Book-of-the-Week

Book of the Week: cicada voices

amannEric Amann, who died last year, was one of the earliest and best editors of haiku in English. He was a strong advocate of haiku as a Zen vehicle, and is probably best known for his defense of his position in The Wordless Poem. He had to be persuaded by George Swede to permit his poems to be gathered together, and the result was this volume (High/Coo Press, 1983).

You can read the entire book in the THF Digital Library.

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Haiku featured in the Book of the Week Archive are selected by THF president THF president Jim Kacian, and are used with permission.


The circus tent
   all folded  up:
      October mist . . .

sermon
between the droning voice
spring rain

Slipping through
the cat’s cradle:
morning light

This Post Has 3 Comments

  1. The intro by George Swede is the result of careful editing by a writer who knows his stuff and offers pertinent background about an important figure’s on again off again involvement in English language haiku. Not essential reading for everyone, but definitely pertinent.

  2. Wonderful haiku – but the intro was too long and the zen connection seemed strained

  3. I have often been touched by the magic of Eric Amann’s haiku. I am so grateful to have had the chance to read this great book.

    -Patrick

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