haiku Gesellschaft, of which he is a member, to include haiku-by-haiku criticism in their activities. Then, Michael Nichols-Wisdom, a member of Chi-ku, reviewed the scandal that ensued after World War II when a Japanese critic called haiku a second-rate art and adduced some rudimentary statistics to support his opinion. Michael, in his paper entitled "The Kuwabara Project: A 'Second-rate Art' Revisited" reported on his analysis of the haiku in an Internet "Haikukai" in an attempt to validate (or discredit) Kuwbara.
After a coffee-break, Lee Gurga, a past HSA president and current editor of Modern Haiku, spoke about "Some Haiku Worth Reading." Lee asked "Why do some people write haiku without ever having read one?" Good question!
Attendance was at its peak by this time and people were getting hungry for lunch (and because there are no registration fees for HSA meetings) we decided the time was ripe to pass the hat. Fortunately our strategy worked,and thanks to the generosity of all (but especially two Chi-ku members) we were able to break even financially. For lunch some of us walked over to a Lebanese restaurants.
The afternoon opened with a short business meeting at which Stanford reviewed recent activities and Pamela Miller Ness, in the absence of HSA Secretary Karen Klein, read the Secretary’s Report, announced the results of the logo contest (see story elsewhere in this Newsletter), and read and received seconds on the slate prepared by the Nominating Committee of HSA officers and regional coordinators for 2004 .Charles Trumbull presented his paper "An Analysis of Haiku in 12-dimensional Space," an attempt at building upon A.C. Missias’s normative definition of haiku. The paper neatly managed to weave in themes from the morning sessions. As a matter of fact, all sessions managed to complement each other with one raising an issue in one context, only to be fleshed out in another.
After another coffee break, Jeanne Emrich from Minneapolis presented a haiga workshop. It opened with an excellent slide show illustrating the wide range of graphic art that is being generated to accompany a haiku, from photo-montage to collage to sumi-e painting. Then, with a wide range of materials available, wet stuff and dry stuff, people dug in and produced some remarkable haiga.
Afterwards was rest time, with some of us choosing to do it at the pub. Later we assembled for a cash-bar in our conference area, followed by a catered buffet banquet. At one point Charlie introduced our"mystery speaker," Alan Watts, speaking on haiku and Zen in a 1964 radio recording. Forty years later his words are still right-on.About eight survivors gathered for breakfast at the hotel on Sunday morning and walked the half-mile to the Lake Michigan shore.
Thanks to all the participants for their great haiku, generous contributions, and carefree purchases of haiku books. Special thanks to Bev Bloom who donated her many good ideas and much time to serve as registrar, and Scott Glander, who always seemed to be at the right spot when something needed to be set up or moved.
Joe Kirschner
Second Quarterly Meeting 2003: Friday, June 27 New York, NY
Minutes from the HSA Executive Committee Meeting
The meeting was convened at 12:45 pm by Stanford Forrester, President. Committee members present: Pamela Miller Ness, Tom Painting, Karen Klein, Tom Borkowski, Jim Kacian, Dave Russo, Michael Dylan Welch. Bill Higginson from the Nominating Committee was also present during section IX.
I. The Secretary announced that the Amendment to the By-Laws passed with 153 Yea, 1 Nay, 1 Abstain. Amendment 5. Article III, Section 4 is amended as follows: The President fills Executive Committee vacancies between annual elections with the consent of a simple majority of the Executive Committee.
II. The President put forth the following appointments: Tom Painting from Acting 2nd Vice President to 2nd Vice President. Dave Russo seconded; the EC consented. Pamela Miller Ness from Acting Newsletter Editor to Newsletter Editor. Jim Kacian seconded; the EC consented. The Secretary moved to accept Pamela Miller Ness’ resignation as 1st Vice President. Jim Kacian seconded. The motion carried. Michael Dylan Welch from Acting 1st Vice President to 1st Vice President. Pamela Miller Ness seconded; the EC consented.
III. The Executive Committee considered all the submissions for the logo anonymously and arrived at 2 finalists whose logos appear on a ballot in this newsletter for the membership to vote on
IV. In a discussion of the budget, the Executive Committee agreed on the need for a formalized budget. Michael Dylan Welch moved that the President and Treasurer with other members of the EC create an annual budget. Pamela Miller Ness seconded; the motion carried.
V. Tom Borkowski presented the Treasurer’s Report for March 1 through June 26, 2003. Total Credits: $30, 402.99; Total Debits: $12, 053.74; Balance: $18, 349.25. The EC accepted the Treasurer’s Report.
VI. The Secretary presented the results of the Membership Dues Survey.
Option 1: Keep dues at current levels/reduce services 31
Option 2: Raise dues moderately/keep current services 94
Option 3: Raise dues more/ increase services 18
Other: 12VII. Jim Kacian moved to raise dues to $33. per year for standard membership; $35. for Canada and Mexico; $45. for all other areas. Tom Painting seconded; the motion carried.
VIII. Karen Klein moved to offer a $30 membership for seniors and
full-time students in North America. Dave Russo seconded; the motion carried.IX. The shikishi, a gift to the HSA from the Museum of Haiku Literature, were displayed at the HNA conference. Bill Higginson gave the EC information about the background, history, and value of the shikishi. Michael Dylan Welch moved to take the responsibility for the physical custody of the shikishi from Karen Klein and entrust Garry Gay with the shikishi after HNA to take to California, to photo and digitize and deliver copies to the Executive Committee, and to deliver the shikishi to the American Haiku Archives at the California State University with $200. budgeted to cover costs as needed. Dave Russo seconded; the motion carried.
Dave Russo moved to adjourn. Tom Borkowski seconded; the motion carried. The meeting was formally adjourned at 4:15.
Respectfully submitted,
Karen Klein, HSA Secretary
First Quarterly Meeting 2003: Saturday, March 1, Wilmington, DE
The Delaware River Haiku Group hosts the first HSA Quarterly Meeting, March 1, 2003, at the Delaware History Center, 504 Market Street, in Wilmington—a city half way between New York City and Washington, D.C. on AMTRAK and less than a two hour drive from most locations in eastern Maryland, eastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Note: Dates, times and locations are subject to change. Please verify your travel plans with the coordinator for this quarterly meeting.
Program
10:30 a.m. (all members)
Visit to the First USA Riverfront Arts Center and/or a Ginko.HSA members arriving by train, who wish to visit the Center, may take a mile Ginko on the Christiana River Walk or board the "CityCircuit" loop bus to the Arts Center. There is adequate parking at the Arts Center (and nearby Shipyard Shops) for people who plan to drive to the meeting.
The Arts Center has on display a collection of 250 items and interactive displays from the Delaware Art Museum while the latter institution undergoes a major reconstruction. D.A.M. is known internationally for its collections of paintings by Howard Pyle, N. C. Wyeth and other Brandywine River artists as well as for its large Pre-Raphaelite collection. Admission: $7:00; seniors, $5.00.
10:30 a.m. (Executive Committee)
Executive Committee meeting at the Delaware History Center, just 7 blocks from the Amtrak Station. All day street parking is permitted on Saturdays.
Noon to 1:15 p.m.
Lunch at Riverfront and downtown restaurants. For attendees getting to the Delaware History Center early the Historical Society of Delaware invites you to view its museum exhibits. Also visit the meeting's haiku books sale in the meeting room on the second floor.
1:30 to 2:00 p.m.
Introductory round of haiku and general members' meeting,
2:00 to 3:00 p.m.
Stanford M. Forrester, "A Bowl of Rice: An Introduction to the Haiku of Taneda Santoka."
Stanford will talk about the free form haiku of Taneda Santoka (1882-1940)-reputed to be Japan's last wandering poet. He will also explore and examine the various elements and techniques of the poet's work that have contributed much to modern haiku.
3:00 to 3:30 p.m.
John Stevenson, "A few Well Chosen Words: Connecting Haiku to Playback Theater."
John practices a form of theater known as Playback. This theater has some similarities to haiku. One involves expressing the essence of a moment with a few telling details. John will ask everyone to participate in a Playback rehearsal exercise to focus on essential images. No acting experience is needed to join in the fun.
3:30 to 4:00 p.m.
Break to review books for sale and have light refreshments.
4:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Jim Kacian, "Rhythm, Jazz and Haiku Performance."
Jim plans to address the reasons why haiku poetry is hardest genre to "perform." He will offer some ideas that may improve our reading of haiku. These ideas are based on recent research into how we "hear" haiku and how we use the sound as well as the silence to give our haiku their meanings.
6:00 p.m.
Supper at the Wyndham Hotel, 700 King Street (three blocks from the Delaware History Center and seven blocks from the AMTRAK Station). R.V.S.P., for dinner reservations to
Telephone: 302-654-0986.
Notes
The Delaware River Haiku Group encourages HSA members to extend their visit to the Brandywine Valley by coming Friday and/or staying over until Sunday to explore Winterthur, Hagley and Brandywine River Museums or Longwood Gardens, to enjoy distinguished restaurants, to go to a show at one of the city's four theaters (three within walking distance of the Wyndham Hotel) and to try some tax free shopping. The Wyndham Hotel is holding a block of rooms at the convention rate of $69.00 per night and has shuttle service to area attractions for attendees without cars. For telephone reservations call 1-800-996-3426 as soon as possible and mention that you are an HSA member.
An up-to-date, 24-panel (4x8.5 inch) guide to dining, shopping and sightseeing in the greater Wilmington area is available to everyone planning to come to the First Quarterly meeting. The detailed maps of Wilmington and environs make the guide invaluable for anyone who drives to the meeting. To get the guide, send a stamped self-addressed #10 envelope to Dick Williams, 202 Brecks Lane, Wilmington, DE 19807.
Williams will also be emailing meeting information updates to the HSA web page, such as program notes for Forrester, Stevenson and Kacian presentations, haiku presses planning to send books for sale, restaurants open on Saturday, arrival and departure train times at the AMTRAK Wilmington station from-and-to New York and Washington, D.C. and what shows are billed for February 28 or March 1 at the Hotel du Pont Playhouse Theater, Grand Opera House, Delaware Theater Company and the Best of Broadway Dinner Theater.
Those HSA members, who plan to come to the meeting and who can not access the web page, may request to have included with the guide: a hardcopy of the long version program and a summary of email notices.
Directions for Walking to Lunch . . .
. . . on Saturday in downtown Wilmington and the Riverfront.
1. A block from the Delaware History Center at 5th and Shipley is the 4 W's Café for light lunch.
2. From 6th to 8th Streets on Market Street there is an assortment of sandwich shops, pizzerias and one Chinese take-out and luncheon shop.
3. At 8th and Market is Govatos, chocolate shop since 1984, with sit-down lunch service.
4. The Terra Nova Restaurant in the Wyndham Hotel is at 7th and King .
At the Riverfront
1. Attendees arriving by AMTRAK near lunchtime are about two blocks along the Christina River Walk from the Riverfront Market, which has a variety of luncheon choices, and--from there--six blocks from the Delaware History Center.
2. Attendees going to the Riverfront Arts Center are two long blocks from Mollies Ice Cream Shop (soup and sandwiches, too) and Timothy's (a full menu restaurant) both facing the Christina River.
3.There is a snack bar in the Arts Center lobby.
Saturday Trains at Wilmington
Arrivals from Washington, D.C.: 7:53A, 8:58A (reserved), 9:53A, 10:15A (reserved), 10:53A, 11:53A, 12:15P (reserved) 12:53P.
Departures to Washington, D.C.: 4:44P (reserved), 5:52P, 6:30P (reserved), 6:52P (reserved), 7:52P, 8:34P, 9:47P, 10:37P
Arrivals from New York City: 8:35A, 9:02A (reserved), 9:30A(reserved), 9:52A, 10:52A (reserved), 11:30A (reserved), 11:52A, 12:52P, 1:30P (reserved), 1:52P
Departures to New York City: 5:33P (reserved), 6:15P, 6:53P (reserved), 7:53P (reserved), 8:53P (reserved), 11:02P.
Your Attention Please! If You Arrive at Amtrak Station . . .
. . . Consider the Wilmington Trolley, Route 32, which on Saturday picks up passengers on Front Street at 19 and 49 minutes past the hour. Full circuit fare, 25 cents.
1. To the Delaware Art Museum at the Riverfront Arts Center, stay on the Trolley for 20 minutes. If you miss the Trolley at the station on Front Street and do not want to wait, it's about a five minute cab ride to the Arts Center.
2. From the Riverfront Arts Center to the Delaware History Center, take the Trolley in the front of the Arts Center at 14 and 44 minutes past the hour and:
a. Get off at 5th & Walnut Streets (the second stop) and walk three blocks up the hill on 5th Street to Market. OR . . .
b. Stay on the Trolley 8th & Shipley (the third stop) and walk back to Market Street and two blocks to 6th Street.3. To the Delaware History Center (seven blocks). If you do not want to wait for the Trolley or walk, it is less than five minutes by taxi. If you do take the Trolley:
a. Get off at 5th & Walnut Streets (the first stop) and walk three blocks up the hill on 5th Street to Market. OR . . .
b. Stay on the Trolley 8th & Shipley (the second stop) and walk back to Market Street and two blocks to 6th Street.Shows at Wilmington Theaters . . .
. . . on February 28 and March 1, 2003
The Grand Opera House, 818 Market Street "Complete Works of Shakespeare"
Playhouse Theater, 11th Street at Market "The Presidents" with Rich Little
Best of Broadway Dinner Theatre, First USA Riverfront Arts Center "Gershwin by George"
Delaware Theater Company, 200 Water Street [Next show March 9th]
Book and Periodical Sale
The Delaware River Haiku Group's Book Sales Manager, William Dennis, invited 14 U.S. haiku presses and 12 periodicals to a book sale on the occasion of the Haiku Society of America's first quarterly meeting of 2003. As of January 23, 8 presses and 6 periodicals agreed to participate. They are:
Presses
A Small Garlic Press, Marek W. Lugowski, Editor
Cheng & Tsui Company Katsura Press, Margaret Chula, Editor
Redfox Press, Andrea C. Missias, Editor
Red Moon Press, Jim Kacian, Editor
Timberline Press, Clarence Wolfshohl, Publisher
Vandina Press, Francine Porad, Editor
Yukei Teikei Haiku Society, Patricia Machmiller & June Hymas, EditorsPeriodicals
Acorn, Andrea C. Missias, Editor
bottle rockets, Stanford M. Forrester, Editor
frogpond, Jim Kacian, Editor
Modern Haiku, Lee Gurga, Editor
South by Southeast, Stephen Addiss et al, Editors
Word Dance, Stuart Ungar, EditorNote: Traditionally at HSA meetings, individuals are welcome to sell personal haiku materials. Because of the volume of materials on the book sale tables, we ask such personal items be brought to the attention of Bill Dennis, Book Sales Manager, and thus become part of the regular sales operation.
Fourth Quarterly Meeting 2002: Saturday, December 7, Seattle, WA
Note: Dates, times and locations are subject to change. Please verify your travel plans with the coordinator for this quarterly meeting.
Contact: Ruth Yarrow, (206) 722-1669 or ruthyarrow@wpsr.org
Friday Dec. 6
Casual dinner - please call if you would like to join someone for dinner.
7:30 p.m. - Haiku reading, 40 Lake Bellevue Drive, Suite 100, Bellevue. It's at the corner of Bel-Red Road and 120th Ave. NE in Bellevue. For more details see next paragraph.
Bring some of your haiku to read aloud to a public gathering. The number of people reading will determine the number of haiku to be read by each person.
Here are detailed written directions from downtown Seattle:
1. Take I-90 E. toward BELLEVUE/SPOKANE.
2. Merge onto I-405 N via exit number 10A toward BOTHELL/EVERETT. 2.78 miles
3. Take the N.E. 8TH ST. exit- exit number 13B. 0.11 miles
4. Keep RIGHT at the fork in the ramp. 0.29 miles
5.Merge onto NE 8TH ST. 0.14 miles
6. Turn LEFT onto 118TH AVE NE. 0.12 miles
7. Turn RIGHT onto LAKE BELLEVUE DR. 0.09 miles
(Directions thanks to Kathleen Decker).
Saturday Dec. 7
10:00 a.m. - Haiku walk, Kubota Gardens, corner of Renton Ave. and 55th Ave. South in South Seattle. Please dress for the weather, and bring something on which you can write haiku while you're walking!
Noon - No host lunch, Cityside Doubletree Hotel Restaurant, Bellevue Center, 818 112th Ave. NE (112th and NE 8th), or Cheesecake Factory, 401 Bellevue Way, (next to Borders Books)
1:30 p.m. - HSA Meeting at Bellevue Library, 1111 110th Ave. NE, Bellevue
5:30 p.m. - No host dinner at the Jasmine Restaurant, 10713 Main St., Bellevue
If you need housing: Try the Doubletree Hotel, Bellevue Center, 425-455-1515. Mention that you are attending the Haiku Society of America Meeting. Billing code LDTSVP for special price of $79.00 per day.
What to Bring
Fifty (50) handwritten copies of one of your haiku on paper (or something similar), 3 1/2" x 6 3/4" or less. We'll compile them and everyone will receive a box full. Haiku to share aloud at the reading and the meeting. Any of your publications you would like to sell or share - we'll have a book table. Warm and waterproof clothing for the walk in Kubota Gardens.
Questions?
Contact: Ruth Yarrow, (206) 722-1669 or ruthyarrow@wpsr.org
Third Quarterly Meeting (National Meeting) 2002: September 13-15, New Orleans, LA
The New Orleans Haiku Society and Xavier University invite you to come down to the "City That Care Forgot" for haiku, discussion, revelation, exploration, great food, and fabulous music.
Featuring: Randy Brooks ("Living the Tradition: Haiku in Higher Education"), Mark Brooks ("Humor and Haiku"), and Jim Kacian; a book launching by Peggy Lyles; a special tribute, in memoriam, to Bob Spiess; a haiku walk through the French Quarter . . . and other surprises.
Hotel: The Quality Inn Midtown, 3900 Tulane Avenue, is offering a conference rate of $59.00. Just say the initials, "HSA," when you book: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., 800-228-5151; weekends and after-hours, dial direct: 504-486-5541. The hotel is five minutes' walking distance from the conference site, Xavier University, and offers a courtesy shuttle to and from the French Quarter and downtown New Orleans. Come "pass a good time" New Orleans style! For more information, contact David Lanoue at dlanoue@xula.edu or the New Orleans Haiku Society at neworleanshaiku@yahoo.com.
Second Quarterly Meeting 2002: Saturday, June 15, New York, NY
The Haiku Society of America held its Second Quarterly Meeting on Saturday, June 15, 2002 at the 96th Street Branch of the New York Public Library, located at 112 East 96th Street (south side), between Lexington and Park Avenues.
The library can be reached by the #6 (green line) of the subway, by the M96 and M106 crosstown buses, and by the M101, M102, and M103 buses along Lexington and Third Avenues.
Program Highlights
10:00 -- Ginko at Central Park's Conservatory Garden, led by Doris Heitmeyer, assisted by Miriam Borne. Meet at the Vanderbilt Gate, 104th Street and 5th Avenue. #6 (green line) subway, or Madison Avenue buses to 103rd Street, walk west to 5th Avenue.
11:30 -- Lunch at local restaurants (for your convenience Doris Heitmeyer will provide suggestions).
1:00 - Introductions, sharing of haiku 1:15 - Welcoming remarks, HSA business -- Jerry Ball, President
1:30 - Writing Haiku and Longer Poems: The Influence of Jazz -- Lenard D. Moore
2:15 - Break for refreshments and book display
2:45 - The Lyric, the Dramatic, and the Narrative in Haiku - Jerry Ball
3:45 - Yatsuka Ishihara's Teachings: A Workshop in the Use of Hyperbole in Haiku - Patrick Gallagher
5:30 - Family Style Dinner at Sala Thai. ($28 - RSVP by June 8 )
First Quarterly Meeting 2002: Saturday, March 23, Boston, MA
Discussion of the Executive Committee at the Boston Quarterly Meeting
1. The first discussion concerned a fitting tribute to Bob Spiess. It was determined that we would write a tribute in Frogpond for the Bob who has devoted so much of his life to the cause of haiku.
2. We then dealt with the impending changes in leadership on the executive committee: Frogpond Editor: Jim Kacian agreed to remain as Editor with some assistance. John Stevenson agreed to become Associate Editor. Newsletter Editor: with the resignation of Charlie Trumbull we needed to find a replacement. Stanford Forrester and Jerry Ball were assigned the job of locating a competent replacement. (Since the meeting we have a commitment from Mark Brooks who has both initiative and skills necessary for the job.) Treasurer: With John Stevenson leaving the treasurer's position, this induced a vacancy. He was replaced by Tom Borkowski as Acting Treasurer.
3. The executive committee voted a commendation for the work done by Charlie Trumbull, Newsletter Editor; Dave Russo, Electronic Communications Officer; Jim Kacian, Frogpond Editor
4. The EC then discussed the future of the HSA and whether we should think of maintaining the present sort of organization or whether we might consider expanding. This issue was brought to the membership for discussion. The issues include what sorts of services we provide for members and at what economic cost. No conclusion was reached but this discussion will be continued.
5. The EC voted to be supportive to the coming Haiku North America and to Haiku Pacific Rim.
—Jerry Ball, HSA President
Fourth Quarterly Meeting: November 30 through December 2, 2001, Long Beach, CA
One Haijin's Report, by naia
Attendees: Roger Abe, Fay Aoyagi, Jerry Ball, Sandy Ball, Tom Bilicke, Karen Brooks, Mark Brooks, Bridget Dole, Janeth Ewald, Alice Frampton, Claire Gallagher, Victor Gendrano, Greg Kunz (gK), David Lanoue, Leila, Patricia Machmiller, naia, David Priebe, Margaret Hehman Smith (Peggy), Michael Dylan Welch, Jean Ellen Wilder, Wendy Wright
For photos from the three-day event please visit:
http://photos.yahoo.com/naia01
Once there, click on the Dec 1 2001 folder link, then select "slideshow" to automatically view each slide, or click on each individual slide to see a larger version.
I arrived at the Seaport Marina about noon, expecting to locate a few haijin who had indicated their early arrival on Friday. Just as I was checking in Alice Frampton (British Columbia, Canada) walked through the doors, followed shortly by David Lanoue (New Orleans, LA). We shared lunch, travel stories, and company, then returned to the hotel where we found Mark and Karen Brooks (Temple, TX).
Others continued to roll in that afternoon, and we had a lovely crowd of about 12 or so for dinner at a local crab and seafood restaurant. Those of us who are vegetarians ( Fay Aoyagi and me) found a few tidbits for us on the menu while others dined on such fare as seafood salad and fresh steamed seafood dumped out onto the table for finger-eatin'.
Saturday morning a few of us gathered in the hotel restaurant for breakfast, then we all congregated in the meeting room and set up the book tables, sign in pads, programs, etc.
HSA President Jerry Ball performed the "opening remarks" segment, followed by Mark Brooks' presentation titled "The Poetics of Kigo." Mark talked about what kigo are, the benefits of and objections to using kigo, and treating kigo as a language. He stated that "while English-language haiku poets debate whether or not to use kigo, the language of haiku, Japanese haiku poets are busy expanding that language to incorporate Western references without much help from us."
Mark said the kigo system is "simply a record of associations"—a record of usage, rather than a limitation. He continued, "Artificiality comes into play only when an author 'creates' haiku from a list of kigo rather than from actual experience." We had lively and in-depth dialogue after his presentation—all constructive and meaningful. If you would like to contact Mark Brooks for more information about his presentation "Poetics of Kigo" you may email him at haiku@epiphanous.org.
We had a lunch feast at a local Indian restaurant, followed by Patricia Machmiller's presentation "Haiku Etudes: an Unveiling of the Haiku Form Through Art." She spoke on haiku in art (the art reflecting the haiku, without stating the haiku - as opposed to haiga). Patricia shared her artwork, first by stating a haiku, discussing it, then showing the painting she'd created and explaining the elements, including the layout of the haiku lines and then how that layout was displayed in the painting. She called them "renderings of haiku" - trying to be true to the haiku by putting it into a visual (nonverbal) form - a translation of an original haiku into an artform. It was fascinating, as was the discussion which followed. If you would like to contact Patricia Machmiller for more information about her presentation "Haiku Etudes: an Unveiling of the Haiku Form Through Art" you may email her at patriciajmachmiller@msn.com.
David Lanoue was the final presenter with "Rediscovering Issa." We all delighted in his knowledge and reading of Issa's haiku. A few examples (haiku by Issa, translations by David Lanoue):
nadeshiko ga o^kina hachi ni sasare keri
a blooming pink—
the big bee
gets stucksokkuri to kawazu [no] norishi hito ha kana
falling down
frog and all . . .
one big leafThe discussion and sharing that followed was stimulating and rewarding. If you would like to contact David Lanoue for more information about his presentation "Rediscovering Issa" you may email him at dlanoue@xula.edu or visit his website at:
http://webusers.xula.edu/dlanoue/issa/
After a quick dinner at some local stop-and-eat places, we proceeded to Borders bookstore, where our evening reading was scheduled. The evening reading was delightful!!!!! Our featured readers were Jerry Ball, Michael Dylan Welch, Mark Brooks Patricia Machmiller, and David Lanoue—followed by an "open mike" session for which we'd signed up earlier in the day. Readers shared their haiku, haibun, tanka, and cinquain. When the public reading concluded we all went to Wendy and Tom Wright's home where we shared wine, sumptuous foods and desserts, and discussed everything from the weather to haiku issues to you-name-it. The social event broke about midnight.
Sunday morning about twelve of us participated in a ginko at the local Farmer's Market and boat harbor across from the hotel—then we returned and shared what we wrote in a round robin reading. Some left after that but about 8 of us went on to Japanese Gardens on the CSU Long Beach campus, then shared lunch before departing. The gardens were lovely, and we had a great time sharing. The entire event was wonderful in every way and included presentations, discussion, debates, fine food and drink, laughter, hugs, and memory-making camaraderie.
Third Quarterly Meeting (National Meeting): September 22, 2001, New York, NY
The Haiku Society of America's third quarterly meeting, which was to be held in New York City on September 22, 2001, was canceled due to problems arising from the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
Second Quarterly Meeting: June 28, 2001, Boston, MA
Executive Committee Meeting
The HSA Executive Committee meeting for the second quarter of 2001 was held in Boston, Mass., on June 28, 2001, in conjunction with Haiku North America. The EC meeting was convened at 9:00 a.m. by Pamela Miller Ness in the absence of President Jerry Ball. EC members present were Raffael de Gruttola, Jim Kacian, Howard Lee Kilby, Dave Russo, and Charles Trumbull.
Secretary's Report: Howard reported that membership has stabilized at 775 members, including 101 international members. The EC discussed the fact that, unlike national members, the international members are not represented in regional groups and that perhaps this should be considered. As a way to reduce expenses and labor, we discussed changing the current system of Howard's sending a dues-reminder card to highlighting the labels of those members who need to renew. Howard discussed the extensive amount of time required for the Secretary's duties, and the EC discussed options for helping with this task.
Treasurer's Report: The EC decided to maintain the current dues structure for 2002. We spent a significant amount of time discussing the need to raise funds and considering options: running a query in the HSA Newsletter for a volunteer fund raiser and/or hiring a professional who would receive a percentage of the funds s/he raised. Raffael indicated that this will be his final year to serve as Treasurer, but he will work closely with his replacement to ensure a smooth transition.
Frogpond: Jim discussed his search for an associate editor to work with him during 2002 and ultimately take over as editor of Frogpond. To date he has spoken with numerous members but has not found an associate editor. We considered the issue of the expense of publishing a biannual supplement to Frogpond. Some suggestions included: publish one larger issue that includes the critical articles, include more critical articles within the three yearly issues, or publish an annual critical anthology with a juried editorial board to which members could subscribe for an additional fee. Jim also said that he would like to publish a volume entitled "Best of Frogpond" to celebrate the 25th year of publication. This would be offered for sale, like A Haiku Path. Taking a vote, the EC approved the publication of a Frogpond supplement in 2001.
Nominating Committee: The EC nominated two persons to serve as the Nominating Committee for next year's HSA officers. Both, however, declined, and later Bill Lerz of Hot Springs, Ark., accepted the job.
Sora Award: The EC voted to institute the Sora Award, an award proposed by Jerry Kilbride to honor an HSA member who has made an outstanding contribution to the organization over time. The award will consist of a certificate and a small gift. The first award will be presented at the HSA meeting in New York City in September. The EC agreed that a maximum of one award per year will be presented, with an option to not to make an award in a given year.
Logo Committee: Raffael will continue to work with the Logo Committee to design an appropriate logo for the HSA that we can use on stationery and the HSA brochure, which will be reprinted after the logo is determined.
HSA Education Committee: Pamela reported that 40 teachers' packets have been sold since January 1, 2001. The Japan Society in New York currently uses the packet for all their teacher workshops, and we have had requests from two other national educational organizations to preview the packet for possible use. A 4th edition will be printed in the fall.
The Executive Committee meeting was adjourned at 11:15 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Pamela Miller Ness,
First Vice President
First Quarterly Meeting: March 17, 2001, Las Cruces, NM
Executive Committee Meeting
The meeting was scheduled for 12:00-1:30 p.m., Saturday, March 17, at the International Delight Restaurant, Las Cruces, N.M. Since President Jerry Ball and First Vice President Pamela Ness were the only Executive Committee members present, Ball declared no quorum present, no business was conducted, and the meeting was adjourned.
General Meeting
HSA Southwest Region members were delighted to have President Ball and First Vice President Ness join us in our first HSA Southwestern Region get-together. Tom Lynch started planning the event in September 2000 to coincide with the annual Border Book Festival held in Las Cruces. Some activities of our gathering overlapped with events of the Border Book Festival, but it broadened our exposure to many unfamiliar with the HSA and haiku in general. The success of this endeavor was made possible by the dedication and hard work of Tom Lynch, for which we all are grateful.
William J. Higginson and Penny Harter from Santa Fe, N.M., arrived early and gave a workshop on Friday, March 16, at the Good Samaritan Village library. "A Way With Words" was the subject. Bill and Penny took turns reading poetry and haiku from their books and discussed writing with 14 seniors. A workshop on a Southwestern saijiki was held at the historic Double Eagle restaurant on the Old Mesilla plaza on Friday evening from 6:00 to 9:00. Thirteen members attended. Before the meal we introduced ourselves; for many this was a first-time meeting. After dinner, Tom Lynch opened the workshop. The Southwest Region has a very rich Spanish heritage, so most of the kigo selected had a Hispanic flavor. Each members were asked to suggest a kigo representative of the Southwest and read a haiku using it. These efforts were collected and discussed with an eye to a Southwestern saijiki. Here are a few:
night irrigation
the ditch slowly fills
with stars
-- Dennis Duttonsunshine yucca
white blossoms scent empty air
mustang runs free
--Jim Applegatepueblo dog
sniffing the footprints
of tourists
-- Penny Harterheavy air
I awaken from a nap
expecting thunder
-- Jerry BallI come to town
early in the morning
roasting chilies
-- Bill Higginsonroadside stall
the ristras clatter
behind the farmer
-- Tom Lynchone by one
faralitos flicker out --
Christmas Eve
-- Marian Olsonsiesta
even the air
not moving
-- Naomi Y. BrownOn Saturday at 9:00 a.m. Marian Olson gave a haiku-writing workshop "The Tiniest Poem," at the Munson Senior Center. She worked with 22 professional and nonprofessional writers, most of whom had never before penned a haiku. First, she distributed printed instructions, examples, pencils and writing pads. Marian used "Ancestral Voices," the Border Book Festival theme this year, to present a chronology of haiku voices from the 17th century to the end of the 20th century. After the group discussed the depth and nuances in several poems, Marian talked about the general characteristics found in most fine haiku. Following this initial work with model poems, she led the participants through an exercise that used a particular emotion attached to an experience from their lives and from that into the writing of their own haiku. Feedback indicated the success of the method. Those new to the form left with a clear idea of the power of haiku. Marian's technique led to some excellent work, which was published in a finely printed booklet and mailed to each participant. Among the many fresh voices were these (picked randomly):
Leaving Paris
the midnight train
enters a tunnel
-- Laura LomasBack in the city
Lights shine
Stars dim
-- Carol Breypracticing in the park
our swords
know each other also
-- Dennis H. DuttonDuring this same time period, William J. Higginson and Penny Harter were conducting separate workshops. Bill's topic was "Remembering Our Ancestors," and he helped more than a dozen participants learn methods of recovering lost information about past events. Later in a public reading, Bill read poems about his grandmother's life as well as haiku and translations from recent books.
Penny led a workshop, "Reaching Back: A Letter to the Unknown," in which she encouraged some 15 participants to connect with ancestors they know little or nothing about. Later she read poems from her books Grandmother's Milk and Lizard Light: Poems from the Earth. From 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. about 25 participants enjoyed herbal tea and leisurely paced haiku readings the Haiku Tardeada (tardeada is Spanish for afternoon tea) at the Lemongrass Restaurant. Earlier Tom Lynch had instructed us to bring a handful of "ancestral voice haiku" as well as 5-10 of our own verses to read. Tom opened the readings, followed by Jerry Ball, Dennis Dutton, Noor Singh Khalsa, Marian Olson, Marlene Egger, Jim Applegate, Bill Higginson and Penny Harter. Then Pamela Ness read some of her tanka. After reading "ancestral voice haiku" and some of her haiku, Naomi Y. Brown recited Kakinamoto Hitomara's chôka from the Man'yôshu in Japanese and then Bill Higginson read its translation by Donald Keene. All together 11 haiku poets participated in this event.
On Saturday evening several members got together at the Tatsu Japanese Restaurant. Over hot sake and Japanese cuisine they relaxed and visited until it was closing time.
The final get-together was a ginkô Sunday morning. at the Dripping Spring Natural Area in the Organ Mountains east of Las Cruces. Mark Brooks, Pamela Ness, Marian Olson, and Gloria Cano had departed early so 11 took part in the ginko: Jerry Ball (who left early to catch his flight), Tom Lynch, Dennis Dutton, Noor Khalsa, Penny Harter, Bill Higginson, Jim and Beth Ann Applegate, Marlene Egger, and Clayton and Naomi Brown. We were blessed with a gentle breeze and a warm sun. We chose the four-mile trail to La Cueva, the hermit's cave. It was a gentle climb at start but became a bit steeper near the cave. Along the path, we identified prickly pear, desert sage, greasewood, banana yucca, and Mormon tea. Some of the smooth rocks had a slippery moss-like growth, probably lichen. At La Cueva Tom pointed out petroglyphs near the entrance. The cave was dry and roomy. Returning to the trailhead, we gathered around the picnic table, ate our sack lunches, and concentrated on writing haiku. Each took turns reading two or three haiku (Penny wrote eight!). Here are some of the group's creations:
my shadow
on the tiny white primroses
a stinkbug moves
--Bill Higginsondesert catch basin
the iridescent flash
of Phainopepla
--Marlene EggerSpring ginko
Noor takes a nap
on a hackberry branch
--Dennis Duttontwo ravens spiral
above the hermit's cave --
their fading call
-- Penny Harterhermit's cave
abandoned now
except for the wasps
-- Tom LynchLa Cueva Trail
the hikers' footsteps
break the silence
-- Naomi Y. BrownBy 2:00 p.m., we were back at the parking lot but reluctant to leave. We all took with us memories of the beautiful Organ Mountains and the ginkô.
-- Naomi Y. Brown,
Southwest Region Coordinator
Fourth Quarterly Meeting 2002: Saturday, December 7, Seattle, WA
Details to be provided closer to the event.
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Third Quarterly Meeting (National Meeting) 2002: September 13-15, New Orleans, LA
The New Orleans Haiku Society and Xavier University invite you to come down to the "City That Care Forgot" for haiku, discussion, revelation, exploration, great food, and fabulous music.
Featuring: Randy Brooks ("Living the Tradition: Haiku in Higher Education"), Mark Brooks ("Humor and Haiku"), and Jim Kacian; a book launching by Peggy Lyles; a special tribute, in memoriam, to Bob Spiess; a haiku walk through the French Quarter . . . and other surprises.
Hotel: The Quality Inn Midtown, 3900 Tulane Avenue, is offering a conference rate of $59.00. Just say the initials, "HSA," when you book: Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., 800-228-5151; weekends and after-hours, dial direct: 504-486-5541. The hotel is five minutes' walking distance from the conference site, Xavier University, and offers a courtesy shuttle to and from the French Quarter and downtown New Orleans. Come "pass a good time" New Orleans style! For more information, contact David Lanoue at dlanoue@xula.edu or the New Orleans Haiku Society at neworleanshaiku@yahoo.com.
Second Quarterly Meeting 2002: Saturday, June 15, New York, NY
The Haiku Society of America held its Second Quarterly Meeting on Saturday, June 15, 2002 at the 96th Street Branch of the New York Public Library, located at 112 East 96th Street (south side), between Lexington and Park Avenues.
The library can be reached by the #6 (green line) of the subway, by the M96 and M106 crosstown buses, and by the M101, M102, and M103 buses along Lexington and Third Avenues.
Program Highlights
10:00 -- Ginko at Central Park's Conservatory Garden, led by Doris Heitmeyer, assisted by Miriam Borne. Meet at the Vanderbilt Gate, 104th Street and 5th Avenue. #6 (green line) subway, or Madison Avenue buses to 103rd Street, walk west to 5th Avenue.
11:30 -- Lunch at local restaurants (for your convenience Doris Heitmeyer will provide suggestions).
1:00 - Introductions, sharing of haiku 1:15 - Welcoming remarks, HSA business -- Jerry Ball, President
1:30 - Writing Haiku and Longer Poems: The Influence of Jazz -- Lenard D. Moore
2:15 - Break for refreshments and book display
2:45 - The Lyric, the Dramatic, and the Narrative in Haiku - Jerry Ball
3:45 - Yatsuka Ishihara's Teachings: A Workshop in the Use of Hyperbole in Haiku - Patrick Gallagher
5:30 - Family Style Dinner at Sala Thai. ($28 - RSVP by June 8 )
-- Brenda J. Gannam NE Metro Regional Coordinator gannamconsulting@earthlink.net (718) 522-6946
First Quarterly Meeting 2002: Saturday, March 23, Boston, MA
Discussion of the Executive Committee at the Boston Quarterly Meeting
1. The first discussion concerned a fitting tribute to Bob Spiess. It was determined that we would write a tribute in Frogpond for the Bob who has devoted so much of his life to the cause of haiku.
2. We then dealt with the impending changes in leadership on the executive committee: Frogpond Editor: Jim Kacian agreed to remain as Editor with some assistance. John Stevenson agreed to become Associate Editor. Newsletter Editor: with the resignation of Charlie Trumbull we needed to find a replacement. Stanford Forrester and Jerry Ball were assigned the job of locating a competent replacement. (Since the meeting we have a commitment from Mark Brooks who has both initiative and skills necessary for the job.) Treasurer: With John Stevenson leaving the treasurer's position, this induced a vacancy. He was replaced by Tom Borkowski as Acting Treasurer.
3. The executive committee voted a commendation for the work done by Charlie Trumbull, Newsletter Editor; Dave Russo, Electronic Communications Officer; Jim Kacian, Frogpond Editor
4. The EC then discussed the future of the HSA and whether we should think of maintaining the present sort of organization or whether we might consider expanding. This issue was brought to the membership for discussion. The issues include what sorts of services we provide for members and at what economic cost. No conclusion was reached but this discussion will be continued.
5. The EC voted to be supportive to the coming Haiku North America and to Haiku Pacific Rim.
—Jerry Ball, HSA President
Fourth Quarterly Meeting: November 30 through December 2, 2001, Long Beach, CA
One Haijin's Report, by naia
Attendees: Roger Abe, Fay Aoyagi, Jerry Ball, Sandy Ball, Tom Bilicke, Karen Brooks, Mark Brooks, Bridget Dole, Janeth Ewald, Alice Frampton, Claire Gallagher, Victor Gendrano, Greg Kunz (gK), David Lanoue, Leila, Patricia Machmiller, naia, David Priebe, Margaret Hehman Smith (Peggy), Michael Dylan Welch, Jean Ellen Wilder, Wendy Wright
For photos from the three-day event please visit:
http://photos.yahoo.com/naia01
Once there, click on the Dec 1 2001 folder link, then select "slideshow" to automatically view each slide, or click on each individual slide to see a larger version.
I arrived at the Seaport Marina about noon, expecting to locate a few haijin who had indicated their early arrival on Friday. Just as I was checking in Alice Frampton (British Columbia, Canada) walked through the doors, followed shortly by David Lanoue (New Orleans, LA). We shared lunch, travel stories, and company, then returned to the hotel where we found Mark and Karen Brooks (Temple, TX).
Others continued to roll in that afternoon, and we had a lovely crowd of about 12 or so for dinner at a local crab and seafood restaurant. Those of us who are vegetarians ( Fay Aoyagi and me) found a few tidbits for us on the menu while others dined on such fare as seafood salad and fresh steamed seafood dumped out onto the table for finger-eatin'.
Saturday morning a few of us gathered in the hotel restaurant for breakfast, then we all congregated in the meeting room and set up the book tables, sign in pads, programs, etc.
HSA President Jerry Ball performed the "opening remarks" segment, followed by Mark Brooks' presentation titled "The Poetics of Kigo." Mark talked about what kigo are, the benefits of and objections to using kigo, and treating kigo as a language. He stated that "while English-language haiku poets debate whether or not to use kigo, the language of haiku, Japanese haiku poets are busy expanding that language to incorporate Western references without much help from us."
Mark said the kigo system is "simply a record of associations"—a record of usage, rather than a limitation. He continued, "Artificiality comes into play only when an author 'creates' haiku from a list of kigo rather than from actual experience." We had lively and in-depth dialogue after his presentation—all constructive and meaningful. If you would like to contact Mark Brooks for more information about his presentation "Poetics of Kigo" you may email him at haiku@epiphanous.org.
We had a lunch feast at a local Indian restaurant, followed by Patricia Machmiller's presentation "Haiku Etudes: an Unveiling of the Haiku Form Through Art." She spoke on haiku in art (the art reflecting the haiku, without stating the haiku - as opposed to haiga). Patricia shared her artwork, first by stating a haiku, discussing it, then showing the painting she'd created and explaining the elements, including the layout of the haiku lines and then how that layout was displayed in the painting. She called them "renderings of haiku" - trying to be true to the haiku by putting it into a visual (nonverbal) form - a translation of an original haiku into an artform. It was fascinating, as was the discussion which followed. If you would like to contact Patricia Machmiller for more information about her presentation "Haiku Etudes: an Unveiling of the Haiku Form Through Art" you may email her at patriciajmachmiller@msn.com.
David Lanoue was the final presenter with "Rediscovering Issa." We all delighted in his knowledge and reading of Issa's haiku. A few examples (haiku by Issa, translations by David Lanoue):
nadeshiko ga o^kina hachi ni sasare keri
a blooming pink—
the big bee
gets stucksokkuri to kawazu [no] norishi hito ha kana
falling down
frog and all . . .
one big leafThe discussion and sharing that followed was stimulating and rewarding. If you would like to contact David Lanoue for more information about his presentation "Rediscovering Issa" you may email him at dlanoue@xula.edu or visit his website at:
http://webusers.xula.edu/dlanoue/issa/
After a quick dinner at some local stop-and-eat places, we proceeded to Borders bookstore, where our evening reading was scheduled. The evening reading was delightful!!!!! Our featured readers were Jerry Ball, Michael Dylan Welch, Mark Brooks Patricia Machmiller, and David Lanoue—followed by an "open mike" session for which we'd signed up earlier in the day. Readers shared their haiku, haibun, tanka, and cinquain. When the public reading concluded we all went to Wendy and Tom Wright's home where we shared wine, sumptuous foods and desserts, and discussed everything from the weather to haiku issues to you-name-it. The social event broke about midnight.
Sunday morning about twelve of us participated in a ginko at the local Farmer's Market and boat harbor across from the hotel—then we returned and shared what we wrote in a round robin reading. Some left after that but about 8 of us went on to Japanese Gardens on the CSU Long Beach campus, then shared lunch before departing. The gardens were lovely, and we had a great time sharing. The entire event was wonderful in every way and included presentations, discussion, debates, fine food and drink, laughter, hugs, and memory-making camaraderie.
Third Quarterly Meeting (National Meeting): September 22, 2001, New York, NY
The Haiku Society of America's third quarterly meeting, which was to be held in New York City on September 22, 2001, was canceled due to problems arising from the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center.
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Second Quarterly Meeting: June 28, 2001, Boston, MA
Executive Committee Meeting
The HSA Executive Committee meeting for the second quarter of 2001 was held in Boston, Mass., on June 28, 2001, in conjunction with Haiku North America. The EC meeting was convened at 9:00 a.m. by Pamela Miller Ness in the absence of President Jerry Ball. EC members present were Raffael de Gruttola, Jim Kacian, Howard Lee Kilby, Dave Russo, and Charles Trumbull.
Secretary's Report: Howard reported that membership has stabilized at 775 members, including 101 international members. The EC discussed the fact that, unlike national members, the international members are not represented in regional groups and that perhaps this should be considered. As a way to reduce expenses and labor, we discussed changing the current system of Howard's sending a dues-reminder card to highlighting the labels of those members who need to renew. Howard discussed the extensive amount of time required for the Secretary's duties, and the EC discussed options for helping with this task.
Treasurer's Report: The EC decided to maintain the current dues structure for 2002. We spent a significant amount of time discussing the need to raise funds and considering options: running a query in the HSA Newsletter for a volunteer fund raiser and/or hiring a professional who would receive a percentage of the funds s/he raised. Raffael indicated that this will be his final year to serve as Treasurer, but he will work closely with his replacement to ensure a smooth transition.
Frogpond: Jim discussed his search for an associate editor to work with him during 2002 and ultimately take over as editor of Frogpond. To date he has spoken with numerous members but has not found an associate editor. We considered the issue of the expense of publishing a biannual supplement to Frogpond. Some suggestions included: publish one larger issue that includes the critical articles, include more critical articles within the three yearly issues, or publish an annual critical anthology with a juried editorial board to which members could subscribe for an additional fee. Jim also said that he would like to publish a volume entitled "Best of Frogpond" to celebrate the 25th year of publication. This would be offered for sale, like A Haiku Path. Taking a vote, the EC approved the publication of a Frogpond supplement in 2001.
Nominating Committee: The EC nominated two persons to serve as the Nominating Committee for next year's HSA officers. Both, however, declined, and later Bill Lerz of Hot Springs, Ark., accepted the job.
Sora Award: The EC voted to institute the Sora Award, an award proposed by Jerry Kilbride to honor an HSA member who has made an outstanding contribution to the organization over time. The award will consist of a certificate and a small gift. The first award will be presented at the HSA meeting in New York City in September. The EC agreed that a maximum of one award per year will be presented, with an option to not to make an award in a given year.
Logo Committee: Raffael will continue to work with the Logo Committee to design an appropriate logo for the HSA that we can use on stationery and the HSA brochure, which will be reprinted after the logo is determined.
HSA Education Committee: Pamela reported that 40 teachers' packets have been sold since January 1, 2001. The Japan Society in New York currently uses the packet for all their teacher workshops, and we have had requests from two other national educational organizations to preview the packet for possible use. A 4th edition will be printed in the fall.
The Executive Committee meeting was adjourned at 11:15 a.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Pamela Miller Ness,
First Vice President
First Quarterly Meeting: March 17, 2001, Las Cruces, NM
Executive Committee Meeting
The meeting was scheduled for 12:00-1:30 p.m., Saturday, March 17, at the International Delight Restaurant, Las Cruces, N.M. Since President Jerry Ball and First Vice President Pamela Ness were the only Executive Committee members present, Ball declared no quorum present, no business was conducted, and the meeting was adjourned.
General Meeting
HSA Southwest Region members were delighted to have President Ball and First Vice President Ness join us in our first HSA Southwestern Region get-together. Tom Lynch started planning the event in September 2000 to coincide with the annual Border Book Festival held in Las Cruces. Some activities of our gathering overlapped with events of the Border Book Festival, but it broadened our exposure to many unfamiliar with the HSA and haiku in general. The success of this endeavor was made possible by the dedication and hard work of Tom Lynch, for which we all are grateful.
William J. Higginson and Penny Harter from Santa Fe, N.M., arrived early and gave a workshop on Friday, March 16, at the Good Samaritan Village library. "A Way With Words" was the subject. Bill and Penny took turns reading poetry and haiku from their books and discussed writing with 14 seniors. A workshop on a Southwestern saijiki was held at the historic Double Eagle restaurant on the Old Mesilla plaza on Friday evening from 6:00 to 9:00. Thirteen members attended. Before the meal we introduced ourselves; for many this was a first-time meeting. After dinner, Tom Lynch opened the workshop. The Southwest Region has a very rich Spanish heritage, so most of the kigo selected had a Hispanic flavor. Each members were asked to suggest a kigo representative of the Southwest and read a haiku using it. These efforts were collected and discussed with an eye to a Southwestern saijiki. Here are a few:
night irrigation
the ditch slowly fills
with stars
-- Dennis Duttonsunshine yucca
white blossoms scent empty air
mustang runs free
--Jim Applegatepueblo dog
sniffing the footprints
of tourists
-- Penny Harterheavy air
I awaken from a nap
expecting thunder
-- Jerry BallI come to town
early in the morning
roasting chilies
-- Bill Higginsonroadside stall
the ristras clatter
behind the farmer
-- Tom Lynchone by one
faralitos flicker out --
Christmas Eve
-- Marian Olsonsiesta
even the air
not moving
-- Naomi Y. BrownOn Saturday at 9:00 a.m. Marian Olson gave a haiku-writing workshop "The Tiniest Poem," at the Munson Senior Center. She worked with 22 professional and nonprofessional writers, most of whom had never before penned a haiku. First, she distributed printed instructions, examples, pencils and writing pads. Marian used "Ancestral Voices," the Border Book Festival theme this year, to present a chronology of haiku voices from the 17th century to the end of the 20th century. After the group discussed the depth and nuances in several poems, Marian talked about the general characteristics found in most fine haiku. Following this initial work with model poems, she led the participants through an exercise that used a particular emotion attached to an experience from their lives and from that into the writing of their own haiku. Feedback indicated the success of the method. Those new to the form left with a clear idea of the power of haiku. Marian's technique led to some excellent work, which was published in a finely printed booklet and mailed to each participant. Among the many fresh voices were these (picked randomly):
Leaving Paris
the midnight train
enters a tunnel
-- Laura LomasBack in the city
Lights shine
Stars dim
-- Carol Breypracticing in the park
our swords
know each other also
-- Dennis H. DuttonDuring this same time period, William J. Higginson and Penny Harter were conducting separate workshops. Bill's topic was "Remembering Our Ancestors," and he helped more than a dozen participants learn methods of recovering lost information about past events. Later in a public reading, Bill read poems about his grandmother's life as well as haiku and translations from recent books.
Penny led a workshop, "Reaching Back: A Letter to the Unknown," in which she encouraged some 15 participants to connect with ancestors they know little or nothing about. Later she read poems from her books Grandmother's Milk and Lizard Light: Poems from the Earth. From 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. about 25 participants enjoyed herbal tea and leisurely paced haiku readings the Haiku Tardeada (tardeada is Spanish for afternoon tea) at the Lemongrass Restaurant. Earlier Tom Lynch had instructed us to bring a handful of "ancestral voice haiku" as well as 5-10 of our own verses to read. Tom opened the readings, followed by Jerry Ball, Dennis Dutton, Noor Singh Khalsa, Marian Olson, Marlene Egger, Jim Applegate, Bill Higginson and Penny Harter. Then Pamela Ness read some of her tanka. After reading "ancestral voice haiku" and some of her haiku, Naomi Y. Brown recited Kakinamoto Hitomara's chôka from the Man'yôshu in Japanese and then Bill Higginson read its translation by Donald Keene. All together 11 haiku poets participated in this event.
On Saturday evening several members got together at the Tatsu Japanese Restaurant. Over hot sake and Japanese cuisine they relaxed and visited until it was closing time.
The final get-together was a ginkô Sunday morning. at the Dripping Spring Natural Area in the Organ Mountains east of Las Cruces. Mark Brooks, Pamela Ness, Marian Olson, and Gloria Cano had departed early so 11 took part in the ginko: Jerry Ball (who left early to catch his flight), Tom Lynch, Dennis Dutton, Noor Khalsa, Penny Harter, Bill Higginson, Jim and Beth Ann Applegate, Marlene Egger, and Clayton and Naomi Brown. We were blessed with a gentle breeze and a warm sun. We chose the four-mile trail to La Cueva, the hermit's cave. It was a gentle climb at start but became a bit steeper near the cave. Along the path, we identified prickly pear, desert sage, greasewood, banana yucca, and Mormon tea. Some of the smooth rocks had a slippery moss-like growth, probably lichen. At La Cueva Tom pointed out petroglyphs near the entrance. The cave was dry and roomy. Returning to the trailhead, we gathered around the picnic table, ate our sack lunches, and concentrated on writing haiku. Each took turns reading two or three haiku (Penny wrote eight!). Here are some of the group's creations:
my shadow
on the tiny white primroses
a stinkbug moves
--Bill Higginsondesert catch basin
the iridescent flash
of Phainopepla
--Marlene EggerSpring ginko
Noor takes a nap
on a hackberry branch
--Dennis Duttontwo ravens spiral
above the hermit's cave --
their fading call
-- Penny Harterhermit's cave
abandoned now
except for the wasps
-- Tom LynchLa Cueva Trail
the hikers' footsteps
break the silence
-- Naomi Y. BrownBy 2:00 p.m., we were back at the parking lot but reluctant to leave. We all took with us memories of the beautiful Organ Mountains and the ginkô.
-- Naomi Y. Brown,
Southwest Region Coordinator
Fourth Quarterly Meeting December 1-3, 2000, San Francisco, CA
The Fourth Quarterly Meeting of 2000 was hosted by the California Region in San Francisco on Saturday, December 2 at the Best Western Miyako Hotel in Japantown.
Executive Committee Meeting
Committee Members present were Jerry Ball, 1st Vice President, presiding Raffael de Gruttola, Treasurer Alice Benedict, 2nd Vice President Guest: Pamela Miller Ness, HSA Education Committee chair and 1st Vice President-elect. We discussed the following items:
President: nothing in particular to report
Secretary: Howard Kilby reports the following (communicated by Raffael) : The results of the HSA election of Officers and Regional Coordinators for 2001 are appended to these minutes. All EC members received them by e-mail as well. Thanks to Howard, once again, for the timely results! Howard once again proposes splitting the office of HSA Secretary into a Membership Secretary and a Corresponding Secretary to help deal with the increased workload. Those present agreed with the idea. It seems we need an amendment to the By-laws and a vote of the membership. We now need to draft an amendment to the bylaws that can be voted upon, preferably between now and the next quarterly meeting.
Treasurer's Report: Raffael reports the current account stands at $4,592. Though finances are workable for now, HSA should think seriously about finding other ways to raise funds than largely by membership fees. Some ideas were discussed and proposals for further action made:
(1) Look into possible grant funding, especially education-related grants (for example from NEA). Sylvia Forges-Ryan at one time worked on this; Raffael volunteered to talk with her, with a view to making a serious attempt to submit a new grant proposal.
(2) A possible re-issue of A Haiku Path. We should begin discussing what this would involve.
(3) Better advertising, especially getting the word out about HSA to teachers. This might be something Regional Coordinators could help with, and that could also be pursued through materials for teachers posted to the web page. A special membership rate for teachers, libraries, etc. was also suggested. This would decrease revenue at first, but perhaps increase overall membership later.
(4) Make it clearer that additional donations are accepted and greatly appreciated.
First Vice President's Report: (Jerry Ball) Tentative meeting dates and locations for 2001 were proposed: First Quarterly Meeting: Arkansas, March 24 (Howard Kilby) [this was later changed --ed.]; Second Quarterly Meeting: Haiku North America, Boston June 29 (Raffael de Gruttola); Third Quarterly Meeting: New York City, September 22 (Pamela Miller Ness); Fourth Quarterly meeting: Long Beach, December 1 (Jerry Ball).
Jerry had a thought for a traveling poets' hospitality network. There could be a list of HSA members who would be happy to host a traveling poet for a few days during a meeting or other poetry journey. Something like this exists in an informal way now, nevertheless, those present liked the idea. A notice to the members, by e-mail, or possibly a notice on the Web site asking for people to sign up could move this ahead.
Second Vice President: Alice Benedict reports that the Henderson, Brady, and Virgilio contests for 2000 have been successfully concluded. The judges are still deliberating in the Einbond Renku Contest. They will try to finish before the holidays; failing that it will be complete in January 2001. I am gathering the Contest library of Frogponds, mailing lists, and general correspondence and will send it to John Stevenson, the new contest chairman. Also, I will send Charlie winning renku for inclusion on the HSA Web site. I express, once again, my pleasure in having coordinated contests for HSA, and thanks to all the judges (36 of them, all nice to work with) and contest participants.
Electronic Communications Officer: Dave Russo (via Raffael) reports that the HSA Web site is up and running. Response has been very positive indeed. Congratulations to Dave and Charlie for their hard work! Suggestions for things to add at some point: Education material, a membership application (so people can join).
Education Committee Report: Pamela Miller Ness reported that the education packets have been selling well: 43 packets are sold, and 28 remain. At $15 each, the revenues cover expenses. The response of teachers using the packets as been very good: they are thrilled to have something this reliable and usable all in one place. We discussed the possibility of putting something from the packet onto the Web page (such as the suggestions for running a haiku workshop): this would be a promotion for the packet, and a freebie that teachers can print and use (something of a web tradition). Pamela and the Education Committee will propose something; maybe Dave could look at what's possible and simple enough.
Other Business: Raffael brought up having an official logo and letterhead. All agreed that it's overdue. Suggestions were that it carry through some elements of design and/or typography from the web page (so everything looks pulled together). There have been ideas for this in the past, but all were rejected. It's probably best to start over.
Upcoming Haiku Events: Haiku North America: Raffael gave a detailed outline of exciting plans for HNA in Boston, June 28-July 1. The theme is Haiku and Beyond.
Jerry reported good progress on plans for Haiku Pacific Rim 2002, to be held in Long Beach, Calif., an event to celebrate haiku and bring together haiku poets of this large region of the world and beyond. He has secured meeting space through California State University at Long Beach, early participation of organizations such as the Japan Society, and interest from poets in Japan and elsewhere in the region. The EC meeting was adjourned at about 10:00. -- Alice Benedict, (for Howard Lee Kilby, HSA Secretary)
General Meeting
Early arrivals met Friday evening for dinner and lively conversation at a local noodle house. Saturday morning while the Executive Committee met, attendees gathered in the conference room to meet, greet, and browse the book, literature, and poetry displays. Claire Gallagher opened the General Meeting at 10:00 a.m. with words of welcome. Approximately 55 people from near and far -- including several new to HSA or HPNC --attended part or all of Saturday's events. Each poet introduced herself or himself and read a poem before First Vice President Jerry Ball presented a summary of the Executive Committee meeting, including the Treasurer's report and a tally of the HSA election results.
The keynote presentation was a memorable event focusing on "The Mystery of Haiku." Poet Vincent Tripi read a moving selection of poems, groups of which were prefaced by quotes from other writers who illuminate the mystery of life for him. Vincent's readings were interspersed with, and sometimes spoken over, Native American flute music played by Gary Topper. Vincent gave attendees a letterpress bookmark with the words haiku and tribe imprinted in close juxtaposition in gold and black near an exquisite feather.
"We are surrounded by a rich and fertile mystery . . . may we not probe it, pry into it, employ ourselves about it -- a little?"
-- Henry David Thoreau
The season's last loon
in the mist
seeing it anyway
-- vincent tripiThe program continued with Patrick Gallagher's description of the San Francisco Bay Area Haiku Season Word Project. This project was initiated over a year ago by Bay Area poets to compile appropriate local season words. Patrick presented the goal of the project as the strengthening of the use of season words in English-language haiku and developing sensitivity for local season words. Prototype pages of an anticipated publication of a local dictionary of season words were displayed. Patrick read several poems that showed the use of a local season word. The poem below by Laurie Stoelting uses soap root flowers, a Bay Area summer season word.
picking soap root flowers at sunset
my hands fill
with starsA break provided time for small-group lunches at various venues in Japantown, visiting a few small shops or the Kinokuniya Bookstore, and brief sightseeing. Participants reconvened for Raffael de Gruttola's presentation, "Haiku vs. Plagiarism: A Farmer's Market." One of Raffael's main points was that poets can not avoid writing and rewriting poems that have been written previously if we continue to use only classical methods and conventional subjects.
Next on the program was David G. Lanoue's reading from his novel, Haiku Guy. As David introduced Cup-of-Tea (Issa), the bumpkin haiku student Buck Teeth, Lord Kaga as personification of Edo period culture, and the 20th century writer/protagonist in New Orleans, the audience learned about haiku. David's exquisite eye for detail, wry humor, and haiku lessons left us on the edge of our seats wanting more.
"We'd stop at the curb, and every time before crossing over to the church or back to the school, we'd hear a life-saving litany recited at the top of Sister Agoniste's drill sergeant lungs: 'Stop, look, and listen, children!' This, it turned out was my first lesson in the art of haiku."
-- from Haiku Guy
After a social break, we resumed with poetry readings, beginning with Laurie Stoelting, who read from her new book, Light on the Mountain:
whitewater
it took the moonlight
to show meFor about an hour poets in succession read 5-10 poems in what many considered to be one of the finest readings ever heard. Following this there was a call for reading what turned out to be a handful of poems written in Japantown that day; they were uniformly senryu or approximations:
Japantown shop
the identical bellies
of Buddha and Santa
--Claire GallagherThe day's program began and ended with music accompanying a haiku reading. Raffael de Gruttola closed the program by reading a jûnicho (twelve-link) renku written by himself and Tadashi Kondo. Electric cello improvisation by Danielle de Gruttola prefaced and followed echoing and expanding each link of another bay. Listeners carried an enthralled buoyancy away. Many conferees attended a group dinner at a Korean barbecue as well as an evening social at the home of member Paul Watsky.
-- Claire Gallagher
Third Quarterly Meeting (National Meeting) September 23, 2000, New York, NY
Business Meeting
The meeting was called to order by President John Stevenson at 10:45 a.m. Present were John Stevenson and Raffael de Gruttola. The minutes for the previous (June 2000) meeting were accepted as posted in the last Newsletter.
Treasurer's report: An annual report and a report covering the third quarter were presented and discussed. A summary appears elsewhere in this Newsletter. Education Committee report: A report from Pamela Miller Ness was received and reviewed. The Education Committee recommends that we raise the price of the third edition of the "HSA Resources for Teachers" packet from the current $15 to $20 postpaid or $15 when purchased directly or in quantity by institutions. The Executive Committee will be asked to discuss and vote on this recommendation via e-mail.
Membership listing: A decision has been made by the Executive Committee to resume printing full addresses on the Membership listings. John felt that it was important to advise members, however, that it has proven impossible to control the commercial or other uses made of the listing and that members should realize that the information becomes essentially public, even though HSA does not provide it to nonmembers. Individual members may, if they wish, request that the secretary delete their addresses from the general listing which is provided to the entire membership.
HSA Members' Anthology: Editor Claire Gallagher has reported that the 2000 Members' Anthology, Crinkled Sunlight, will be available this fall, in time for holiday orders. Merit Book Awards: The report of the judges, Tom Clausen and Ebba Story, was reviewed prior to its presentation to the membership during the general meeting. John indicated that he had mailed letters of congratulations to the winning authors and editors earlier in the week.
Location of members: A report from Howard Lee Kilby was presented that indicated that HSA's current (September) membership is 804: 709 residing in the United States and 95 residing in other countries, including Canada (34 members), Japan (20 members), Great Britain (16 members) and 15 other countries.
Nominating Committee: The report of the Nominating Committee was reviewed prior to its presentation in the general meeting (during which the nominations were seconded and additional nominations were solicited from the floor, though none were offered).
Web site: It was noted that the new HSA Web site debuted on September 1, a very marked improvement, thanks to the efforts of Electronic Media Officer, Dave Russo and Newsletter Editor, Charles Trumbull.
By-law Amendments: Raffael indicated that he would propose amendments of the by-laws to create a new office of Corresponding Secretary and to make the position of Electronic Media Officer a permanent office, with a role in the Executive Committee. Raffael will prepare a proposal for the Executive Committee to review and discuss via e-mail.
Stipends Waived: John and Raffael agreed to waive their stipends for attending the annual meeting, although Raffael indicated that he will take reimbursement for some incidental travel expenses. The meeting was adjourned at 11:30 a.m. Respectfully submitted,
-- John Stevenson (in the absence of Howard Lee Kilby)
General Meeting
The third HSA Quarterly Meeting of 2000, hosted by the Northeast Metropolitan Region, was held on Friday, September 22 and Saturday, September 23 at Columbia University.
The festivities began Friday evening when 18 poets gathered to write renku in two groups led by Raffael de Gruttola and John Stevenson. One group completed a 20-link poem, while the other worked slowly to complete about 10 links. On Saturday morning, while the Executive Committee met at Columbia, Pamela led about a dozen poets on a ginko at Riverside Cathedral. We spent an hour quietly exploring this vast cathedral before gathering in the Poets Corner to share our work. A haiku of note by Jeanne Emrich:
poets corner
at the cathedral
I walk on wordsAfter lunch at local restaurants, about 45 regional and national members and guests attended the afternoon program. We opened with our usual introductions and round-robin sharing of haiku, after which John and Raffael presented a summary of the Executive Committee meeting. Our first speaker was Tom Clausen, who read from his latest chapbook, Homework, in which he explores the theme of familial conflict as a source of haiku:
playing a child's game
I learn all
his rulesThe program continued with a talk and reading by several poets from Rochester, N.Y., entitled "Haiku and the Self." Michael Ketchek introduced the topic, noting that the self is "the most slippery of subjects." Each poet read several examples of his or her work from their recent chapbook, Oneself:
even at home
I become homesick
gazing at the moon
-- Michael Ketchekfirst yellow crocus . . .
i release
my winter heart
-- Pamela A. Babuscimy little girl
pouring water on a stone --
waits for it to grow
-- Tom PaintingClimbing Mt. Algonquin
the blue of the sky
touches my clothes
-- Donatella Cardillo-Younga quarter slips through
a hole in my pocket
hand-me-down
-- Will BrideauAfter a break for conversation, refreshments, and browsing the book table, the program continued with a slide lecture by Jeanne Emrich on "Contemporary Haiga." Jeanne noted that "the secret lies in the chemistry between poem and painting; neither stands alone." Raffael de Gruttola expanded on this topic with his slide talk on "Haiga & Visual Poetry," in which he presented an overview of visual poetry, of which he considers haiga a subset.
The afternoon concluded with a thought-provoking talk by A.C. Missias on "The Struggle for Definitions: An Exploration of Prototype Theory and Our Approach to Haiku." Andrea began by reading 12 definitions of haiku that appear in the current issue of Modern Haiku (XXXI: 3, Fall 2000) and analyzing the essential features in order to arrive at a model for a prototypical haiku. She creatively used a starfish as a metaphor, with the prototypical haiku at the center and variations radiating into the arms.
Following the formal program, most participants continued to socialize while enjoying a Chinese/Vietnamese banquet at Van West.
-- Pamela Miller Ness
Second Quarterly Meeting June 17, 2000, Washington, D.C.
Executive Committee Meeting
The Haiku Society of America held its second quarterly meeting in Washington, DC, on Saturday, June 17, 2000. The Executive Committee meeting was called to order by President John Stevenson at 11:00 a.m. Present in the conference room of the Japan Information and Culture Center were John Stevenson, Jerry Ball, and Jim Kacian. The minutes for the Spring Quarterly Meeting were accepted as posted in the last Newsletter.
Treasurer's report. A preliminary report of the second quarter was reviewed and the general fiscal situation was discussed. The consensus of those present was that current membership dues do not fully support HSA services to members and that other sources of income, especially donations in excess of dues, are the factors that will determine whether we are able to maintain services at current levels without tapping next year's income. Methods of encouraging more of such donations were discussed, including offering gift premiums for various "levels of membership." Jerry volunteered to administer such a program if it is adopted. He also volunteered to contact university sources about the process of applying for grant funding and to report on this subject to the executive committee. On a related topic, Jim volunteered to prepare an HSA logo, based on a graphic representation in the letter style which has appeared on the cover of Frogpond for the past several years. This could be used for promotional materials and for letterhead.
Web site. John noted that Newsletter editor Charles Trumbull has been working with Dave Russo of North Carolina on further improvement of the HSA Web site and on securing a domain name, which will make our site easier to find and identify.
International associations. Much activity has been undertaken this year toward the formation of international haiku associations, with more of this anticipated in the immediate future. In each instance, one or more HSA members has been actively involved in the groups undertaking these actions and HSA has been asked to provide various expressions of support: moral, material or both. Fiscal concerns affect our ability to respond to some of these requests. There is a need for a better sense of the will of the membership in these matters.
Slate of officers for 2001. 1999 HSA president Paul O. Williams has agreed to serve as chairperson of the nominations committee. The meeting was adjourned at quarter after twelve.
Respectfully submitted,
-- John Stevenson (in the absence of Howard Lee Kilby)
General Meeting
After a morning ginkô featuring an urban mansion-museum and garden, members gathered at the Japan Information and Culture Center for a luncheon buffet and the general meeting. President John Stevenson reported to the membership on the Executive Committee meeting.
In his paper, "International Haiku in the New Millennium," Jim Kacian discussed what a "national" haiku might be, and what "international" might mean in haiku terms. He commented on the state of the haiku art in countries around the world and offered his projections for the next few decades. Discussion was lively, suggesting the interest in global haiku does not just happen to coincide with the change of millennium.
Dee Evetts led a workshop, "The Conscious Eye: An Exploration of Social and Political Awareness in Haiku." Dee offered haiku by several poets, each of which addressed a social, political, or environmental issue, and the group discussed their appropriateness for the haiku form. Poems were deemed successful when they simply presented an arresting image, allowing the reader to ponder the implications -- for example, Tom Painting's
deeper
into the back country
a spit of asphaltKristen Deming's piece on Frogpond's frog included a brief survey of the frog as symbol in myth and poetry, and suggested a comparison of haiku with songs emanating from Bashô's pond.
Lee Giesecke read a selection of haiku and senryu, some of which were from his contribution to New Resonances. Roberta Beary's reading included poems from her years of residence in Japan as well as work written since her return to the Washington area.
Stephen Addiss and Josh Hockensmith read poems by members of the Richmond Haiku Workshop, then returned later to demonstrate how poets who are not musicians might use music to complement their haiku.
Professional musicians Kyoko Okamoto and Yuriko Gandolfo, of the Washington Toho Koto Society, performed on traditional Japanese instruments: Rokuden no Shirab (six variations) by Yatsuhashi Kengyo, 1644; Sakura Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Hirai Kozaburo, arr. 1967; and Hana Ikada (Flower Raft) by Sawai Tadao, 1968.
In the evening the group gathered at a nearby restaurant for socializing and a dinner featuring Asian noodles.
First Quarterly Meeting, April 14, 2000, Decatur, Ill.
The meeting was called to order by President John Stevenson at 10 p.m. Present were John Stevenson, Jim Kacian, Charles Trumbull, Claire Gallagher, and Pamela Miller Ness. The minutes for the previous (December 1999) meeting were accepted as posted in the last Newsletter.
Treasurer's report. The report of the first quarter was accepted. The group discussed Raffael's concern that our net income is approximately $5,000 less than at this time last year and his request for economizing. Jim said that there will be no Frogpond Supplement this year, and Pamela noted that the start-up costs for the HSA Teachers' Resource Packets were a factor during the period in question.
Web site: John raised the issue that the HSA web site has not been consistently maintained. The group was very appreciative that Charlie recently updated the list of officers, minutes of recent meetings, and contest information. He reported on progress toward creating an archive of HSA contest winning verses. The major issue is the need to find a reliable Webmaster ("Electronic Media Officer") who will maintain the site, help HSA secure its own domain name, and possibly create links to other relevant sites.
Frogpond contributor copies: Based on letters from several subscribers and a concern that Frogpond reflect the best practices of comparable journals, Jim raised the issue of whether Frogpond contributors should continue to receive a $1.00 honorarium per haiku or an additional copy of the journal. After some discussion, it became clear that there was a significant cost factor involved in resuming the contributors' copies and the issue was tabled until the next Executive Committee meeting in the hope that our fiscal standing will be clearer by then.
Frogpond 25th anniversary volume: Jim announced that he has begun to plan for a special 25th anniversary volume of Frogpond, which will contain the best work from the past 25 years of the journal. He views this volume as a replacement for The Haiku Path, which is no longer producing viable sales. Funding should be approved by 2001 with publication in 2002.
World Haiku Association: Jim updated the group on the formation of the WHA, which is intended to be a society of individuals committed to fostering a global community of haiku poets. He requested that the HSA "officially recognize" the group and offer some financial support, a proposal that he will present to the members of the Executive Committee via e-mail.
Education Committee report: Pamela updated the group on sales of the recently published HSA Teachers' Resource Packet. One hundred packets were published in early January, of which twenty were complementary copies for members of the Education Committee and the Executive Committee. To date, 65 have been sold, and 15 remain. The executive committee will be asked to vote via e-mail on a motion, made at the meeting, to commit another $600 to fund a second edition of 100 copies.
HSA Members Anthology report: Claire Gallagher reported that she has had 22 submissions to date for the 2000 anthology and is encouraging all members to submit "fresh" work before the final deadline of June 30. John adjourned the meeting at midnight.
Respectfully submitted,
-- Pamela Miller Ness (in the absence of Howard Lee Kilby)
Fourth 1999 HSA Quarterly Meeting December 4-5, 1999, Long Beach, CA
The HSA winter Quarterly Meeting was held on Friday and Saturday, December 45, 1999. The turnout was small but spirited at the library of California State University, Long Beach. President Paul Williams presided at the general meeting, where we discussed local haiku activities and commented favorably on the HSA education package (see page 3). Jerry Ball announced that there will be a conference called "Haiku Pacific Rim" on October 2428th, 2001. This meeting will be modeled after Haiku North America but will gather haiku poets from New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, Japan, Canada, Washington, Oregon, and California. For information please contact Jerry Ball.
After the general meeting Paul Williams read a paper entitled "The Moon In Haiku," which gave a broad scientific background about the moon as well as a strong collection of haiku with "moon" as kigo.
Two talks followed lunch. The first was by Greta Nagel, Professor of Education at California State, Long Beach. Greta discussed what is going on with haiku in the schools and in teacher training. Things have been oriented along 575 patterns, but now are beginning to change more to freestyle in the manner of HSA. She announced that the university and the local Southern California Haiku Study Group are cosponsoring a haiku contest for students in Long Beach schools. This contest has the endorsement of the HSA.
The final paper, "Déjà-ku," presented by Michael Dylan Welch, was a discussion of haiku that are written -- and sometimes published -- and are remarkably similar to haiku that have been published previously. A spirited discussion followed.
That evening our group sponsored an open reading at Borders bookstore in Long Beach with good attendance. The reading was followed by a social at the Holiday Inn.
-- Jerry Ball, First Vice President
Third 1999 HSA Quarterly Meeting (National Meeting) September 18, 1999, New York, NY
Executive Committee Meeting
The Executive Committee of the Haiku Society of America met at Columbia University on September 18, 1999, at 10:30 a.m. Present were Paul O. Williams, Raffael de Gruttola, and Jim Kacian.
1. The minutes of the last executive committee were reviewed. The problem of the higher charge for overseas members was discussed and the idea of a new category of membership, an institutional membership, was brought up. This would entail a somewhat higher dues, which would bring perhaps four copies of Frogpond. But this needs to be talked out by the full board at much greater length. The problem is that we want to be fair to everyone including ourselves. If anyone would like to make a proposal regarding institutional membership, including
its advisability
the dues
the benefits
we could circulate it among the board for further discussion.
2. Raffael presented the Treasurer's report.
3. Jim asked about what to do with the extra copies of Frogpond. Nothing was decided.
4. The archives were briefly discussed and the idea of perhaps creating another archives on the east coast. An advantage would be to give the materials another home. A disadvantage would be that it might divide up the unique materials such as people's personal papers. No conclusion was arrived at.
5. Pamela Ness presented the Educational Committee report, with a revised packet of materials for teachers. The materials as they now stand would cost, mailed $8.75 if sent priority and $7.75 if sent book rate. Raffael wanted to include a packet of winning student poems as examples. Jim wants to redesign the front sticker. The packet needs to say HSA somewhere on it. A revision was proposed for our December meeting. it was also suggested that we include a copy of Frogpond and charge $15 for the packet. A next project would be a small introductory book that we would produce for educational outreach.
6. The Merit Book Award cost was brought up again, and it was decided by the EC members present that the charge should be $10 for any publisher submitting books no matter how many. It was thought that this would defray the costs, which is what the charge was intended to do.
7. The question of an electronic edition of Frogpond was raised. This might be useful for overseas members. But it was decided that this would be too much work for those involved, and so it was dropped. However, this raised a related question of electronically disseminated information. It was proposed that we establish a new position, an Electronic Communications Officer, through a change in the HSA Bylaws. This officer would be in charge of the Web site and would disseminate information by e-mail to members about such matters as contests, which at times have deadlines not convenient to those depending on our newsletter. The members present approved of the idea.
8. It was announced that the members' anthology was under way with Andrea Missias editing.
9. It was asked if we wanted to support the World Haiku Festival financially. The amounts of $50 and $100 were proposed, but no decision was arrived at for presentation to the full Executive Committee.
10. Jim Kacian announced that work was under way on a book to commemorate the first 25 years of Frogpond.
The meeting was adjourned at 12:15 p.m.
-- Paul O. Williams, President
General Meeting
The fall 1999 HSA Quarterly Meeting was hosted by the Northeast Metropolitan Region the weekend of September 1718, 1999. Twelve haijin met Friday evening at Pamela's apartment to compose renku, breaking into two groups led by Raffael de Gruttola and Dee Evetts. At 1:00 on Saturday afternoon, 40 members and guests met in the East Asian Lounge at Columbia University.
The meeting began with the traditional sharing of introductions and a haiku by each member and guest: Two haiku of note:
full moon
in the garden my shadow
pulls up onionsCarl Patrick
frozen pond
even the ceramic frog
looks surprisedJaxon Teck
Paul Williams opened the business meeting by welcoming the group, updating us on the American Haiku Archives, and presenting a summary of the Executive Committee meeting held that morning. Raffael de Gruttola presented the Treasurer's report.
The program continued with a reading by Cor van den Heuvel from the newly published third edition of The Haiku Anthology. He began by saying that there is so much good haiku being written in English that he could easily have published two volumes. Cor focused his talk on an overview of haiku in America from Gary Snyder through the present, sharing poems by Jack Kerouac, Nick Virgilio, John Wills, Anita Virgil, Alexis Rotella, Lee Gurga, and Dee Evetts.
Hiroaki Sato then presented a talk on "Divergence in Haiku," a thought-provoking discussion of the essential definition of haiku, illustrated with numerous examples of English and Japanese haiku.
Following a break for conversation and refreshments, Raffael de Gruttola gave an illuminating slide talk on "Abstract Expressionism and Haiga." He traced the origins of haiga in classical Japan, focusing on the increasing abstraction of the form, and then jumped 300 years to make the connection to Abstract Expressionism. He concluded by sharing many examples of the fascinating collaboration in which he is currently engaged with the artist Wilfred Croteau, showing us both slides and original haiga paintings.
The program concluded with a stimulating workshop by Mykel Board entitled "Haiku for Beginners." Mykel presented a series of quick exercises designed to encourage participants to recall very specific sensory experiences and begin to put these into language. Although most of us didn't have time to actually compose haiku, everyone went home with a wealth of images, and Arlene Teck composed the following haiku during the workshop:
low tide beach
every rock I pick up ~
heart-shapedFollowing the workshop, a large group of us concluded the evening with more conversation and a delicious Chinese and Vietnamese banquet at a local restaurant.
-- Pamela Miller Ness, Northeast Metro Region Coordinator
HSA Executive Committee Meeting July 11, 1999, Evanston, IL
The HSA Executive Committee met at Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill., in conjunction with Haiku North America, on Sunday, July 11, 1999. HSA president Paul O. Williams presided. Officers present were Jerry Ball, First Vice-President; Howard Lee Kilby, Secretary; Raffael de Gruttola, Treasurer; Jim Kacian, Frogpond Editor; and Charles Trumbull, HSA Newsletter Editor. Guests present were Kristen Deming, immediate past President, Sara Brant, HSA Webmaster, and Harriett Geudtner, assistant to the Secretary.
Sara presented an update on the HSA Website, which can be accessed at <octet.com/~hsa>.
The HSA Education Committee requested funding for a teachers' packet. Jim Kacian made a motion to approve a request from Pamela Miller Ness for funds for the printing of a teachers' packet, estimated at $600. Charles Trumbull seconded. The motion passed.
The group discussed the HSA election to be held in the autumn of 1999. Paul announced that John Stevenson has agreed to serve as HSA President in 2000 and that all other officers have agreed to stand for reelection. The positions of Regional Coordinators for Alaska and Hawaii are vacant.
Paul announced that Andrea C. Missias will serve as editor of the 1999 Members' Anthology.
In a discussion of the problem of delivery of Frogpond and the HSA Newsletter to members living abroad, Jim Kacian, reported that postal service is inferior to first-class mail. Surface mail arrives late and often in unsatisfactory condition. He made a motion to add a surcharge to dues for overseas members to offset the additional postage charges of mailing Frogpond first class (the Newsletter already goes to overseas members via airmail). This was seconded and passed. Jim agreed to determine the amounts of the surcharges.
Jerry Ball reported on preparations for the Fourth Quarterly Meeting at California State University in Long Beach, Calif., in December.
Raffael de Gruttola made a motion to raise the speakers' honorarium at HSA Quarterly Meetings to $200. The motion was seconded by Jim Kacian and passed unanimously.
The inclusion of HSA members' E-mail addresses in the annual Members Directory was discussed. No decision was reached. At present, members may request a print copy of the Directory by sending an SASE. Plans are under way to provide the information via E-mail to members.
The meeting adjourned.
-- Howard Lee Kilby, Secretary
Second 1999 HSA Quarterly Meeting June 11-13, 1999, Minneapolis, MN
The Second 1999 HSA Quarterly Meeting was held June 1113, 1999 at Wilder Forest, a wooded retreat center near Minneapolis, Minn. Midwest Regional Coordinator Randy Brooks teamed up with Jeanne Emrich to organize the Midwest Haiku Writers Retreat with an emphasis on doing (as well as discussing) haiku-related activities. The retreat featured:
haiku readings,
collaborative linked haiku writing,
editing haiku,
painting haiga,
ginkô haiku walks,
judging haiku, and
a closing discussion about approaches to haiku journals.
As we discovered at the opening introductions, the retreat attracted a variety of participants from across the United States, including HSA members from Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, California, Nebraska, Illinois, Michigan, Iowa, and, of course, Minnesota. Several participants came in partners, often based on previous collaborations between artists and haiku poets, perhaps attracted to our advertised workshop on haiga painting. The participants ranged in experience from scholars and long-time haiku writers to beginners, which made for excellent exchanges throughout the weekend.
Paul O. Williams, President of HSA, was the featured speaker on Friday evening. He shared an investigation of human knowledge about the moon, and how haiku writers have captured the lunar significance to our lives. His talk included more than a hundred excellent lunar haiku, including several by Robert Mainone, one of the retreat participants:
every dog in its spell
this winter night's
full moonOne of the joys of haiku is the exactness of observation captured by haiku poets. Paul blended the scientific with the literary knowledge of the moon to show that we are always seeking to understand those things we live with. Following the moon presentation, all participants shared haiku in extended rounds of haiku reading. A few participants stayed up late Friday night learning how to write rengay, following the guidance of Paul Williams and Randy Brooks.
After breakfast Saturday morning, we gathered on the deck of the lodge for a haiku editing workshop. Prior to the retreat, participants sent haiku to Lee Gurga to be edited in this workshop, so he had time to prepare a variety of editing experiences for us. He began by picking on his good friend and long time haiku-editing buddy, Randy Brooks, who contributed this haiku for editing suggestions:
cool evening . . .
my mother takes my arm
from grave to graveDeliberately misreading this haiku attempt Lee asked me, "Randy, why is your mother carrying your arm from grave to grave?" And all of the participants began working on ways to fix this haiku:
arm in arm,
my mother takes me
from grave to gravecool evening . . .
mother draws me
from grave to graveI promised to share a final version with them the next morning and came up with this rendering after a joke about my mother "pulling my leg" from grave to grave:
cool evening . . .
mother takes me by the arm
from grave to graveAnother example from the editing workshop is the following revision by Ann Brown, one of the newcomers to haiku at the retreat:
Storm rolling in
Sky darkens and quakes
Light surrounds me.The night sky darkens
storm rolling in
light surrounds meAfter the haiku editing workshop, Jeanne Emrich presented a history of haiga, complete with slide exhibits. Basic principles of expressive creation and complementary connections between the poetry and painting were emphasized (in contrast to Western concepts of illustration and description). Jeanne also showed us the wide range of approaches taken by various writers and painters, both from Japanese history and in contemporary works by living artists.
After the extensive presentation, we moved to the Wilder Forest studios to try our hands at haiga painting. Jeanne provided quality brushes, examples, books, paints and a chop (and red cinnabar) we could share for our works. Several of the resulting haiga can be viewed on the Web. Here are three locations (the first is by AC Missias, the second by Jeanne Emrich, and the third by Randy Brooks):
AC Missias
http://mail.med.upenn.edu/~missias/haiga.htmlJeanne Emrich
http://hometown.aol.com/haiga2/Privateshowing.htmlRandy Brooks
http://www.family-net.net/~brooksbooks/warmcreekhaiga.htmlThe studio remained open until Saturday evening for those who wanted to continue working on haiga. Most of the haiga were posted on the lodge walls so that they could be enjoyed until the end of the retreat. On Sunday morning, we voted on favorites, and Jeanne led a critical discussion appreciating various works. Jeanne's haiga of snow on the stair steps and Hayat Abuza's delicate feathers haiga were the favorites.
We were also treated to a slide show of photography and haiku Saturday evening by calendar collaborators, Gretchen Batz and Nancy Wiley, from Elsah, Ill.
On Saturday afternoon, Horst Ludwig, Associate Professor of German at Gustavus Adolphus College, gave a comprehensive one-hour presentation on the history of haiku by German poets. Horst's presentation was thoroughly researched and appropriately critical of the writers, editors, magazines, and anthologies of German haiku from the turn of the century to contemporary times. The main literary obstacle to writing haiku in a language other than Japanese appears to be that the poets are, of course, always attempting to continue their own Western concepts of poetic work (and these concepts are often at odds with the Eastern aesthetics and approaches espoused by the Japanese haiku tradition). Horst showed how the German poets have wrestled with Romanticism and the ego-less poetics championed by the haiku tradition.
In the late afternoon, the retreat folks participated in a ginkô, hiking trails leading through the 1,200 acres of woods and around the glacial lakes. Several participants saw a turtle laying eggs on an esker between the lakes and shared these moments during a retreat reading roundtable. Here are some of the first draft haiku resulting from the ginkô. The first is by Lee Gurga and the second by Charlie Trumbull:
summer meadow
the painted turtle
lays another eggsummer afternoon --
a cottonwood fluff
floats straight downRandy Brooks led the group through a method of judging haiku by discussing matched pairs of haiku. This method of haiku criticism dates back to haiku competitions judged by Bashô. Although we called this method "matching walnut shells" as a Midwestern term, it is more typically associated with "matching seashells," a game played by Japanese girls.
On Sunday morning, Randy led the group through a discussion of the haiku from the ginkô, arranged in matched pairs by Lee Gurga. The favorite haiku from the ginkô competition was another turtle haiku by Hayat Abuza:
on the turtle's back
a spatter of grass clippings
and a gnat at restCharlie's "cottonwood fluff" haiku received second place. Both winners of the ginkô competition received a book of their choice from Brooks Books.
On Sunday morning, after selecting the awards for the ginkô and haiga, we had another delightful round of haiku reading on the deck of the lodge. Then perhaps the best event of the entire retreat occurred. We had about an hour before we needed to pack up, so everyone simply went into an open-ended discussion about writing haiku, keeping haiku journals, why do some people write haiku as sentences, and so forth. It was a great conclusion to the retreat!
-- Randy Brooks, Midwest Region Coordinator
First 1999 HSA Quarterly Meeting March 20, 1999, Richmond, VA
The first 1999 HSA Quarterly Meeting was held on March 20, 1999 (vernal equinox) at the University of Richmond's Frederick Rehearsal Hall, Modlin Center for the Arts, hosted by the Richmond (Va.) Haiku Workshop.
The prelude to the meeting took place the previous evening, when Currents (the new music ensemble in residence at the university) gave a concert of haiku music. Included were various settings of two haiku that were also to be seen on Japanese scrolls in the exhibition "The Art of Twentieth-Century Zen," on view at the Marsh Art Gallery, University of Richmond:
wherever he goes
he carries his home --
the snailDeiryu
alone, silently
the bamboo shoot
becomes a bambooSantôka
On the morning of the 20th, Angier Brock (a member of the Richmond Haiku Workshop) led a haiku walk through various areas of the university, including an amphitheater, a lake, and a hillside, all showing the beginnings of spring renewal.
The official program began at 1:00 p.m. with a brief statement by HSA President Paul O. Williams and then a round of haiku by all present, totaling about 35 people including HSA members from California, Illinois, and Washington, DC These haiku included some that had been written that morning on the walk, and they set a marvelous mood for the meeting. Next, since Claire Gallagher had brought special slips of decorated Japanese paper, all present were invited to write down a haiku and then hang it on a budding branch to make a "haiku tree."
This was followed by an excellent talk, "Tell About the Truth as if It Were False" by Patrick Gallagher, continuing and enriching a topic that had been discussed at the Tokyo meeting of the HSA and the HIA last year. After some enthusiastic discussion, D. L. Lliteras gave a lively reading of "The Renga Party," a section from one of his novels entitled In the Heart of Things. He then participated, along with Charles Trumbull and Lee Giesecke, in a panel and discussion on "What's So Zen about Haiku?" It was the consensus that Zen in a specific and Buddhist sense did not inform all haiku, but that "universal Zen" (the focused attention experience) was an integral part of the continuing haiku tradition.
The meeting then moved across the hall to the Marsh Art Gallery, where co-curator Stephen Addiss led an informal tour of the Zen exhibition. This included several examples of haiku and haiga, among which the monk-poet Santôka's poem was a favorite:
No money
no things
no teeth
just meAfter a short break, while some visitors examined the Zen garden created to accompany the exhibition, we gathered in a nearby painting studio to try our hands at haiku-painting (haiga), with Japanese brushes, ink, and paper provided. We then brought down examples of our work, put them on the wall gently with masking tape, and enjoyed a mini-exhibition of our own. Judging from the results, haiga has a very promising future in North America.
Richmond Haiku Workshop member Phil Rubin led a group discussion of the works and the painting experience. He also explained how the RHW works, sometimes severely dismembering poems brought in for discussion! He commented that members had to leave their egos at the door, but that we all gained a great deal from the serious and careful examination of our poems. We then discussed several haiku brought in that day, and ended the meeting with each person taking a poem from the haiku tree and reading it aloud. Among the poems on the tree, several had come from the haiku walk, or from other sights and events of the day:
spring dawn --
mallards swim through
the stillnessFred Donovan
marsh walk
a white butterfly
shows me the wayCharles Trumbull
a withered leaf
falling now
with cherry blossoms fullLee Giesecke
vernal equinox --
this first creeping mist
changes everythingClaire Gallagher
spring woods
before the wildflowers appear
our honeymoonPatrick Gallagher
Zen garden --
afternoon shadows rake the stones
one last timeKristen Deming
After the meeting, a dozen people were able to join together for an informal dinner at a local Vietnamese restaurant, where subjects were discussed ranging from the exciting plans for Haiku North America (coming this summer), to Civil War battles, many fought near Richmond. We also invited everyone -- and we invite all now reading this notice --to send poems to South by Southeast, which the Richmond Haiku Workshop is now editing. Josh Hockensmith is in charge of editorial matters, and Angela Detlev oversees the subscription lists and other technical matters.
South by Southeast
PO Box 5628
Richmond VA 23220As well as the usual submissions, we are now inviting haiku on the spring themes of "pollen" and "forsythia." All poems on these subjects received in time will be forwarded anonymously to the entire subscription list for voting; the winners will then be printed in a forthcoming issue.
We are hoping that the combination of haiku, music, and art that this national meeting featured will continue to be developed in the future, and we thank all who attended.
-- Stephen Addiss, Southeast Region Coordinator