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THF Announces Major Acquisition

lucas_martinThe Haiku Foundation is pleased to announce that it has added the haiku library of the late Martin Lucas to its holdings. This substantial acquisition — amounting to some 445 items plus ephemera — provides the Foundation with significant new materials, especially haiku publications from the United Kingdom. The acquisition is the generous donation of Martin’s literary estate executor and brother, David Lucas. The Foundation will attempt to make as much of this new material available in the THF Digital Library as possible, pending permissions from the many authors involved. This latest acquisition joins similar archival donations from Cor van den Heuvel (of his own work), Susan Marie La Vallée (Paul Reps), Joze Volaric (own), Alexis Rotella (own), Marshall Hryciuk (own), Susanna Leche (Robert Major), Donna Bauerly (Raymond Roseliep), and Roberta Beary (own), as well as an earlier donation by David Lucas of Martin’s poetry notebooks. The Foundation is also awaiting delivery of the library of the late James W. Hackett, the donation of Hackett’s literary executor Christopher Thorsen.

This Post Has 12 Comments

  1. Gabriel: I know that as a Brit, I’m probably not best placed to talk about cultural imperialism, but I don’t like the way that the THF is hoovering up EL haiku artefacts as if there are no other organisations or groups of individuals who are allowed to have any space.

    Lorin: you’re right, Stuart knew Martin well too. I’m just expressing my own opinion, based on my 20+ years’ friendship with Martin.

  2. I am sure Martin will be remembered in Yorkshire and Lancashire: invisibly. I’m not sure if those who will remember him need his library to remind them of his gifts. I have nothing of Issa or Basho, but I remember them; nothing at all of Santoka. Their words, their flashes of insight, their integrity: we treasure their spirit internally. And yet, physically, we all breathe the same air that they breathed and that Martin breathed. Haiku consciousness is beyond books and libraries.
    I associate this haiku with Martin’s part of the world:

    sunlit mist
    a sudden brightness
    in the lamb’s eye

    It belongs to all of us now, wherever we are.

  3. Hey, Matt,

    Well, I can understand your nationalistic feelings to some extent … & so soon after Brexit 🙂 ,,,but I wonder what Martin might’ve really wanted if he’d had a say in it? Personally, the go -to person I’d place most faith in as far as Martin’s wishes might’ve been would be Stuart Quine. There was a great balancing between those two that was impossible not to notice, and affectionately.

    “, , , and it’s beyond a shame that they will now be denied the opportunity to use Martin’s books.” – Matt
    —
    I can’t agree with that, Matt, , Having Martin’s collection archived here at THF means no-one will be denied any such opportunity, since the collection will be available to all, worldwide.
    What would be better?

    – Lorin

    1. Also, Lorin, it’s nothing to do with nationalism whatsoever, and I’m the last person who would ever have advocated Brexit; it’s just that Martin enjoyed the company of his local group so much.

  4. Haiku is borderless. Why should it matter if Martin’s library ended up in Mexico or the North Pole? It’s not that they’re going to build a wall around Mexico or the North Pole, is it? (Have I spoken too soon?) Anyway, as long as someone is taking good care of it, it doesn’t matter what flag he’s flying. (Preferably none). I only met Martin once. A gentle soul. He loved England but I don’t think he was a flag-flying Little Englander.

    1. Hi Gabriel. It’s to do with the care with which they will be looked after and how they will be accessible. Martin had a local haiku group in Yorkshire and Lancashire who met regularly and I can’t for a minute imagine that he would instead have wanted them to be flown off to Virginia and physically inaccessible.

      1. You’re right, though, Gabriel, that Martin wasn’t a Little Englander, and Presence’s internationalist outlook is indicative of that; but he was also very keen to nurture a local community of like-minded haiku readers and writers in the North of England, and it’s beyond a shame that they will now be denied the opportunity to use Martin’s books.

    2. “It’s not that they’re going to build a wall around Mexico …”

      No-one in the haiku world, I hope, Gabriel, but of course there is that c/o L’Oreal or Clairol red-headed person, who has naught to do with poetry of any kind ( I speak as someone whose first trade was hairdressing) running for USA Pres , who has threatened to build such a wall…goodness help the world. But what has he to do with haiku or poetry of any kind? (Nothing!)
      —
      I only met Martin once ( & Stuart) too, over a few days, In Australia. Genuine people who left quite an impression on me.
      —

      summer river—
      when I’m barefoot
      it’s forever
      – Martin Lucas, Presence 39 (2009)
      —
      -Lorin

  6. No, this isn’t great at all. I’m pretty damn sure that Martin would have been deeply unimpressed to know that his library had been sent out of England.

  8. Great work, Jim Kacian!
    .
    May we all remember these accomplishments and expressions of confidence in The Haiku Foundation when this year’s fund raiser rolls around in November!

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