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.