Goal Setting

[AlanSummers]

Good link to your review Sandra.

Just another must have book, thank you!

One of my earlier highly influential books other than Bill's Haiku Handbook and Ross Clark's Local Seasonings, was the first New Zealand Haiku Anthology which also contained haiku by Michael McClintock.

I'd certainly recommend that book still, as well as the second anthology as well.

Alan

[Ben M-G]

Wow! Thank you all for the great reading suggestions. I have already ordered both of Sandra's suggestions as I already have an account at Red Moon Press. Looking forward to digesting them once they arrive. I am especially looking forward to Sunrise after reading Sandra's wonderful review. After those two it will be on to others from the list. Thanks again, everyone!

I also already have read the Haiku Handbook, loved it, have just finished The Haiku Seasons and am in the middle of Haiku World. I also have and have read more than once To Hear The Rain by Peggy Wills Lyles. I owe a lot to her and miss her dearly. I was wondering if anyone could comment on its Book Statement. Since it's a book that I have and have also already read it might help to give me a better understanding on this idea.

[AlanSummers]

Hi Ben,

You said:

I also have and have read more than once To Hear The Rain by Peggy Wills Lyles.

I was wondering if anyone could comment on its Book Statement. Since it's a book that I have and have also already read it might help to give me a better understanding on this idea.

Which part, or angle, of the statement do you mean?  It's a great book. ;-)

Alan

[AlanSummers]

To save paper and colour ink cartridges it might be better to copy and paste into a word doc and print. ;-)

[Ben M-G]

Alan, My apologies. It was a little convoluted. I am really interested in merlot's earlier comment:

Also, if a collection is a random collection of haiku--a sampler box of chocolates--then as a whole it may be limited in "meaning" something. That is, there may be no sense of "book statement."

I had asked if anyone could suggest some books that would illustrate the "book statement" idea. A lot of people responded, including you, with a fantastic collection of titles. Cat's list included Peggy's book. It was the only book listed by anyone that I currently own and have read. Because of that I felt that it could be a good book for further discussion.

Also, I just wanted to say that your posted review of Live Again was superb. I really look forward to reading that one soon. "the reversible jacket" poem blew me away. I also thank you for stating you could try and get me a signed copy of Water On The Moon. This is very kind of you, though I wouldn't want to put anyone through the trouble.

[AlanSummers]

Helen's is a really strong collection and carries a constant thematic approach.
I was a consultant to Helen so I'm biased, but Helen is a writer to watch out for and learn from.

You can also catch a dozen of her works at haijinx:
www.haijinx.org

If you'd like the book I can happily contact Helen. :-)

Alan

[Ben M-G]

Alan, thank you. I would love a copy. I'm in the States so let me know what I'd need to do for payment and I'm in. Also, thanks for the link to haijinx. I've not heard of the site before. I liked your pieces in their most recent issue. 

[AlanSummers]

Thanks Ben, although I never want to be so again as I was for those books in each room. :-)

I'll contact Helen re Water on the Moon, it really is an exceptional collection and accessible to American audiences as Helen is well published in the states.

Alan

[Ben M-G]

I'm happy to report that my copies of Inside Out by Christopher Herold and Sunrise by Peter Yovu arrived in the mail today. I am very much looking forward to reading these and then making my way through the rest of the recommendation list. Thank you all again for the wonderful recommendations!

Ben

[AlanSummers]

A useful article has just been posted on the haijinx website.

The article, the third in a series, by Richard Krawiec for haijinx, is a useful one for all of us to read, and not just newcomers to haiku.

The weblink can be found on the homepage of haijinx: http://www.haijinx.org

Alan,
haijinx co-editor

[Ben M-G]

Alan,

Agreed that the article is a good one. And it raises a lot of good points. I am a contributing editor to River Styx, and it is hard to give every poem your full attention when reading through the large volumes of submissions. The bit about knowing your own good work from your bad work is very important. However, it does get tricky to limit which poems you submit. Part of the learning curve is through submission/rejection (especially for we newbies). And then when you get something published, it's very informative to try and figure out at why that piece was selected, what went right with the poem and then to take a look at what needs work in those poems that didn't make the cut.

Thanks for pointing out the article! It was a good read!

Ben

[Lorin]

Hi Ben,
           I'm very late to this, sorry. I don't have a lot to add, but in considering a first book of one's own, first take into account the haiku (as others have said & gone into detail about) , then consider how you will group/ sequence them (unless you have an editor you trust to do this for you), cull your haiku ruthlessly! even the published ones (the old general writing advice to "kill your darlings"  :)  ) and go over it with a fine-tooth comb re sloppiness (typos, spellos, consistency in punctuation...it all counts) , choose a suitable and attractive cover.

'To Hear the Rain', which you have, is a superb collection by a master haiku poet. Many haiku books of different kinds work. To get an idea, check what has worked for some people.  Rather than relying only on reviews, though these can be informative and I recommend Matthew Paul, who reviews for 'Presence', as a refreshingly unbiased and candid reviewer, I'd advise that you check the various haiku book competitions for results and judges' comments. The recent Touchstones Book Awards is one (scroll down past the 'individual poems' section) :

http://www.thehaikufoundation.org/awards/touchstone-archive/

The annual HSA Mildred Kanterman Memorial Merit Book Awards is another:

http://www.hsa-haiku.org/meritbookawards/merit-book_archive.htm

- Lorin

[AlanSummers]

Thanks Ben,

The review is now posted at the current issue of haijinx too. ;-)
http://www.haijinx.org/quarterly/haijinx-iv-1/

Don't forget to submit work for the next issue.  Submissions now open until May 21st.
http://www.haijinx.org/quarterly/haijinx-iv-1/

all my best,

Alan

Alan,

Agreed that the article is a good one. And it raises a lot of good points. I am a contributing editor to River Styx, and it is hard to give every poem your full attention when reading through the large volumes of submissions. The bit about knowing your own good work from your bad work is very important. However, it does get tricky to limit which poems you submit. Part of the learning curve is through submission/rejection (especially for we newbies). And then when you get something published, it's very informative to try and figure out at why that piece was selected, what went right with the poem and then to take a look at what needs work in those poems that didn't make the cut.

Thanks for pointing out the article! It was a good read!

Ben

[Ben M-G]

Lorin -- There is no such thing as too late unless it's a submission deadline.  :)  Thank you for the insight. As I continue to grow with my haiku, your comments will be increasingly on my mind. It is interesting to look at my work in sequences and to start to see patterns and themes start to arise. I can definetly see how some work may make the cut for a book and some work would not based on how things group together, and how some darlings get sacrificed for the greater good of the collection. Also, thank you for pointing me to the touchstone section of this website. I hadn't ventured there yet!

Alan -- I really have enjoyed the most recent issue of haijinx and am excited to see so many names there that I have become familiar with in my reading. Thank you for the reminder about the call for submissions. I just sent through 6 haiku for consideration.

All the best!

Ben

[Julie B. K.]

Thanks, everyone, for your thoughtful comments.  Here I am, nearly two years later, pondering the same questions, but the advice cuts a bit more deeply for me now.  Once again, I've been contemplating a chapbook, but when I laid my poems out - and culled the weak ones - I don't think I'm quite ready yet.  But I'm closer.  And I'm developing a voice.  It's kind of fun to look at the progression of my haiku writing - I can see growth.  But I think it's time to add a few individual poets' collections to my reading, to get a feel for what strong collections look like.