Hot
and eventFUL July is coming to an end and in spite of the
deepening holiday season August looks set to be an exciting month
too for the world haiku community.
One
such excitement will be nothing other than a new list, the haiku
reading group (hrg), which will start on August 1, 2001. Looking
at its project plan, it aims at a well-constructed and intensive
reading and discussion programme with a clearly defined purpose: to
better our understanding of haiku through the scheduled discussion
of English-language source materials. The plan reads in part: -
"Each
month, we will read one book on haiku and one selection of
recently published haiku. As we read through the materials, we
will discuss what we have read and how it affects our
understanding of haiku. We will also share with the group our
favorite out of the recently-published haiku along with some
explanation for our pick in the form of a haiku
"appreciation". This will help us focus on haiku we
might otherwise have overlooked if not for the commentary of our
peers."
While
this list is not an official WHC list, it is run by a member of
the WHC, Mark Brooks, and its goal of learning haiku together fits
in well with the goals of the WHC. Also, the best highlights of
its activities will be introduced in WHC's World Haiku Review,
thus reaching and benefiting much wider audience.
It
is good and fitting that its policy holds that it will be
independent of any other lists, journals or organisations
because this independence allows its participants to
express their views freely without fear or favour and is also
more likely to lead to the list earning itself credence.
"hrg"
is a product of our ever-keen, ever-forward-looking and
never-stopping friend, Mark, and I wish him all the success for
this new and worthy enterprise. Mark calls himself a
"student" of haiku (as we call ourselves
"learners") and his unbridled and infectious
enthusiasm is luring people into this new seat of learning,
where I for one look forward to studying haiku as a fellow
student. I hope others will follow.
summer
heat
and
a haiku enthusiast's
Susumu
Date:
Mon Jul 23, 2001 6:15 pm
Subject: announcement: haiku reading group (hrg)
|
Folks,
After some discussion with people on and off of haikuforum, I see the place
for some sort of haiku reading group. This group would read haiku texts
together and comment on them. It will be good for old-hands in that they can
re-evaluate texts they are already familiar with and it will be good for
new-hands in that they can focus on specific texts and get feedback from
old-hands about those texts.
So, the haiku reading group (hrg) will start on August 1, 2001. The group
mission is to better our understanding of haiku through the scheduled
discussion of English-language source materials. We will operate as a
mailing list using Yahoo! Groups. The hrg is independent of shiki-temp,
haijinx, the WHC, and any other organization or journal.
Each month, we will read one book on haiku and one selection of recently
published haiku. As we read through the materials, we will discuss what we
have read and how it affects our understanding of haiku. We will also share
with the group our favorite haiku out of the recently-published selection
along with some explanation for our pick in the form of a haiku
"appreciation". This will help us focus on haiku we might otherwise have
overlooked if not for the commentary of our peers.
As an example, here is the schedule for the first month (August 1-31, 2001):
----
This month is a warm up to see if the reading group format will work for
haiku enthusiasts. We will start with Swede's revised (2000) essay, "Towards
a Definition of the English Haiku".
Then, for our book work, we will cover a relatively short and inexpensive
book, Henderson's Haiku in English. This book gives a concise view of
English-language haiku as seen by one of its pioneers.
We will also look through the award winners for the Harold G. Henderson
Award from the Haiku Society of America.
introduction: George Swede's essay "Towards a Definition of the English
Haiku" [free online]
book work: Harold G. Henderson's Haiku in English [$8.95]
current haiku work: HG Henderson Award Collection from the HSA [free online]
dates book work current haiku work
8/1 - 8/10 none (introductions, Swede's essay) 1976-1985
8/11 - 8/17 book intro, Japanese haiku (c. 27 pages) 1986-1990
8/18 - 8/24 haiku in English (c. 17 pages) 1991-1995
8/25 - 8/31 writing & teaching, translations (c. 27 pages) 1996-2000
----
For more information including the tentative schedule for the first four
months and subscription instructions, please visit:
http://www.epiphanous.org/mark/haiku/hrg.html
Best wishes,
Mark
|
hrg
(Haiku Reading Group) YahooGroups Description:
This
list is for the scheduled discussion of haiku through the use of
published English-language materials. Each month we will look at
one book about haiku as well as one selection of recently
published haiku. We will sometimes discuss books for longer than
one month and we will sometimes discuss only certain sections of
a book. While in the future the members might vote on what's
discussed next, the schedule for the first few months is already
drawn up. For more information, please visit the hrg
home page
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/haikureadinggroup/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/haikureadinggroup/join
