Virals is a section in which one person chooses a haiku by another person and comments on that haiku. Then the author of that haiku is invited to select a haiku by someone else and comment on that poem, and so on. For an introduction to this section, see Virals.

                        
                                                
—Sugita Hisajo 杉田久女 (translation by Sue Stanford)

This haiku by Sugita Hisajo, which won a prestigious prize in 1931 (one of the first prize winners out of more than 100,000 submissions), is remarkable for its simplicity and its resonance. Hisajo wrote that as she thought over the final phrase, she climbed Hikosan, the sacred mountain where she was first startled by the cry of this rarely heard bird, a number of times.

The simplicity of the haiku is apparent phonologically in the echo-like placement of the three “ma” sounds. Note the other chimes in its tightly controlled soundscape. Then there is the economical way in which, in just six words, Hisajo manages to give a sense of the extent and mystery of a mountain scene through the evocation of the random cries of a bird which can never be quite pinned to a definite location.

The haiku also works at an allegorical level. “Hototogisu” (lesser cuckoo), the name of the famous haiku group to which Hisajo belonged, is derived from the penname of its founder Masaoka “Shiki”. Suffering from tuberculosis, he identified with the cuckoo which was said to sing until it coughed up blood. Shiki’s approach to haiku composition stressed “ari no mama” – or things as they are. Hisajo, who was often frustrated by the roles available to her as a woman, both salutes this attitude and deflects it to express her own longing for freedom in her choice of “hoshi no mama“- just as [she] likes.

Some additional translations of Sugita Hisajo’s poem:

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
keeps re-echoing—

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
little mountain cuckoo likes

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
having its own way


      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
(translation by Sasa Važić)

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
over these mountains

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
cuckoos’ trill echoes
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
as free as it wishes

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
(translation by Eiko Yachimoto)

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
in echoes . . .
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
a song of the mountain cuckoo
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
as I wish to play

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
(translation by Fay Aoyagi)

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
Voice echoing,
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
the mountain cuckoo,
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
does as it pleases

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
(translation by Waseda Weekly)

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• Viral 2.1 (Metz ➾ Beary)
• Viral 2.2 (Beary ➾ Tauchner)
• Viral 2.3 (Tauchner ➾ Brophy)
• Viral 2.4 (Brophy ➾ Stanford)
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Our Event Calendars have been updated as of January 5. These tools are designed to help haiku poets keep track of journal submission and contest entry deadlines, They are available in either pdf or html versions. The main document has publications and contests; the other is a contests-only version. They can be used as checklists as well as reminders.

Many thanks to those who have sent information to help us keep the information current and correct. Please continue to send new information, updates, and corrections to calendar/at/thehaikufoundation.org (replacing /at/ with @).

Sails is a section of troutswirl that is devoted to presenting questions for discussion and debate on the nature and possibilities of haiku. Sails is overseen by Peter Yovu. For an introduction to this section, see Sails.

Many considerations and questions arose in the course of the past year, not only here on Sails, but throughout the blog. I am sure that some of these questions touched each of us to one degree or another, as challenge, as inspiration, as provocation or frustration. To start the new year, I want to ask a question which might allow for some review, but in a personal way. There are different ways of asking it. One might be: what is your haiku resolution? Another: where do want your haiku to go; what does it need? My intention in settling on the question— What is your edge?—is to include these and to be somewhat open-ended, to allow participants the space to explore what each feels would be most fruitful in developing his/her art, and therefore the art of haiku in general.

One way of considering this is to ask “What would I like to be able to do, and how can I learn more about it?” To me, one measure of the maturity of an artist resides in the ability to assess strengths and weaknesses, and there can be some discomfort in this, to be sure, but also joy in recognizing that there are, as we have seen, many islands on this journey, some of them new and enticing. It is this latter sense that I invite.

Is imagination your edge? The use of sound? One-line haiku? The bold explorations of gendai? Humor? Explicit emotion? The psychological dimension? A sense of mystery? Or perhaps your edge brings you to an exploration of what experience is, of what perception is? Would you benefit from writing more from memory, or dreams, or word association? Conversely, would you benefit from more direct experience with nature? And so on. Of course, some of these could be taken up as separate Sailings, and that may happen, but as I said, this is an opportunity to gather together some thoughts which may have been stirred up this past year. I hope readers will feel free to cite instances where an edge was revealed, here on Troutswirl, or elsewhere.

As always, I like to encourage the inclusion of examples. Would you consider posting a haiku (or two) which embodies a quality you admire and would like to develop?

I wish all a good and courageous journey through the New Year. The forests of the night are leaved with our sails.

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• 1st Sailing
• 2nd Sailing
• 3rd Sailing
• 4th Sailing
• 5th Sailing
• 6th Sailing
• 7th Sailing

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It’s been a while since we’ve added any blogs to THF blogroll—and certainly not for the lack of wanting. Recently, however, William Sorlien brought to our attention his haiku blog, Haiku Bandit Society. While looking at the HBS’s blogroll, I realized, quite surprisingly (naively really), that there were quite a few blogs devoted, in some way or another, to English-language haiku. Many more than I had imagined or noticed before.

Not all of them, of course, are new, or even recent. We can only see and search so much.

Some questions though.

What can we make of all of these blogs devoted to haiku? What does this say about technology and culture? Also, what does it say about haiku, and the connection between haiku and technology?

Are there any repercussions? What are the implications? How do you think haiku, if at all, will be affected (or is being affected) by this ever-expanding means of expression?

Here is a list of recently found and added haiku blogs:

If you know of others, or have one we have yet to add, please let us know.

January 6 marked the First Anniversary of The Haiku Foundation, a year which far exceeded our expectations. Besides launching the project and getting our name established, the Foundation was able to create and implement some of the most exciting projects and opportunities the haiku community has ever seen. Nearly 2000 poems appeared on the site over the course of the year, and hundreds of different poets interacted through blog posts, responses to featured content, and participation in the many projects and committees presented. It is not too much to say that The Haiku Foundation brought the haiku world into the 21st century. For an encore we’re introducing several new content areas, in particular the Haiku Registry, an interactive poets’ center that we feel will be one of our most popular features; and the HaikuNow! International Haiku Contests, one for all poets and one expressly designed for children, to name only two. Work continues for our core projects: a digital library, a hard copy library, the Haiku Registry , and much more.

None of this would be possible, of course, without the generosity of haiku lovers around the world. As a start-up organization, The Haiku Foundation received no windfall gifts, no matching grants, no enabling bequests. The donations we received were directly from people like you, writing checks, in small amounts and large, to permit us to get on with our work, without even the assurance that your generosity would be tax-deductible.

This last, we are pleased to announce, has changed: The Haiku Foundation today has been officially recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation. As such, your gifts, bequests and contributions to the Foundation are fully tax-deductible. This designation is retroactive, and those of you who contributed in 2009 may claim that amount on your income taxes. And this has important consequences for the Foundation and its donors in the future.

I would like to take this opportunity to urge you to contribute to The Haiku Foundation right now. We have good uses for the money, of course, but there are other considerations that make your participation essential. Now that we have nonprofit status, it is up to us to maintain it. One of the criteria is the size of the audience we meaningfully serve, and one reflection of the size of this audience is the number of people who are willing to contribute. Our goal is to double the number of donors we had in 2009. If this also doubles the total gross receipts, that would be better still, but the number of participants is more important. If you like what you’ve seen of The Haiku Foundation, help us to maintain our momentum—make a contribution today. The size of the check isn’t so important as the indication you’re willing to show your financial support.

Please go to the Donate page (you can press the Donate button in the menu bar above) and choose the option that suits you best. You may send us a check, or pay via PayPal with your credit card

I thank you in advance for your generous and significant support.

Jim Kacian

President

The Haiku Foundation is indeed a year old, and troutswirl is about 8 months old (does that mean it’s still in the womb)?

In any case, during the last 8 months, a tremendous amount of haiku have been shared through troutswirl’s main sections (Virals, Envoys, Periplum, Sails, Headsets, Fluences, with more to come), Allan Burns’ Montage series, various other blogposts, and also, most importantly, through the comments you, as readers, have left to further and deepen the conversation (1,250 and counting).

The diversity of the haiku shared during 2009 was quite staggering, the range high and wide. All of which can now be viewed at THF Haiku Archives.

As a way to both reflect and celebrate this achievement, I thought it would be exciting to invite troutswirl readers to revisit this large collection of work and share a favorite from it.

What particular poem from the 2009 archive resonated with you most?

In addition, I thought it would be fun to ask you this: what was your very favorite haiku published in 2009?

Pull out those print-journal issues, reclick those e-zines, and share something that really stuck out for you.

One year ago, on January 6, 2009, the Commonwealth of Virginia officially chartered The Haiku Foundation as a corporation eligible to do business. It took us a couple months to begin to present our vision of an organization dedicated to haiku itself, implemented through a series of projects which involved all who wished to participate, and which took the history of English-language seriously. Since that time, thousands have become aware of the kinds of information and services which might be found here, and have not only taken advantage, but have added their own contributions and vision as well. The result was that our first year far outstripped our most extravagant expectations—we served more people, offered more opportunities, and furthered the discussion about haiku in the world than we would have had the courage to predict.

You all know some of those offerings: the eclectic and many-faceted blog, featuring regular offerings from many prominent haiku poets and interaction with hundreds more; a haiku calendar to keep us apprised of what was happening as well as the hows and whys; unique and thought-provoking content such as the highly-acclaimed Montage series; and, not least, the user-friendly and attractive website which serves as a water cooler for our far-flung constituency. And as is typical of such endeavors, we can hardly believe that it’s been a whole year—it has seemed so much shorter.

We have been delighted that you have been part of the life and success of the Foundation, and we hope we will be able not only to continue to serve you as we’ve done heretofore, but to expand upon our offerings. For this we must rely upon you—THF is a series of projects which come to fruition in this special atmosphere. If you have a project you think would serve haiku, then we want to hear about it, and help you realize it. That’s what we do, and by serving such interests, we believe we serve haiku in the long term as well as the short.

In celebration of our first anniversary, we have several new projects to announce, and we hope you’ll participate in them all—that’s what they’re here for. And of course we want your feedback as well—what do you like about what we’re doing? What not? Help us to improve our performance in serving you.

So here is some of what we have planned for this new year:

HaikuNow! International Haiku Contest 2010. We are planning to host two contests each year, one for adults (beginning today and running through March 31), and one for children, to be held in autumn. They will be promoted on FaceBook and Twitter as well as through the usual haiku channels. Our goal is to involve poets with haiku who have never tried it before, as well as serving the haiku community. To that end we offer three categories: Traditional (judged by former U. S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins!), Contemporary, and Innovative. Winners and runners-up will receice cash prizes and will be archived permanently on the site. Click here to go to the contest page to enter today.

THF Haiku Archives. The Haiku Foundation is about haiku, and the website hosted nearly 2000 of them last year. The Haiku Archive contains every one of them, available for your reading pleasure and contemplation. Click here to view the THF Haiku Archives for 2009.

Haiku Registry. We are a world-wide community, and we don’t always have the opportunity to meet all our compatriots in poetry. The Haiku Registry is a database of haiku poets from around the world, featuring a photo, highlights of their haiku careers, and samples of their work. There are also links to their sites and ways to connect. We expect this will be one of our most popular features in no time. Click here to go to the Haiku Registry page, and to sign up to be included.

Juxtapositions. There never has been a journal dedicated to the scholarly pursuit of haiku in English—until now. Juxtapositions, is a colloquy with those attempting to see haiku in all its historical resonance, and in light of contemporary academic pursuits. It will feature papers on the ways haiku is being read and studied, and to what purposes, as well as contemporary work. The senior editor is Tom D’Evelyn. The first issue is schedule to appear in Autumn 2010. Click here to see the latest information on where to submit your ideas and papers for publication.

Montage Archive. Montage has been one of our most cherished features. We think it will have lasting resonance in the way haiku is presented and considered for years to come. Sadly, the series has run its course, but the complete set is available in the Montage Archives, which you can download and read at your leisure. Click here to go to the Montage Archives page.

And very soon you will see a redesigned look to The Haiku Foundation slideshow.

We have other projects in the works as well, and of course all the things you have found in the past you will continue to find here. Welcome to our First Anniversary celebration, enjoy the offerings, tell us how you feel about them. We are very happy to have you here with us.

Jim Kacian

Founder