2008 SCHSG Anthology

ANNOUNCEMENT

Southern California Haiku Study Group 2008 Anthology

above the tree line

above the tree line features 30 southern California haiku poets, offering an amazing range of regional perspectives and inspired voices. The title of this year's anthology was taken by a haiku written by SCHSG member Wendy Wright:

Perseid dawn
stars fade one by one
above the tree line

-Wendy Wright

above the tree line

• perfect bound
• 75 pages
• glossy, color cover
• 5-1/2" x 8-1/2"
• features haiku, haibun and artwork by southern California haiku poets
• includes back-cover comments by Fay Aoyagi, Stephen Addiss, Ferris Gilli, Jim Kacian, and Michael Dylan Welch

Ferris Gilli (Associate Editor of The Heron's Nest) writes, "above the tree line is a treasure trove of genres and styles . . . from the cover to the last poem, the imagery in this lovely book sets a standard for group anthologies."

Michael Dylan Welch (Haiku Society of America 2008 Regional Coordinator, WA) writes, "The group's participants who variety and emotional range in their work, and this anthology, th group's largest yet, is an inclusive showcase of a vibrant and enviable haiku scene."

Fay Aoyagi (Haiku Society of America 2008 Regional Coordinator, CA) writes, "The world presented by haiku can be a door to the undiscovered land in a reader's mind. I took many memorable journeys through this book."

Sample haiku from the Southern California Haiku Study Group 2008 anthology

above the tree line

receding surf
the undercurrent
in her voice

-Darrell Byrd


winter sun
shadow birds hop
shadow branches

-gK


cottonwood rattle--
the wordlessness
of his final day

-Deborah P. Kolodji


each there
for the other--
moon and pine

-Michael McClintock


parting . . .
the clatter of train tracks
into dark

-Naia


with a shake
of her beach towel
yellow butterflies

-Victor Ortiz


first call
of the year
mockingbird

-Kath Abela Wilson

July 19, 2008 - Workshop and Kukai

Lindy Hill reads the entries for the July kukai
July 19, 2008

The Southern California Haiku Study Group met in the Blue Room of the Pacific Asia Museum for the July workshop and kukai. Peggy Hehman-Smith, Elva Lauper, Phyllis Collins, Lindy Hill, Sharon Hawley, Kathabela Wilson, and Debbie Kolodji were present.

Peggy brought yellow teardrop tomatoes from her garden, a delicious kigo that everyone enjoyed even though no one ended up using it in their haiku. Some of the kigo discussed were smog-hidden mountains, plums, summer herbs, short shadows, fans, and sunscreen.

Thirty-one haiku were entered in the kukai including:

on the Queen Mary
evening shadows cross her deck
slowly...eerily

- Margaret Hehman-Smith

summer heat --
rose petals shower
the dry earth

- Elva Lauper


July breeze
the lazy bob
of paper lanterns

- Deborah P Kolodji

The next workshop and kukai will be on Saturday, August 16th, at 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The 2008 anthology launch and reading will be on Sunday, August 24th, starting at 2:00 p.m.