How many haiku do you think you have read in your life?

[Chase Gagnon]

I've been reading haiku a lot longer than i have been writing them. but I cant even begin to count... because im not good at estimating :P But I know i have read over a thousand. (maybe) what about you?

[John McManus]

Hi Chase, I haven't kept a tally or anything, but I'd say the number of haiku I've read runs comfortably into the thousands.

Reading widely is one of the ways in which I keep my creative juices flowing.

warmest,
John

[AlanSummers]

Dear Chase,

I worked out that just in the first five years of studying haiku, I read around 250,000 haikai verses.  That was twenty years ago, and of course I needed to read every English-language version of Japanese haikai and hokku verses, from before Basho, to right up to as late 20th Century as possible, of any Japanese haiku practitioners I could lay my hands on publications.

Regarding non-Japanese haiku writers, I bought a large amount of publications, from books on critical theory, to antholgies and collections, and with the advent of more and more haiku of literary merit on the internet, I added that aspect to my reading duties.

I probably only read around five thousand upwards of haiku each year now, but assess every essay, article, or fresh analysis of haiku that becomes available to me.

Now I could not expect anyone else to study at this particular depth, because I make a living as a haiku and renga poet. For me it is only right that I keep up with, and gauge, all new developments in haikai practice.

A suggestion is to subscribe, budget permitting, to at least two quality print magazines if not double that number, and visit many of the online journals that are available for free on the internet.

For a poet to constantly improve themselves, it's essential that they read other good writing on a constant basis to maintain their own quality of work.

That's my approach, but others may have different methods.

Alan


Edit Reason: improve syntax.

I've been reading haiku a lot longer than i have been writing them. but I cant even begin to count... because im not good at estimating :P But I know i have read over a thousand. (maybe) what about you?

[Chase Gagnon]

Hey guys.. Thank you for sharing :) 250thousand is A LOT. I have a book of 800 haiku, and if I add the ku ive read in journals... Maybe...3000? I only subscribe to one journal tho. I submitted some of my haiku to AHG. Ill find out in about a  month :)

[whitedove]

Hi there  I've hand copied over four thousand haiku in a personal journals I keep for my own use only.  I've read many times that number.  I order anthologies with haiku and related forms and essays from Red Moon Press, books by Brooks Books many of which feature a single excellent poet.  I read essays about haiku on-line when I can find them.  I ordered Cage of Fireflies from Swallow Press after reading an essay by Lucien Stryk (hope I've spelled his name correctly)that featured work from the book available on-line.  I never grow tired of haiku, and I'm always looking for new material to read. Last winter I spent my clothing budget on books of haiku!