Haiku Workshop - November 15, 2014 2pm

November's haiku workshop, held on Saturday, November 15th, focused on sound.  The meeting started with a discussion of various haiku retreats and conferences, as the sound workshop presented at the USC Pacific Asia Museum was based upon upon Susan Constable's workshop on Sound Haiku at the recent Seabeck Conference. Susan had been so kind as to send us the mp3 files she used in her workshop as well as an electronic copy of her handout.

I
Before starting the sound workshop, there were a few announcements.   A few Southern California Haiku Study Members have been recently honored.   William Hart received a Modern Haiku Award by having his senryu from the Summer 2014 issue selected as the favorite of the issue:

                           in crowspeak
                           there are thirty-two
                           words for trouble

                                           - William Hart
                                              Modern Haiku, Vol 45.2,
                                              Summer 2014

Two SCHSG members received awards in the 2014 Tokutomi Haiku Contest from the Yuki Teikei Society, a strict 5-7-5 haiku written to a pre-determined kigo.   Gregory Longenecker received 2nd place for:

                               early summer rain
                               Mom hums some forgotten tune
                               in a minor key

                                       - Gregory Longenecker
                                          2nd place,
                                          2014 Tokutomi Haiku Contest

Deborah P Kolodji also received an honorable mention in the same contest:

                               another blue sky,
                               another day without you. . .
                              apple blossom rain

                                       - Deborah P Kolodji
                                         Honorable Mention,
                                         2014 Tokutomi Haiku Contest

After a read-around of haiku, moderator Deborah P Kolodji reviewed Susan's Seabeck Sound handout, and then played 12 sounds to be used as writing prompts:  storm, sharpening a knife, a mosquito, an owl, a train, a babbling brook, a cat purr, a woodpecker, someone brushing his teeth, a chain saw, a rocking chair, and a jungle.  

After the writing session, clips from the sound tracks were replayed as poets read their haiku for each sound.   An anonymous haiku workshop finished up the meeting.

Present were William Hart, Gregory Longenecker, Deborah P Kolodji, Kimberly Esser, Janis, James Won, Elva Lauter, Rose, Sharon, Miya Rollinger, Genie Nakano, Patricia, Yvette Kolodji, Werner, Sean Carlton, Ash Baldon, Jonathan, and Lynn.  (Some poets have requested that their last name not be posted).

SCHSG Founder Jerry Ball honored at Asilomar

On November 8, 2014, Southern California Haiku Study Group founder, Jerry Ball, was honored at the Asilomar Haiku Retreat by the Yuki Teikei Society, who dedicated their 2014 Members' Anthology, Scattered Acorns, to him.

Patrick Gallagher read the dedication, which noted, "When he (Jerry) relocated to Southern California, he put a sign up in a local bookstore and soon had gathered the nucleus of the Southern California Haiku Study Group, wonderful poets who continue to delight us with their work long after he moved north again."

June Hopper Hymas, the editor of the anthology, wrote the dedication but was unable to attend the Asilomar Retreat.   Jerry, who has recently announced he is retiring from his work as dojin of Yuki Teikei, commenting on haiku in their newsletter, GEPPO. 

Jerry, who was in attendance, told a story about visiting Buson's grave with Edith Shiffert.  As he tried to take a photo of the gravestone, the lighting was too dark and he told Edith, the lighting is too dark. Suddenly, a beam of light illuminated the gravestone and Edith said, "Buson is happy you are here."   It was a very moving moment for all who were there.

Apology of Wildflowers - 2014 SCHSG Anthology Launch

On Sunday, November 2, 2014, the Southern California Haiku Study Group launched their newest anthology, Apology of Wildflowers, at the USC Pacific Asia Museum.  The anthology was edited by Gregory Longenecker, with work by 74 poets.

The title was taken by a poem by Kimberly Esser:

                   after the storm
                   an apology
                   of wildflowers
                           - Kimberly Esser

Book design and layout by Greg Longenecker. Cover design by Gorham Printing. Cover art by Jennifer Velasco. Translations of the following poets’ Spanish by Olga Garcia: R. Castillo, L. Jáuregui, G. Licona, A. Paz, C. Rascón and O. Rodríguez.

Deborah P Kolodji, Kimberly Esser, and Gregory Longenecker

Gregory Longenecker

Poets included in this anthology:

L. H. Allgood, Pasadena, CA
Vibiana Aparicio-Chamberlin, Pasadena, CA
Don Baird, Rancho Vista, CA
Maria Baird, Rancho Vista, CA
Ashley Baldon, Chino Hills, CA
Jerry Ball, Walnut Creek, CA
Tom Bilicke, Glendale, CA
Darrell Byrd, El Centro, CA
Susan Galletti Campion, San Diego, CA
Sean Carlton, Long Beach, CA
Roberto Castillo, Tijuana, Mexico
Peggy Castro, Alhambra, CA
Marcyn Del Clements, Claremont, CA
Phyllis Collins, Sherman Oaks, CA
Joan E. Day, Camarillo, CA
Billie Dee, San Diego, CA
D’ellen, Apple Valley, CA
Denise Dumars, Manhattan Beach, CA
Pauli Dutton, La Cañada, CA
Richard Dutton, La Cañada, CA
Andrea Eldridge, Claremont, CA
Kimberly Esser, Los Angeles, CA
Don Eulert, Santa Ysabel, CA
Kathy Fulton, Westminster, CA
Linda Galloway, Encino, CA
Olga Garcia, Tijuana, Mexico
Victor Gendrano, Seal Beach, CA
Anita Guenin, San Diego, CA
William Hart, Montrose, CA
Margaret Hehman-Smith, Hollydale, CA
Anne Hudson, Whittier, CA
Una Nichols Hynum, National City, CA
Laura Jáuregui, Tijuana, Mexico
Diana Ming Jeong, Pasadena, CA
Carol Judkins, Carlsbad, CA
Oleg Kagan, North Hollywood, CA
Patricia Kelly, Goleta, CA
Deborah P Kolodji, Temple City, CA
Yvette Nicole Kolodji, Temple City, CA
Elva Lauter, Los Angeles, CA
Marie Lecrivain, Los Angeles, CA
Gilberto Licona, Tijuana, Mexico
Gregory Longenecker, Pasadena, CA
Eve Luckring, Los Angeles, CA
E. Luke, Pacific Pines, CA
Janis Lukstein, Pacific Pines, CA
Robert Lundy, Del Mar, CA
Seretta Martin, San Diego, CA
Frances Ruhlen McConnel, Claremont, CA
Naia, Temecula, CA
Genie Nakano, Hawthorne, CA
Ruth Nolan, Palm Desert, CA
Victor Ortiz, San Pedro, CA
Alberto Paz, Tijuana, Mexico
Claudia Poquoc, CA
Cristina Rascón, Tijuana, Mexico
Wendy Rathbone, Yucca Valley, CA
Beki Reese, Costa Mesa, CA
Oralia Rodríguez, Tijuana, Mexico
Susan Rogers, Los Angeles, CA
Wakako Miya Rollinger, Topanga, CA
Stevie Strang, Laguna Niguel, CA
Karen Stromberg, La Mesa, CA
N. E. Taylor, Los Angeles, CA
Carolyn Thomas, Hemet, CA
Jie Tian, Brea, CA
Maja Trochimczyk, Sunland, CA
S. C. Virtes, Escondido, CA
Patricia Wakimoto, Gardena, CA
Megan Webster, San Diego, CA
Elizabeth Yahn Williams, Oceanside, CA
Kath Abela Wilson, Pasadena, CA
Julia Zhu, Huntington Beach, CA
Morgan Zo-Callahan, Temple City, CA