May 18, 2013 - Haiku Workshop with Shinji Isozaki

Watercolors by Shinji Isozaki, a sampling from LA36 - 36 Views of Los Angeles

Greg Longenecker has arranged for Shinji Isozaki to be our special guest at the May 18th meeting of the Southern California Haiku Study Group workshop, starting at 2 pm at the Pacific Asia Museum.

Isozaki is a practicing architect in Los Angeles who loves painting with watercolors.   Inspired by the 19th Century Japanese wood block prints by Hiroshige and Hokusai, based on the concept of utamakura, or poetic place names of Japan. (e.g. "36 Views of Mt Fuji", etc.).   Charlie Trumbull mentioned in Frogpond 35:3 that utamakura "would seem to have more promise than kigo, or season words, for Western haiku because word that are outside the literary tradition...can be used."

Isozaki says that "he appreciates historical buildings, big or small, famous or not-so-famous.  Some of them are disappearing.  I would like more people to realize that we have a rich built heritage in the Los Angeles area."

After Isozaki presents his work, poets will be encouraged to write haiku inspired by the artwork.  We will share what we have written, and if there is time, we will workshop some of the resulting haiku.

As always, both new and experienced haiku poets are welcome at our workshops.