Poet Profile

Susan Lee Kerr

Susan Lee Kerr joined the British Haiku Society in the 1990s, is now Treasurer of BHS, and was previously editor of the BHS newsletter. She graduated from Gettysburg College and worked in New York City until true love brought her to England. Besides haiku, her writing includes three published non-fiction books and a novel, freelance feature journalism and novel writing. She is a teacher of creative writing and a maker of sculptural papier-mâché.

Awards and Other Honors: Haiku anthologised in the acorn book of contemporary haiku (acorn book company, 2000); The Humours of Haiku (Iron Press, 2012); Beyond Words (Farrago, 2018). Tanka chosen for Take Five Best Contemporary Tanka (Modern English Tanka Press, 2009). Critical essay ‘Awareness Gate: towards cultivating the state of receptivity that allows haiku to happen’ (Blithe Spirit Vol. 22 No.2, 2012) chosen for A Silver Tapestry, the best of 25 years of critical writing from the British Haiku Society (The British Haiku Society, 2015) and for the wind that blows through us… exploring the world of haiku and well-being (Hub Editions for BHS, 2015).

Books Published: The Extraordinary Dr Epstein (a biographical novel, Paxton Publishing, 2015); Creative Writing the Matrix: exercises and ideas for creative writing teachers; and Creative Writing the Quick Matrix eBook, Paxton Publishing, 2007, 2015).

summer night
too close
to breathe

a walk through rain shadows
under my umbrella
sudden silences

in the train’s dark glass
I reflect on the woman
who seems to be me

sharp greens of spring
just right with
April’s grey

for a few steps
crow and I walk
side by side

hedgerow-vision
knowing nothing
but the road ahead

Credits: "summer night" – Blithe Spirit Vol. 25 No. 3 (2015); "a walk" – Time Haiku 45 (2016); "in the train's" – Blithe Spirit Vol. 28 No. 3 (2018); "sharp greens" – Presence 27 (2005); "for a few steps" – Time Haiku 47 (2018); "hedgerow-vision" – Blithe Spirit Vol. 27 No. 4 (2017).