October Haiku Meeting, Pacific Asia Museum

The October meeting of the Southern California haiku group was nestled in the auditorium room of the Pacific Asia Museum while streamers of lavender and white festooned the garden courtyard and our traditional blue room meeting place was readied to welcome the October bride. Our leader had flown north to Seattle, we are looking forward to her full report on the beautiful Seabeck Haiku Conference. Eight of us carried on, with autumn kigo and mutual inspiration.

At this meeting Margaret Hehman Smith steered the group through the gracious pattern Debbie has established for us, beginning with three rounds of the table, each of us reading new haiku, or one that has recently caught our interest from our own readings, or in the haiku books brought to the meeting. We sipped green tea and shared sweets and fruit as we read and talked. Joining Peggy for this meeting were Lynn Algood, Michael Angerman. Liz Goetz, and her friend Angelica, a Japanese speaking and writing haiku poet Sandi, on her first visit to our haiku group (she found us by research on the web), Janis Albright Lukstein, and Kathabela Wilson.

We wandered into the library, museum steps, and exhibit rooms during our writing session, as well as some staying in our spacious auditorium meeting place, inside eyeing the golden paper lanterns swaying in air-conditioner wind, while outside the hot wind trembled the beautiful lavender and white lanterns of the preparing wedding. Inside and out these breezes swept thorough the haiku written during this session.

The presence of a Japanese native speaker and writer of haiku made the meeting especially interesting, she described nuances of the words, with some double meanings, and seasonal significance. One of her haiku described the precious eggplant of October, she told us in Japan, September would be eggplant harvest, expected and appreciated, while any that still ripened in October were a surprise and a gift!

Angelica, our new visitor wrote a haiku that captured the season and our hearts:

longer nights

days getting shorter

mom too

We enjoyed the haiku samples Debbie left us, her Seabeck flyer, and I read some of her poems as a tribute while she is gone and answered each of three of them in the read-around, with haikus of my own.~~posted by Kathabela

2009 Anthology Reading: "shell gathering"

August 30, 2009

On August 30th, 2009 the Southern California Haiku Study Group and the Pacific Asia Museum co-sponsored a reading by poets whose haiku, haibun, and artwork were published in the group's annual anthology. As is our tradition, the title for each year's anthology is selected from one of the haiku appearing in the anthology. The title of this year's anthology is shell gathering and was selected from a haiku by Wendy Wright:





shell gathering--
a row of tiny shoes
on the seawall

-Wendy Wright








The calming melodies of Japanese songs, played on flute by Rick Wilson and accompanied on various percussion instruments by Kath Abela Wilson, wafted through the gallery as poets, guests, and attendees gathered at the Pacific Asia Museum.

During intermission, Rick played four 19th century Japanese songs on a period flute from his extensive flute collection, accompanied by Kathabela. As the melodies filled museum hallways, onlookers gathered outside the room to listen.

Museum Representative Tai Ling Wong welcomed us all to this year's reading.

Eighteen of the thirty-three poets featured in shell gathering read their poems and haibun, some creating performance pieces much to the delight of the audience.

Left: Poets and Attendees Right: Poets and Attendees, Margaret Hehman-Smith reading

Poets who read: Michael Angerman, Peggy Castro, Marcyn Del Clements, Phyllis Collins, D'ellen, Billie Dee, Pauli Dutton, Margaret Hehman-Smith, Lindy Hill, Deborah P. Kolodji, Elva Lauter, Janis Lukstein, Frances Ruhlen McConnel, Naia, Genie Nakano, Judith Terzi, Kath Abela Wilson, and Wendy Wright.

After the reading refreshments were provided by the Pacific Asia Museum and fellow poets. Attendees congregated at the refreshment table to chat and enjoy each others' company.

Following are photos from the event.

For ordering information please click here: shell gathering

March 21, 2009 - Workshop and Kukai

Blue Room - Pacific Asia Museum
Front Row: Wendy Wright, Peggy Castro, Lynn Allgood, Elva Lauter, Margaret Hehman-Smith, Deborah P Kolodji, Phyllis Collins
Back Row: Michael Angerman, D'Ellen, Tom Billicke, Kathabela Wilson, Ines Foley, Gini Carr
Not Shown: Susan Rogers, Janis Lukstein

The Southern California Haiku Study Group had its monthly workshop and kukai in the Blue Room of the Pacific Asia Museum on Saturday, March 21st. Fifteen enthusiastic haiku poets made for a lively and fun meeting. Debbie brought an edible kigo in the form of homemade Irish soda bread, still warm from the oven, which disappeared quickly.

A discussion of season words turned up the following: Irish soda bread, cherry blossoms, jade plant, chilly day, blossoms, green new growth, spring sunset, sowing seeds, weed wacking, eating outside/dining alfresco, daylight savings, buds budding, dew/wet grass, chestnut trees turning, horses shedding, first days of spring

Some high scoring samples from the kukai:

under the magnolia tree
I look for
yesterday's blossoms

- Phyllis Collins

shell-gathering --
a row of tiny shoes
on the sea wall

- Wendy Wright

raindrops
on the windowpane --
a sea of grass outside

- Elva Lauter

warming my hands
on a hot cup of tea --
first day of spring

- Margaret Hehman-Smith

Afterwards, in keeping with the season, we dined alfresco at El Portal Restaurant. The next workshop and kukai will be on April 18, 2009.

February 21, 2009 - Workshop and Kukai

Japanese Magnolia blossoms in the museum courtyard

On Saturday, February 21st, the Southern California Haiku Study Group met at the Pacific Asia Museum for its monthly workshop and kukai. Elva Lauter, Peggy Castro, Alvin Thomas Ethington, Lindy Hill, Taura Scott, Gloria Siegel, Sharon Hawley, Michael Angerman, Deborah Kolodji, Genie Nakano, Hideki Obayashi, Janis Lukstein, Kathabela Wilson, and Wendy Wright were present.

After a read-around of our own haiku, we had a reading of Issue #45 of Mayfly. Several native Southern Californian members of our group had never heard of a mayfly, but Lindy Hill, who once lived in Illinois, described the aquatic insect and its very short life cycle for the rest of us, giving us a greater appreciation of the haiku journal's name.

The following words were suggested as kigo prompts for the season:

magnolia, new growth, red bud, first green, lovers, orange blossom, cymbidium, strawberries, President's Day, sapling, weeping willow, crocus, snowmelt, birds of paradise

We then had a half hour writing session, followed by a kukai. The following haiku scored highly in the kukai:

wisteria
a longing for what
might have been

- Peggy Castro

turning a corner
I pause --
two white doves

- Elva Lauter

snow melts
to spring mud
my stuck car

- Michael Angerman

footsteps sound
on cobbled stone --
winter's end

- Wendy Wright

Our next workshop and kukai will take place on Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.

February 1, 2009 - Haiku Workshop at CSULB Japanese Garden

back row: Phyllis Collins, Alvin Thomas Ethington, Sharon Hawley, Margaret Hehman-Smith, Kraig Keeler
front row: Deborah P Kolodji, Janis Lukstein, Kathabela Wilson, Michael Angerman, Wendy Wright
not shown: Victor P Gendrano, Kendall Evans

The Southern California Haiku Study Group held a haiku workshop and ginko walk at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at California State University, Long Beach on Sunday, February 1, 2009. The theme was haiku context.

We met in the Friendship Garden, a private meeting area adjacent to the garden. Wendy Wright read from Blyth translations of classical Japanese haiku and from Fay Aogayi's books, Chrysanthemum Love and In Borrowed Shoes.

Each table had a copy of Chiyo-Ni: Woman Haiku Master by Patricia Donegan and Yoshie Ishibashi, as well as a copy of Einstein's Century by Akito Arima. We read and discussed about a dozen examples from each book.

After a short break, we read the section on context from Lee Gurga's book, Haiku, A Poet's Guide, discussing all of his example haiku. Then, Debbie spoke a bit about ginko walks and we went out to the garden to walk and write.

Afterwards, we reconvened to share what we had written and to critique those haiku participants wanted to offer up for in-depth critique. We hope to start a tradition of an annual workshop at the Japanese Garden.

Haiku Workshop - Sunday, Feb 1, 2009

The Southern California Haiku Study Group will be having an in-depth haiku workshop and winter ginko walk this Sunday, February 1st at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden on the California State University, Long Beach campus.

The garden has reserved the "friendship garden" area for us from noon to 4 pm. The workshop is free and open to anyone interested in haiku. Please bring haiku to workshop and discuss.

Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden
California State University Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90840
http://www.csulb.edu/~jgarden/

From 405 Fwy

Southbound Exit at Bellflower Blvd. Turn left from the off-ramp and then make an immediate right on Bellflower Blvd. Continue to Beach Drive and turn left into campus. Turn Left on Earl Warren Drive. At the second Stop sign turn Right, into Parking Lot 16

From 405 Northbound / 22 West/ 605 Fwy South

Exit at 7th Street and continue to Bellflower Blvd. Turn right at Bellflower Blvd and make another right at Beach Drive Turn Left on Earl Warren Drive. The Japanese Garden will be on your left side after passing the second Stop sign.

Parking on Sunday noon- 4:00 p.m. is free in student spaces.

January 17, 2009 - Workshop and Kukai

Sharon Hawley reads the kukai haiku at the Pacific Asia Museum

On January 17th, a baker's dozen met in the Blue Room at the Pacific Asia museum for a productive haiku workshop. Michael Angerman, Sharon Hawley, Lindy Hill, Pauli Dutton, Lynn Halley Allgood, Genie Nakano, Deborah P Kolodji, Kathabela Wilson, Tom Bilicke, Ines Foley, Alvin Thomas Ethington, Susan Rogers, and Janis Lukstein were present.

The workshop kicked off with a read-around of haiku, followed by a review and discussion of the "haiku moment," reading and discussing pages 33-35 of Haiku: A Poet's Guide by Lee Gurga.

This was followed by our group's traditional discussion of the kigo pertaining to the current season. The following seasonal references were suggested by participants fo the writing session:

taking down the Christmas tree, blue sky/clear mountains, the closest moon, falling camellia blossoms, winter sunbathing, sunshine all day, cold wind, Martin Luther King's dream, chilling bones, Queen's tears (bromialiad), changing of the guard

Participants sat in the garden or in the blue room to write haiku on these seasonal references or those from the group kigo list. Each person entered two haiku in the kukai. Sharon Hawley was the reader. Here is a sampling of some of the highest scoring haiku:

chilly night
the dog barks
at the hallway door

- Ines Foley

dumpling soup
after the sun goes down
winter wind

- Tom Bilicke

Mercury retrograde
can't find my keys or where
I put my patience

- Lynn Halley Allgood

rooftop lion
a pigeon sunbathes
on his head

- Kathabela Wilson

orange and black
a koi fan dances
to waterfall music

- Janis Lukstein

the tree my daughter
decorated before she left
I wanted it to stay all year

- Pauli Dutton