EDITOR'S
WELCOME
Wearing
The Monkey's Coat
From small beginnings, larger things develop, and
I have deliberately decided to keep the World Haiku Review's Collaborative Verse
column quite small for this
edition, whilst calling for essays and thoughts on
collaborative haikai matters as well as actual pieces
for our next edition as we begin to build to more of a
'magazine within a journal' approach. Its not for lack of
contributions that this edition is smaller than it will
hopefully become, but rather a way of giving me time to
consider the direction to take as we move forward,
championing innovation whilst tipping our hat to
tradition at the same time—in fact, more like doffing
our hat, rather than the reflex tip of a doorman to
passing trade.
We have a number of
interesting pieces, including a traditional kasen
written by members of our World Haiku Club online renku
forum, a haiku garland, and a piece from John Carley
that sees him playing with himself as he offers us a solo
linked piece. Some will ask how can we place such a
piece in 'collaborative verse' magazine—well ask and
read and ask again then share your thoughts back with
us—it is of course a practice that many of the old renku
masters practiced—so not as out of tradition as it might
first seem.
This issue also has a
piece by marlene mountain and francine porad—a piece
from their new Buzz Words series that, at first, seems
totally unconnected with tradition, but is, in fact, a
kasen. I feel the work exhibits the shifts between
different sections of a kasen that are sometimes missing
in many attempts at kasen that go for a more traditional
kigo- based approach. We have two very good
rengays, including one that offers a new take on the
form; and also more renga/renku created in live settings
in the UK, organised by Alec Finlay. I believe that
poet/artists like Alec Finlay, John Carley, Linda
France, Ken Cockburn, Gerry Loose, myself and others are
fast making the UK 'the centre' in the West for the
development of live renku/renga. I hope to carry an
interview with Alec in our next edition.
I want to get more writers
and artists across the world taking part in live
renga/renku sessions—the process is life affirming,
and I would say perhaps more important than the finished
product, though we should strive for a good
finished work too. I urge artists and writers
around the world to organise such sessions, to wear the
monkey's coat and share the best of your results with us
here at the World Haiku Review, perhaps even in time for
our next edition!
all that's best,
paul conneally
Editor WHCcollaborative Verse
