Here are the Touchstone Award recipients for 2013. For more information about the Touchstone Awards Series, please see Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems and Touchstone Distinguished Book Awards. For other archives, see Touchstone Archive.
The Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems 2013:
Panelists: Dee Evetts, Paul Miller, Lenard D. Moore, George Swede, and Barbara Ungar. More than 500 poems were nominated. Award recipients are listed below in alphabetical order by author; they are not ranked according to merit. Comments from the panelists give some flavor of the deliberations that have taken place.
Shortlist (in alphabetic order)
august mist the magnificence of thought —Ernest J. Berry, Polish International Haiku Competition
gale-force wind a bird's nest becomes what it was —Alan S. Bridges, IHS International Haiku Competition
cubist lesson . . . I look at my cat differently —Dawn Bruce, Shamrock 26
dysle,xia s,ympto.ms? Sp,ring. fever—Metod Češek, Modern Haiku 44.3
cold snap— a sparrow flicks its tail of snowflakes —Marion Clarke, Shamrock 25
purple clematis . . . changing her wardrobe into summer —Anne Curran, Shamrock 26
Father's Day . . . the weight of his hammer that never fit my hand —Michael L. Evans, Francine Porad Memorial Haiku Contest
waiting for the blossoms the birds are still up the magician's sleeve —Marco Fraticelli, Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Contest
intensive care the plant's last leaf hangs on —Scott Glander, Mayfly 54
the love we once shared in the phone book a hundred of you —Kate Godsey, Chrysanthemum 14
Memorial Day I paint each fingernail a different color —Carolyn Hall, A Hundred Gourds 3.1
cowlick some part of me still wild —Annette Makino, tinywords 13.2
no escaping this moonlight— Pompeii —Scott Mason, Harold G. Henderson Haiku Contest (Haiku Society of America)
morning fog when my embryo . . . had gills —Tyrone McDonald, The Heron's Nest 15.1
fire duty the newly ironed shirt still warm —Ron C. Moss, The Heron's Nest 15.1
a meteor flares— the scrape of a tailpipe throwing sparks —Chad Lee Robinson, Mariposa 29
humid evening— the census taker's arched eyebrows —Sandra Simpson, Kokako 19
southbound birds the loop of identity —Dietmar Tauchner, Kusamakura Haiku Contest (City of Kusamakura, Japan)
breaching whale the time between too soon and too late —Julie Warther, Polish International Haiku Competition
orange blossom lifting her niqab just enough —Sarah Winteridge, Modern Haiku 44.2
a blue coffin one nail escapes the solar system —Peter Yovu, Roadrunner 13.1
The Touchstone Distinguished Book Awards 2013:
Panelists: Francine Banwarth, Stuart Quine, Chad Lee Robinson, Alexis Rotella, Peter Yovu
83 book-length works were submitted. Award Recipients and Honorable Mentions are listed in alphabetical order by title. Titles and authors are followed by publisher information.
![]() | Where the River Goes: The Nature Tradition in English-Language Haiku, edited by Allan Burns Snapshot Press, Ormskirk, UK available here | |
Comments from the Panel | In the introduction to his broad and lovingly curated collection of nature-based haiku, editor Allan Burns states his intention: to “isolate an important and readily identifiable strand of English-Language haiku for in-depth representation, study, and reevaluation. . . .” Though he has limited his choices to haiku which derive from the nature tradition, Burns makes it clear that he is not setting them apart as better than other haiku, those which may not refer to the natural world. Readers may nonetheless find themselves re-evaluating, or at least curious about, the various directions English language haiku has taken.“Undeniably,” he writes, “haiku in recent years has witnessed a kind of anthropocentric creep that mirrors an accelerating alienation of humans from the natural world.”An overview of the nature tradition in haiku beginning with Basho and extending through modern poets writing in English; thoughts on how nature has been viewed in the West; ample selections from the work of forty poets with thoughtful, helpful, and sometimes surprising introductio ns to each, should all go a long way toward the fulfillment of Burns’ intention for Where the River Goes.As he notes, it was Thoreau who said: “In wildness is the preservation of the world.” In selecting work whose authors turn their attention to the wild, and for whom the natural world, at least sometimes, is something more than a background for a self-portrait, Burns has offered a fresh and gently challenging look at the nature tradition in English language haiku. Searching on the wind, the hawk’s cry is the shape of its beak. —James W. Hackett river's song a wounded turtle slips into it —Marian Olson the lake they drained amber eyes of the osprey —Allan Burns | |
![]() | apology moon by Cherie Hunter Day Red Moon Press, Winchester VA, USA available here | |
Comments from the Panel | Perfect bound, with an attractive cover and sixty poems arranged one per page, apology moon is the second haiku collection by Cherie Hunter Day.Trained as a biologist, Day’s scientific background brings precision to her poetry. The majority of the haiku are nature-orientated, with her inner life often finding expression and correspondence in the phenomena of the natural world. While many outwardly conform to an orthodox format—three lines with a caesura at the end of the first or second line—it is the innovative and intriguing juxtapositions that set them apart from the merely formulaic. Others employ some of the disjunctive strategies articulated by Richard Gilbert. A subtle blend of tones and colors and a broad range of themes make this a very satisfying collection, a welcome addition to the shelves of any haiku enthusiast.timeout the necessary roughness of blackberries new litter of kittens— the missing rung on the hayloft ladder intertidal zone turning over my options | |
![]() | The Disjunctive Dragonfly: A New Approach to English-Language Haiku by Richard Gilbert Red Moon Press, Winchester VA, USA available here | |
Comments from the Panel | Evolution is the key to vitality and longevity. While we honor and celebrate tradition, we invite and welcome innovation in the genre of English-language haiku. Since the first publication of his essay “The Disjunctive Dragonfly” (2004), Richard Gilbert has continued to analyze and update his study of disjunctive strategies/techniques in the art of English-language haiku composition. These strategies and techniques do not dismiss but, rather, expand the elements of traditional haiku practice, such as juxtaposition and kireji. The “new voices” in ELH are vibrant, at times challenging, but Gilbert demonstrates that haiku can reach beyond shasei and realism into a deeper realm of poetic power. In this edition he discusses 7 new disjunctive types, in addition to his original 17, and offers a generous sampling of 275 poems by some of today’s finest practitioners who illustrate disjunctive techniques through a variety of topics, styles, and approaches. With this publication we recognize and celebrate the possibilities for the future of English-language haiku.sap rising he imagines me completely —Melissa Allen never touching his own face tyrannosaurus —John Stevenson inside a bat’s ear a rose opens to a star —Eve Luckring at the edge of the universe a two-way mirror —George Swede lunar landing shipwreck of my slave name —Tyrone McDonald In fields the purple flower whorls careful eternity’s from here —Rebecca Lilly | |
![]() | Haiku in English: The First Hundred Years edited by Jim Kacian, Allan Burns and Philip Rowland W. W. Norton & Company, New York, USA available here | |
Comments from the Panel | Haiku in English is a challenging yet energizing mix of haiku and poets spanning one hundred years of English-language haiku. This beautifully produced hardcover comes with an introduction by former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins, an “Editors’ Foreword” that goes over some of the editorial decisions, the excellent essay “An Overview of Haiku in English” by Jim Kacian discussing the history and development of ELH that also includes brief bios of some of today’s finest practitioners, and an “Index of Poets and Credits.”Editors Jim Kacian, Philip Rowland and Allan Burns have assembled more than 600 haiku from 235 authors and arranged them chronologically by author rather than alphabetically to show the development of ELH through the haiku themselves. Rather than choose the very best of ELH, the editors chose those haiku that “emphasized each poet’s contribution to the genre, how much s/he brought to it that others could then adopt for their own work.” This decision has created quite a stir among haiku poets, who is and isn’t present, what poems are and aren’t present, and so has the inclusion of poets who are not known for haiku. However, the editors have created an anthology that shows just how rich, varied and complex the history of ELH is. While Haiku in English answers some questions, it raises others, but most importantly it will act as a catalyst for further discussion and debate. It’s uncertain where poets will take ELH in the next hundred years. What is certain is that Haiku in English will inform the course of ELH for years to come.end of the line the conductor starts turning the seats around —Cor van den Heuvel visible lilacs shaped by invisible lilacs —Robert Boldman horizon why and why not —Rajiv Lather | |
![]() | A Five-Balloon Morning by Charles Trumbull Red Mountain Press, Santa Fe NM, USA available here | |
Comments from the Panel | A Five-Balloon Morning is a well-crafted chapbook that fits comfortably in the hand. The feel of the what-could-be recycled pages serve well as a collection of haiku and senryu that captures the energy of the New Mexico landscape as well as the man who grew up there:farmers market the Indian corn seller's snaggletoothed smile Hopi silversmith teaches his son to make a chain small-town cafe a special tip for the waitress named Destiny In a world that is becoming more and more whitewashed it’s a pleasure to read this collection, full of surprises, calling attention to not just the landscape but the characters who people it. grass hill country a boy rides bareback over red earth | |
Honorable Mentions
- Christopher Patchel Turn Turn (Red Moon Press, Winchester VA, USA) available here
This year’s Touchstone nominations included a number of fine personal collections, along with the awarded anthologies and longer works of haiku discourse. Christopher Patchel’s Turn Turn is one that rose to the top of our awards list. With the eye of a perfectionist and careful attention to detail, Patchel explores the theme of time marked not only by clock and calendar, but also through personal experiences measured by the heart. The quality on the outside and inside of this collection deserves commendation, with an attractive cover design by Patchel followed by four well-developed sections of 115 haiku and senryu, a pair of haibun, and two sequences. Using just-the-right words and careful precision Patchel conveys single moments of perception with an acute sense of honesty and connection to the essence of things as they are.
a hot shower . . . finding the note that resonates summer’s end the weight of my body out of the water we turn turn our clocks ahead
- Paul Pfleuger, Jr. a Zodiac (Red Moon Press, Winchester VA, USA available here
a Zodiac is the first full length collection by Paul Pflueger, Jr. It includes an introduction by Jack Galmitz as well as cover art and illustrations by the author. This volume includes 51 of Pflueger’s genre-stretching haiku, from one-liners to three-liners, even some vertical and organic haiku, a nice variety that keeps the reader on her toes. The haiku are divided into four sections that have more to do with the content of the haiku, a much better arrangement that adds layers of meaning to the haiku that may have been lost with seasonal divisions. Included are many of the author’s most well-known haiku, these two for example:
a darkness so deep I am surrounded by gold beetles in the incandescence let me let me read me to you
One of the best things about the haiku in a Zodiac is the language. Pfleuger is skilled at choosing words that are loaded with multiple meanings, and is equally skilled at positioning them in the right place within the haiku. More examples:
in the full stop of red engines ago bling holla milking the hour glass object
Pfleuger is working on and around the edges of what haiku can be, resulting in haiku that are challenging yet engaging. The reader is expected to be a co-creator, and will be rewarded for his patience. For anyone interested in new directions for haiku.
Complete Shortlist
- Burns, Allan, ed. Where the River Goes/i> (Snapshot Press)
- Carter, Steven The Distances of Sleep (Alba Publishing)
- Colón, Carlos Haiku Elvis: A Life in 17 Syllables (or Less) (Laughing Cactus Press)
- Day, Cherie Hunter apology moon (Red Moon Press)
- Harter, Penny The Resonance Around Us (Mountains & Rivers Press)
- Gilbert, Richard The Disjunctive Dragonfly (Red Moon Press)
- Kacian, Jim & Allan Burns & Philip Rowland, eds. Haiku in English: The First Hundred Years (W. W. Norton & Co.)
- Martone, John Bheid (Samuddo/Ocean)
- Martone, John Perleromeq (Samuddo/Ocean)
- Muirhead, Marsh Her Cold Martini (The Island Journal Press)
- Patchel, Christopher Turn Turn (Red Moon Press)
- Pfleuger Jr., Paul A Zodiac/i> (Red Moon Press)
- Stensland, Lucas Fun Again (Yet to be Named Free Press)
- Trumbull, Charles A Five-Balloon Morning (Red Mountain Press)