Sunday, January 19, 2020

SCHSG January Haiku Workshop – 1/18/20
Hill Avenue Branch Library, Pasadena, CA, 2 pm

 

Twelve members, one a returning member, attended: Jacqueline Chou, Charles Harmon, William Scott Galasso, Deborah P. Kolodji, Greg Longenecker, Eve Luckring, Victor Ortiz, Bonnie Santos, Taura Scott, Patricia Wakimoto, and James Won.

We began with a read-around of haiku by attendees. This was followed by Victor Ortiz with a reading of his most recent haiku. Victor was a member of our group until he and his wife moved to Bellingham, WA, and he joined Haiku Northwest.

 



Victor shared a number of insights into his haiku and how it was influenced by his move north. Two of his haiku:

 

belonging

where I don’t belong

giant sequoia

 

snowy forest

the woodpecker loosens

a childhood memory

     - Victor Ortiz

 

Victor’s presentation was followed by Greg leading the group in utilizing winter kigo from The Five Hundred Essential Japanese Season Words, Selected by Kenkichi Yamamoto and Translated by Kris Young Kondo and William J. Higginson. Out of this exercise we began a writing workshop based on winter words. These haiku were then written on 3 x 5 cards and anonymously read to the groups for comment.



(left to right) back row:  Gregory Longenecker, Victor Ortix
middle row:  Patricia Wakimoto, Jackie Chou, Bona M. Santos, James Won, Scott Galasso
front row:  Deborah P Kolodji, Kathabela Wilson, Charles Harmon