Haiku

April is National Poetry Month. It seems that there is not much emphasis placed on my favorite type of poetry, haiku. Haikus are, by their nature, short & sweet. They're little nuggets of poetry. They're easy to remember, and most of all, fun to write.

If you haven't read haiku in a while, or ever, let me suggest one of my favorite books on the subject, "The Haiku Apprentice", by Abigail Friedman. Yes, it's a memoir. But it is not your common story: the author has served many years in the United States Foreign Service. While working in Japan, and with little prior experience in poetry, she joins a haiku group. The book is her memoir of falling in love with this type of poetry. In Japan, haiku is very popular: written by many thousands of people, and read by millions. It is most definitely the poetry of a people, and Friedman takes us on a brief history of the craft, and answers many questions about writing haiku in English. At the end of the book, she outlines the steps to take to start your own haiku group.

Friedman believes, as do I, that haiku is an everyday poetry. Traditionally, it is seventeen syllables long and contains a season word. But there are really no hard and fast rules for writing them in English. This book is an excellent starting point for a lifelong love affair with haiku. After reading this, let me suggest a few more books of poetry:

The Narrow Road to the Interior by Basho. If there is required reading in haiku, this book is it. Written in the 17th century, it is a combination of travel journal and haiku.

Haiku: This Other World by Richard Wright. The author of "Native Son" was an avid haiku writer. His poems capture life in Chicago, full of its joy and pathos.

Book of Haikus by Jack Kerouac. Kerouac wrote beautiful haiku. Some of my favorite of his writing.

If you're interested in this book, click here
Enjoy!

-Joe Eichman, bookseller