British Haiku Society
Haiku Canada
Haiku Poets of Northern California
Haiku Society of America
Manitoba Writers' Guild
Tanka Canada
Tanka Society of America
United Haiku and Tanka Society
World Haiku Association
Though I do not live with Parkinson’s, I have been diagnosed
with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, severe Fibromyalgia, and Essential Tremor,
which share some of the same characteristics. When it became apparent that the
efficacy of traditional pain management pharmaceuticals was negligible, I knew
I had to concentrate my efforts on finding another method to help mitigate the debilitating
effects of chronic illness. As many fellow sufferers will attest, we are
generally open to alternative pain management methods to help reduce our
reliance on medication. We
often feel as though we have lost control of our lives. In my opinion, it is
worthwhile to take whatever small steps we can to regain some power over the
fight-or-flight response to trauma. My daily
creative practice is a direct result of that challenge, and it has become both
a healing and a meditative force in my life. I spend about five hours a day
writing and making art, and this dedicated time continues to help me cope with
symptoms and flares.
Hussain, Ali Redha. “Colour Psychology in Art: How Colour Impacts Mood.” Art and Design Review, vol. 9, 2021, pp. 301-308. doi: 10.4236/adr.2021.94025
Wiercioch-Kuzianik, Karolina, and Przemyslaw Babel. “Color Hurts. The Effect of Color on Pain Perception.” Pain Medicine, vol. 20, no. 10, 2019, pp. 1955–1962. https://doi.org/10.1093/pm/pny285
Azeemi, Samina T. Yousuf, and S. Mosin Raza. “A Critical Analysis of Chromotherapy and its Scientific Evolution.” Evidence-based and Complementary Alternative Medicine, vol. 2, no. 4, 2005, pp. 481-488. https://doi.org/10.1093/ecam/neh137
Mayer, Linda, and Rashid Bhikha. “The Historical Significance of Colour – Part 2.” tibb institute, 2014.
by Debbie Strange
One of the most intriguing aspects of zoka is its focus on being attentive to the changing seasons, with their shifting nuances of light and shadow. The portfolio of Ansel Adams, a master of chiaroscuro (light-dark) techniques in photography, has been a constant source of stimulation and contemplation throughout five decades of adventures with my camera. I am forever in pursuit of the perfect balance in the images I make. In my daily haiga practice, I might choose watercolours, inks, or acrylics to paint a scene, or I might decide that a photograph (painting with light) would best convey the message of my haiku.
Capturing light and shadow in photographs can be challenging, in the same way that pinning down the essence of zoka can be elusive. I was a photographer long before I was a haiku poet, and I’m grateful that this early passion taught me to look beyond the ordinary.
My photographs often act as prompts for zoka-inspired writing, or tangible haiku moments. They allow me to study transient lighting conditions, seasonal attributes, and impermanent subject matter, and to reconnect with my observations and appreciation of this natural world. A wide angle lens helps to portray the vastness of the night sky (zooming out), whilst a macro lens narrows the field of view down to the tiniest fungi (zooming in).
I appreciate the following quote from Neil DeGrasse Tyson, which impresses me as being quite zoka-like: “If you see the universe as something you participate in—as this great unfolding of a cosmic story—that, I think should make you feel large, not small.”
Though chronic illness and deteriorating vision now restrict my photography opportunities, writing haiku has no such limitations! I have thousands of photographs and dozens of nature journals from which to draw inspiration. I need only sit quietly for a moment, and I am there, still chasing light, shadows, and the possibility of a poem.
a tuft of moss inside
the icicle
Blithe Spirit, Volume 34, Number 1, February 2024
snowmelt
clumps of deer hair
snag the light
Modern Haiku, Volume 52, Number 3, Autumn 2021
dripping trees
I wait for the right path
to choose me
First Frost, Number 3, Spring 2022
solar flares
a spill of buttercups
in the meadow
Acorn, Number 35, Fall 2015
krill migration
humpback whales
scoop up the stars
The Heron’s Nest, Volume XXIV, Number 4, December 2022
alpine camp
meteors falling
into our mouths
Modern Haiku, Volume 55, Number 1, Winter-Spring 2024
leaf decay
deep shadows lit
by ladybugs
Modern Haiku, Volume 50, Number 1, Winter-Spring 2019
chanterelles
dirt makes a map
of my palm
Australian Haiku Society, Winter Solstice Haiku String, 2021
peat fire
the scent markings
of other worlds
Frogpond, Volume 46, Number 3, Autumn 2023
icefall
the water still
asleep
Scarlet Dragonfly Journal, Number 9, December 2022
frozen berries
we enter the silence
of hibernation
Presence, Number 69, March 2021
polar night
a snowy owl fades
to black
Kokako, Number 28, April 2018
1. Who are you and what is your current occupation?
I am a Canadian short-form poet, artist, and photographer who retired early due to an injury that resulted in chronic illness. My daily creative practice connects me more closely to the world, to others, and to myself. It also helps mitigate the effects of disability.
2. How did you fall in love with haiku? How long have you written haiku? How did you learn about it? How about haiga?
I have been writing poems and songs since childhood, dipping my toe into formulaic haiku for many years. When I joined social media, I discovered a community of established contemporary poets who not only broadened my knowledge of haiku, but ignited a newfound passion for the form. I was unaware of haiga and tanka until then, and to this day I am smitten!
3. Do you have a mentor? Does your family support you?
My husband is my first reader and all-around champion of my writing and artistic efforts! He is the only person who sees my work before I send it out into the world, and due to my deteriorating vision, he also assists me with all things reading-related. My two sisters and my best friend of 50 years are also staunch cheerleaders. I lost my eldest sister many years ago, but she was my musical and writing mentor when I was young.
4. Haiku at breakfast, lunch or dinner? Is haiku an appetizer or a consistent meal for you? (does it occupy a large part of your time or do you write occasionally?)
I feast on haiku, haiga, and tanka, all day, every day! This dedication to making small poems, art, and music is what keeps my mind focussed on joy, rather than pain. It is nourishing, healing, meditative, and uplifting.
5. When and where do you write most of the time? Do you need a special mood to write or do you write anywhere, anytime? What inspires you? How do you build your haiga?
Though I am at my desk for about five hours a day, I write at any time of day or night, and any place I happen to be. I write a little something every day, even if I am not feeling particularly inspired, as I prefer not to waste time waiting for a muse that might never arrive! My nature journals over the last several decades serve as the sparks that light the haiku fire in me.
My haiga begin as original
photographs and artworks, and are then developed according to the “needs” of
the poem. The following haiga example features the relationship between my art
and chronic illness. The haiku was published in Time Haiku, Number 59, February, 2024:
(note: this haiku was first published in Time Haiku 59, February 2024)
6. Do you write any other Japanese poetry genre (tanka, senryu, haibun etc.) and which one?
I think I am better at writing tanka than haiku, to be honest! Haibun appeals to me, but I have written very few due to my vision issues, as there are simply too many words for my eyes to decipher.
7. What is the kigo you use most often? What is your favourite season?
Most of my poems are situated in autumn and winter, with birds and light being two of my favourite topics.
8. What is your favourite haiku written by you?
It is impossible to choose between my “babies”, but one of my favourites is the title haiku from my soon-to-be-released collection, Random Blue Sparks:
dead
orchard
the
random blue sparks
of
woolly aphids
3rd Place, 2018 Irish Haiku Society International Haiku Competition
On one of our autumn camping trips, the trees were alive with woolly aphids. They are gorgeous little creatures with blue, fairy-like iridescent wings, but their beauty belies their deadliness!
9. What is your trademark? What differentiates your haiku/haiga from others? What does haiga mean to you?
I purposely try not to have a trademark, as I prefer not to box myself in with a signature style. I would rather have readers be surprised to find out that I am the writer behind a particular poem. To me, if readers immediately know that I am the writer, it means I’ve gotten stale!
I am in love with haiga/tanka art, and if I were only able to do one thing, this would be it!
10. In which haiku magazines have you been published?
Thousands of my haiku, tanka, haiga, and artworks have been published in hundreds of journals worldwide. My work has been translated into 13 languages, which is one of my biggest thrills. The course of my writing life has developed into something I could not have imagined, and I never take it for granted! I am beyond grateful to the esteemed poet, an’ya, for my first haiku acceptance all those years ago, which inspired me to plant my feet firmly on the haiku path.
11. This haiga was chosen for the "Editor's Choice" column in enchanted Garden Haiku Journal, Issue 8: Dreams Keeper, June 2024: What inspired you to write such a beautiful haiga? Tell us the story behind it.
Thank you so much for selecting my haiga as Editor’s Choice, Steliana! The haiga was inspired by a long-ago spring walk in the woods. All the trees were in bud, each variety being a different colour, size and shape. It made me think that we are all buds in the garden of life, no matter our gender, race, or shape. We never know who we will be until we grow up and into ourselves. I love this quote:
“It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are.” — e.e. cummings
The haiga began as crumpled tissue paper painted with watercolours. The butterflies were then cut out digitally, with the different sizes representing growth from chrysalis/infancy to adulthood.
12. Have you published any books? Tell us about them.
Random Blue Sparks (haiku) was the winner of the 2020 Snapshot Press Book Awards, and is forthcoming from the press in 2024:
http://www.snapshotpress.co.uk/contests/book_awards/results.htm
The Language of Loss: Haiku & Tanka Conversations (Sable Books, 2020), was the winner of the Sable Books 2019 International Women’s Haiku Contest. It was also the winner of Haiku Canada’s 2022 Marianne Bluger Chapbook Award:
https://sablebooks.org/the-language-of-loss/
Prairie Interludes (haiku - Snapshot Press, 2020) was the winner of the 2019 Snapshot Press eChapbook Awards:
http://www.snapshotpress.co.uk/ebooks/Prairie_Interludes.pdf
Mouth Full of Stones (haikai eBook - Title IX Press, 2020):
A Year Unfolding (haiku - Folded Word, 2017):
https://www.amazon.com/Year-Unfolding-Debbie-Strange/dp/1610192346
Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses (Keibooks, 2018):
http://amazon.com/dp/1986077934
Warp and Weft: Tanka Threads (Keibooks, 2015):
http://www.amazon.com/Warp-Weft-Threads-Debbie-Strange/dp/1512361127
13. What future projects do you have?
I always have several haiku and tanka manuscripts in progress, and I have just completed an essay for The Haiku Foundation called Haiga for Healing. It will be featured in September, 2024:
https://thehaikufoundation.org/category/features/haiku-for-parkinsons/
The Haiku Foundation will also release my third gallery of haiga in September, 2024 featuring 40 award-winning haiku and tanka which have been incorporated into haiga:
https://thehaikufoundation.org/haiga-galleries/
14. Where can your readers find you?
Blog archive of all publications and awards:
https://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/
Instagram: @debbiemstrange
Twitter/X:
@Debbie_Strange
~~~~~~~~~~
The Solitary Daisy - Featured Poet
Interview Questions by Sally Quon
Thanks kindly for the invitation to participate, and for your generous comments!
What first led you to haiku?
Though I had dabbled in writing formulaic haiku off and on for years, it was not until joining social media that I discovered the depth and complexity of this form. These online connections with experienced poets opened my eyes to haiku’s endless possibilities, changing the course of my life.
Does chronic illness inform your work?
I doubt I would have dedicated myself to walking the haiku path, were it not for chronic illness. When my mobility and vision began to deteriorate, I was forced to take early retirement, and I needed a creative outlet for all the time I suddenly had on my hands. Chronic illness can be quite isolating if you are unable to attend in-person or zoom events, but I know I will always have a place in the global haiku community. I never imagined that this passion would engulf, enrich, and expand my world beyond measure.
Fata Morgana the (in)visibility of my (dis)ability
2nd Place, 2021 Marlene Mountain Memorial Haiku Contest
Do you have a daily writing practice, or do you wait for inspiration?
I have been writing haiku/tanka and making haiga for about five hours a day since 2013, even if I do not feel particularly inspired. This daily habit is a form of meditation and healing for me, helping to mitigate the effects of chronic illness, and enabling me to reduce pain medication. I consider this practice to be my true calling in life, and it is a “job” I love.
Congratulations on 10 years of being published! Do you have any advice for people just starting their haiku journey?
Thank you so much. I have been making poems and composing songs since girlhood, but it took decades for me to screw up enough courage to submit my work. My advice for new poets would be not only to read classical and contemporary haiku daily, but to write something, even a fragment, every day. Regularly submitting work to quality journals and entering contests can help us find our voice and hone our technique, as judges and editors often offer insights as to why poems were selected or rejected. Both outcomes are integral to one’s growth as a poet. Whenever I enter a contest, I do not feel that I am competing against other poets, but rather, that I am competing with myself.
Do you have a favorite place to write?
If I had to pick one specific place to write, it would be somewhere near the sea. We resided in Vancouver for ten years in the 1980s, and I miss the ocean to this day. Though we have also lived on the prairies and in the mountains, there is something about being near the water that nourishes and inspires me.
sometimes the poem
writes itself
Winner, 2023 Drifting Sands Wearable Art and Haiku Contest
What do you consider your greatest haiku-related achievement?
I dreamt about having a book published by the esteemed Snapshot Press in the U.K., and I am delighted to say that this dream has come true! Random Blue Sparks, winner of the 2020 Snapshot Press Book Award, is a full-length collection of haiku, forthcoming in early 2024.
the random blue sparks
of woolly aphids
3rd Place, 2018 Irish Haiku Society International Haiku Competition
Who is your biggest inspiration?
My late sister was my musical mentor. She gave me my first guitar at age 12, and she always encouraged my songwriting efforts. My father instilled a love of poetry in me, often reciting classical poetry by heart, long into the evening in our little Saskatchewan farmhouse.
What do you consider to be the most essential element for a good haiku?
I am most likely to be drawn to haiku that transport me out of myself, and into someone else’s world of experience and emotion. I enjoy traditional, contemporary, and experimental work that rings with a poet’s truth.
And I must ask, because it is on my own bucket list – have you ever seen a polar bear?
I have! Winnipeg has a conservancy for orphaned polar bears called “The Journey to Churchill.” It currently houses seven polar bears, with two others on loan to the Calgary Zoo. The enclosure has ten acres of tundra-like roaming space and there is a glass tunnel beneath the bears’ swimming area. It is truly magical to see them playing together underwater. I have taken countless photos of these amazing and engaging creatures!
(note: this haiga appeared in Hedgerow Poems, Number 113, May 2017)
~~~~~~~~~~
- brevity (under 24 words or syllables)
- two distinct parts, with one grammatical break
- juxtaposition
- musicality
- unique metaphors, themes, and imagery
- good command of grammar
- demonstrated understanding of the genre
- succinct construction
- consistent tenses
- mindful use of punctuation, articles, prepositions, and pronouns
- creative content and word choices
Debbie Strange
Country of Residence: Canada
Website: https://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/
Current Occupation: Canadian poet, artist, photographer, and musician
Past Occupations: agriculture, physiotherapy, miniature-making
Affiliations: British Haiku Society, Haiku Canada, Haiku Poets of Northern California, Haiku Society of America, Manitoba Writers’ Guild, New Zealand Poetry Society, Tanka Canada, Tanka Society of America, United Haiku and Tanka Society, World Haiku Association, Yuki Teikei Haiku Society
Interests/Hobbies: short-form poetry, songwriting, singing, playing guitar, photography, creating art in a variety of media (ink, collage, block printing, watercolor, acrylic, digital, among others), camping, gardening, and all aspects of nature, including a lifelong fascination with birds, the northern lights, and the sea.
Regarding music, Debbie says:
“I have been playing guitar, singing, and writing songs since the age of 12. My eldest sister was the main musical mentor in my life. I received my first guitar from her as a Christmas gift, and we often played music and sang together. She taught my sisters and me to sing harmony, hence the title and dedication of this book. Though she passed away when she was 28, every time I play my guitar, I think of her.”
Source: Book Appreciation: Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses (Red Lights, Volume 15, Number 2, June 2019)
Haiku-Related Volunteer Positions:
I am delighted to have been a content provider for HaikuLife Film Festival and Haiga Galleries since 2017 for The Haiku Foundation. I have judged haiku and tanka contests for the Three Rivers Haiku Association (2022), the United Haiku and Tanka Society (Facebook link) (2020, 2018), the British Haiku Society (2018), and Mandy’s Pages (2017).
Book Publications:
Random Blue Sparks (Snapshot Press, forthcoming)
Winner of the 2020 Snapshot Press Book Awards
Prairie Interludes (Snapshot Press, 2020)
Shortlisted for the 2020 Haiku Foundation Touchstone Awards for Distinguished Books; Winner of the 2019 Snapshot Press eChapbook Awards
Prairie Interludes is available to read for free online here: http://www.snapshotpress.co.uk/ebooks/Prairie_Interludes.pdf
The Language of Loss: Haiku & Tanka Conversations (Sable Books, 2020)
Winner of the 2022 Marianne Bluger Award; Honorable Mention in the 2021 Haiku Society of America’s Merit Book Awards; Winner of the 2019 Sable Books International Women’s Haiku Contest
Mouth Full of Stones: Haikai eBook (Title IX Press, 2020) is free to read online here: https://e7b207b8-f70d-4a2b-9a92-95e280e7fb92.filesusr.com/ugd/8a417d_0a9850e7f6794b51a04bbc244287cb2d.pdf
Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses (Keibooks, 2018) (Amazon link)
A Year Unfolding: Haiku (Folded Word, 2017)
Warp and Weft: Tanka Threads (Keibooks, 2015) (Amazon link)
When & how were you introduced to haiku & Japanese-related poetry?
I was first introduced to 5/7/5 haiku in grade school. When I joined social media, I discovered the works of highly regarded, contemporary short-form poets, and soon realized that my “knowledge” was sorely lacking!
What do you enjoy the most about haiku?
Writing haiku allows me to focus deeply on personal observations, and to share the extraordinary adventures I have experienced throughout decades of exploration in the wilds. I try to distill these moments down to their essence, leaving a light on, and inviting readers to find their own way into my work. The fact that these tiny poems continue to make significant impacts is a testament to the enduring legacy of the form. My daily practice of writing and making art is a healing distraction from chronic illness, connecting me more closely to the world, and to myself.
What do you enjoy the most about tanka?
I love the relative freedom that comes with writing tanka. This form allows me to embrace the art of storytelling, and to enhance my words with literary devices. Tanka is more overtly emotional than haiku, and this grants me license to employ strong imagery that aims to transport readers out of themselves. I strive to create tanka with unique associations, grounded in authenticity, with the hope of evoking a synergistic resonance. These “short songs” appeal to the musician and songwriter in me!
What do you enjoy the most about haibun?
I am not able to read much haibun due to vision impairment. The words all flow together, and I tend to get a bit lost! I deeply admire writers who can eloquently weave prose and poetry into rich and detailed tapestries.
Who are your top 5 favorite poets?
Poetry affects me differently depending upon my mood at any given moment, so my list of classical and contemporary favorites is in a constant state of flux. Instead, I would like to offer my gratitude to the following five acclaimed poets who were instrumental in bringing my haiku and tanka books to life, and whose work I also admire:
The esteemed poet, an’ya, accepted my first haiku, and I credit her with changing the course of my writing life. She is an inspiration to me, and I dedicated this haiku collection to her. All the work in this book first appeared in the journal an’ya founded, Cattails.
Warp and Weft: Tanka Threads and Three-Part Harmony: Tanka Verses:
M. Kei fostered my appreciation of tanka, publishing these collections through his distinguished press, Keibooks.
Lithica Ann (deadname, Lori Minor) chose this haikai manuscript as the first full-length eBook for Title IX Press (now, Moth Orchid Press).
Prairie Interludes and Random Blue Sparks (forthcoming):
John Barlow chose these manuscripts for the 2019 Snapshot Press eChapbook Awards, and the 2020 Snapshot Press Book Awards, respectively.
The Language of Loss: Haiku & Tanka Conversations:
Roberta Beary chose this manuscript for the 2019 Sable Books International Haiku Contest.
If I had to pick one classical poet, I would choose Buson, for his overall proficiency in the Japanese arts.
What haiku/writing projects are you currently working on?
I am currently working with the fine poet, Chuck Brickley (co-editor of Snapshot Press), on the forthcoming release of my full-length haiku collection, Random Blue Sparks. I am also developing new manuscripts for tanka and cherita, and for a short-form poetry and art collaboration with my husband, based on his boyhood birdwatching field notes. A sequel to The Language of Loss: Haiku & Tanka Conversations is also in the works. I was honored to make haiga for 50 emerging and established short-form poets in the spirit of sharing our creativity on Twitter during the first months of the Covid-19 pandemic. Another collaborative #DebbieMStrangeHaigaProject is a distinct possibility!
Anthologies:
Strange’s poetry has appeared in 100+ anthologies and is included in various annual members’ anthology publications.
Sample list:
- Haiku 2022: 100 Notable Ku from 2021 (Modern Haiku Press, 2022)
- Burnt Diary: Memoir in Haibun and Tanka Prose (Moth Orchid Press, 2022)
- Contemporary Haibun, Volume 17 (Red Moon Press, 2022)
- Last Train Home (Pondhawk Press, 2021)
- The Awakened One: Buddha-Themed Haiku (Poetry Chaikhana, 2021)
- A New Resonance 12 (Red Moon Press, 2021)
- string theory (Red Moon Press, 2021)
- Window Seats (bottle rockets press, 2021)
- The Wanderer Brush (Red Moon Press, 2020)
- Tanka 2020: Poems from Today’s World (Red Moon Press, 2020)
- Prune Juice Book of Senryū Celebrating 10 Years (Brent Goodman, 2020)
- The Signature Haiku Anthology (Middle Island Press, 2020)
- Into the Warp and Woof (Velvet Dusk Publishing, 2020)
- Another Trip Around the Sun (Brooks Books, 2019)
- Gift of Silence (Editions des petits nuages, 2018)
- Stacking Stones: An Anthology of Short Tanka Sequences (Keibooks, 2018)
- Wild Voices (wildflower poetry press, 2018)
- Unsealing Our Secrets (Jade Mountain Press, 2018)
- Wordless: Haiku Canada, 40 Years of Haiku (Ekstasis Editions, 2017)
- Write Like Issa: A Haiku How-To (David Lanoue, 2017)
- The Wonder Code (Girasole Press, 2017)
- A Temple Bell Sounds (Beverley George, 2017)
- Earth: Our Common Ground (Skylark Publishing, 2017)
- Neon Graffiti: Tanka Poetry of Urban Life (Keibooks, 2016)
- Bright Stars Tanka Anthologies (Keibooks, 2014)
Journal Publications:
Thousands of Strange’s poems and artworks have appeared in hundreds of leading journals worldwide.
Sample list:
- Acorn
- Atlas Poetica
- Blithe Spirit
- bottle rockets
- Brass Bell
- Chrysanthemum
- Eucalypt
- #FemkuMag
- First Frost
- Frogpond
- GUSTS
- Kingfisher
- Kokako
- Mariposa
- Mayfly
- Modern Haiku
- moonbathing: a journal of women’s tanka
- Our Best Haiga
- Poetry Pea
- Presence
- Red Lights
- Seashores
- Shamrock Haiku Journal
- The Heron’s Nest
- The Zen Space
- Tinywords
- Tsuri-dōrō
- Under the Bashō
- Wales Haiku Journal
- Whiptail
Haiga/Art/Photo Publications:
Sample list:
Debbie’s haiga/shahai/photo-ku & tanka art: https://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/p/my_14.html
Debbie’s Poetry of Light abstract photography exhibition: https://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/p/my-photography_14.html
Debbie’s Daily Haiga gallery: http://www.dailyhaiga.org/haiga-archives/?pg=5&c=strange-debbie
Debbie’s Haiku Foundation haiga galleries:
Awards & Honorable Mentions: For a full list, please see: https://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/p/awards.html
Sample List:
First Place Haiku
- Drifting Sands Monuments No. 1 Contest (2022)
- Bloodroot Haiku Award (2022)
- Irish Haiku Society International Competition (2021)
- Akita International Haiku Contest (2020)
- OtherWordly Intergalactic Haiku Competition (2019)
- Sharpening the Green Pencil Haiku Contest (2018)
- The Snapshot Press Haiku Calendar Competition (2017)
- Autumn Moon Haiku Journal Annual Haiku Contest (2017)
- Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Invitational (2017)
- World Haiku Contest (2016)
- Harold G. Henderson Award (2015)
First Place Tanka
- Drifting Sands Monuments No. 1 Contest (2022)
- Trailblazer Contest (12 finalists chosen, 2021)
- British Haiku Society Awards (2019, 2016)
- Sanford Goldstein International Tanka Contest (2018)
- 10th Moonbathing Tanka Contest (2018)
- San Francisco International Competition (joint, 2016)
- Fleeting Words Tanka Competition (2016)
- Mandy’s Pages Annual Tanka Contest (2016)
- Japan Poets’ Society, 8th International Tanka Festival Contest (joint, 2016)
Haiga
- Grand Prix, 10th Setouchi-Matsuyama Photo-Haiku Contest (2021)
- Commendations, Santoka International Haiga Contest (2020, 2019)
- Honorable Mentions, Jane Reichhold Haiga Contest (2017, 2016)
- World Haiku Association Award of Excellence for Haiga (2015)
Kuniharu Shimizu often recognized Debbie’s haiga in the now defunct World Haiku Association’s monthly contests.
Artwork
- Winner, Skylark Tanka Journal Cover Contest (2018)
- Winner, The Heron’s Nest Cover Illustration Contest (2014)
Book Reviews
The Language of Loss: Haiku & Tanka Conversations (Sable Books, 2020) book reviews can be found here: https://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/p/book-language-of-loss.html
Prairie Interludes (Snapshot Press, 2020) book reviews can be found here: https://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/p/prairie-interludes-haiku-echapbook.html
Three-Part Harmony, Tanka Verses (Keibooks, 2018) book reviews can be found here: https://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/p/three-part-harmony-tanka-verses.html
A Year Unfolding: Haiku (Folded Word, 2017) book reviews can be found here: https://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/p/books-reviews-year-unfolding.html
Warp and Weft, Tanka Threads (Keibooks, 2015) book reviews can be found here: https://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/p/warp-and-weft-tanka-threads.html
Features
Debbie was a Featured Poet for:
- Iris International Haiku Magazine (2022)
- Serow (2021)
- Ribbons (2019)
- Scryptic (2018)
- Presence 59 (2017)
- One Man’s Maple Moon (2017)
- Mann Library Daily Haiku (March 2016)
- Hedgerow (2015)
- Cattails (September 2014)
Debbie was a Featured/Cover Artist for:
- Failed Haiku (2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2016)
- Haiga in Focus (2022)
- Geppo (2022)
- Drifting Sands (2022)
- Contemporary Haibun Online (2021)
- Modern Haiku (2021)
- Haigaonline (2021, 2019, 2018, 2016)
- Cattails (2020)
- Cirrus (2019)
- Human/Kind (2019)
- Colorado Boulevard Poetry Corner (2019, 2018)
- Akitsu Quarterly (2018)
- Skylark (2018)
- Incense Dreams (2018, 2017)
- Daily Haiga (2018)
- Frameless Sky (2018)
- Haiku Canada Review (2018)
- KYSO Flash (2018)
- The Right Touch of Sun TSA Members’ Anthology (2017)
Haiku Readings and Videos:
The Poetry of Birds – The Haiku Foundation, HaikuLife Film Festival
“Debbie Strange helps us enter into the music and language of birds with this slideshow reading of her haiku.” — The Haiku Foundation, March 28, 2017 (4 minutes 39 seconds). YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db-n_9xG46k
***
For additional contributions to the annual HaikuLife Film Festival, please see: https://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/p/rea.html
***
The Language of Loss – Poetry Pea TV (October 5, 2021) (3 minutes 16 seconds). YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhnp06XN61I
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Other Interviews:
For a full list of interviews, please see: https://debbiemstrange.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_14.html
New to Haiku: Advice for Beginners – Debbie Strange (The Haiku Foundation, May 23, 2021)
To read Debbie’s award-winning haiku for the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival Haiku Invitational in 2017 along with an interview, please see:
The Tanka of Debbie Strange — An Interview with Catherine Macdonald (portage and slain, April 2016): https://portageandslain.com/2016/04/30/the-tanka-of-debbie-strange/
Additional Links:
To read an excellent sample of Debbie’s haiku: https://livinghaikuanthology.com/index-of-poets/229-s-poets/381-strange,-debbie.html
https://charlottedigregorio.wordpress.com/category/debbie-strange/
https://haiku.mannlib.cornell.edu/category/author/debbie-strange/
To read an excellent sample of Debbie’s senryu: https://senryu.life/index-of-poets/29-index-s/75-strange,-debbie.html
Debbie’s bio on The Haiku Foundation: https://thehaikufoundation.org/poet-details/?IDclient=1542
Please share 3 of your recent haiku and/or tanka (with publication credits if they are in a book, journal or anthology):
fireflies the synchronicity of it all
1st Place, 2021 Irish Haiku Society International Haiku Competition
Our Garden: The Haiku Foundation Volunteer Anthology 2022 (photo-ku)
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busker’s hat a child offers coins of dried lunaria
1st Place, 2022 Bloodroot Haiku Award
Pinesong: The North Carolina Poetry Society’s Annual Award Anthology 2022
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awaiting rain’s unkept promise crops wither in the dust of dreams passed down to me
1st Place, 2022 Drifting Sands Monuments Contest No. 1
Haiku and Tanka © Debbie Strange
In Advice for Beginners posts, we ask established haiku poets to share a bit about themselves so that you can meet them and learn more about their writing journeys. We, too, wanted to learn what advice they would give to beginning haiku poets.
Welcome to New to Haiku, Debbie! How did you come to learn about haiku?
I have written poetry and songs since childhood, but all I “knew” about haiku was that they were defined as nature poems written in a strict 5/7/5 syllable pattern. I dabbled in writing this style for many years. When I joined social media, I soon discovered that my knowledge was completely outdated! My eyes were opened to a whole new way of reading and writing haiku. I instantly fell in love with short-form poetry, and it has since become a powerful healing force, and the creative passion in my life.
Do you have a haiku mentor? What advice did they give you? Did someone else’s haiku greatly influence your own?
The first editor to publish my haiku was the esteemed poet, an’ya, and that acceptance changed the course of my writing life. She gave me pointers regarding personification and line breaks, and she holds a special place in my heart to this day. I consider every poet whose work touches me in some way to be a mentor! This influences my writing and my appreciation for the myriad ways in which haiku’s compact form has broadened my horizons.
Where do you most often write? Do you have a writing process?
I write anywhere and everywhere! I keep notebooks beside the bed, on my desk, and in my pocket. One of my main sources of inspiration is a series of journals spanning over 40 years, which chronicle the adventures of my husband and me in the Canadian wilds. These observations of the world are my lifeline to nature, especially now that I do not have the physical stamina I once enjoyed. I also keep a file of interesting words, fragments, and facts, which are invaluable sources of ideas for writing haiku. I have been an avid photographer for decades, and I often use images to spark my writing process. By using these techniques, I never have to wait for the muse to come calling!
My writing and art practice helps distract me from chronic pain. It allows me to attain a meditative state of mind, fostering a sense of purpose. I am at my desk for about five hours each day. During this time, I write haiku and tanka, revise, prepare and track submissions, update publication data, and create haiga.
Every haiku I craft presents a unique challenge, and to be quite frank, I sometimes feel as though I am flailing about in uncharted waters! I find these small poems incredibly difficult to compose, but immensely rewarding when the right words fall into place. After countless drafts, I read the completed haiku aloud until its breath becomes my own. I strive to leave a gate open to welcome readers into my sanctuary. Sometimes I over-polish the poem, and once it has lost its shine, I must begin again.
How do you approach reading haiku?
Exposing oneself to the work of classical masters and modern haiku practitioners is of paramount importance in order to grow as a poet. I subscribe to several highly regarded print journals, and I regularly access well-established online magazines. Haiku anthologies are perfect for studying differing approaches to the form. I support the work of others by purchasing their books and sharing their accomplishments online, but deteriorating vision has curtailed my reading of late.
Though I am unable to perform at poetry readings or attend Zoom events, I greatly enjoy listening to haiku presentations on YouTube, which helps keep me connected to the poetry community.
What print journals, online journals, or YouTube channels do you recommend for the purpose of studying haiku?
- The Haiku Foundation (THF also has a dedicated Video Gallery.)
- The Poetry Pea
- Failed Haiku
- Haiku Poets of Northern California
- Haiku Society of America
- Daily Haiku (Charlotte Digregorio)
- NeverEnding Story (Chen-ou Liu)
- Graceguts (Michael Dylan Welch)
- Mann Library’s Daily Haiku Column (Tom Clausen)
For those just starting out, what advice would you give?
I spent a full year reading, writing, and researching before I took my first tentative steps along the haiku pathway. It is very easy for novice poets to become overwhelmed by the plethora of haiku “rules,” and in so doing, lose their enthusiasm for the form. I recommend Terry Ann Carter’s tiny book of instruction, hue: a day at Butchart Gardens (Leaf Press 2014) as a gentle introduction to the basics. The Haiku Foundation offers a treasure trove of resources and lesson plans for all poets at every stage of their writing journey!
Once you feel confident enough to venture forth, try to send out your work on a regular basis. Rejections are a necessary part of a writer’s growth, and they simply mean that your work did not connect with a particular editor. They should never be taken personally! I learn something from every acceptance, as well as from every rejection, and it is always a bonus when an editor provides feedback. Be open to editorial advice, and be gracious to those who so generously volunteer their time to help us become better poets.
Entering reputable contests is a fun way to discover whether one’s haiku is resonating within the global community. The best thing about placing in a contest is not the award itself, but rather, the judge’s personalized commentary! It is encouraging and affirming to know that your work has engaged at least one reader.
What are some of the fun ways that you have used or experienced haiku?
In March of 2020, as Covid-19 began making its presence known, I wanted to find a way to share a little joy with the Twitter short-form poetry community. To that end, between March 25 and May 18, I made haiga for 50 emerging and established poets whose work complemented a series of my previously published photographs. (You can view these on Twitter using the hashtag #DebbieMStrangeHaigaProject.)
In 2014, I initiated another Twitter project, inviting poets to write on the theme of “feathers” (#LostFeatherPoetClub). Over 100 poets participated in that challenge, with more than 200 poems posted!
What are your favorite haiku that you have written? Can you share a story behind one of them?
One of the highlights of my haiku life was having the following three poems shortlisted (30 haiku selected from over 800 nominations) in The Haiku Foundation’s 2019 Touchstone Awards for Individual Poems:
bioluminescence
I skip a pebble across
the universe
- Seashores 2, 2019
1st Place OtherWordly Intergalactic Haiku Competitionghost apple
this emptiness
inside
- Shamrock Haiku Journal 42, 2019
weathered oars
we fold our worries
into the river
- Acorn 42, Spring 2019
It reassures me to know that a panel of six accomplished haiku poets deemed these poems worthy of inclusion.
Many of my haiku are written from a poetry-of-place perspective, and natural history is regularly featured in my work. Making haiga in a variety of media (ink, watercolour, photography, digital), using illustrative, associative, and interpretive techniques is a vital part of my creative process.
Though writing about the moon in a fresh way can be an exercise in frustration, I was honoured that this haiku placed first, as it appealed to the judge of the 2017 Autumn Moon Haiku Journal’s annual contest, Dr. Bruce Ross:
“Many haiku have been written about the effect of moonlight and the moon’s reflection. This haiku is unique and highly poetic in its expressions.”
What haiku-related project are you currently working on that brings you joy? What do you like about it?
My husband and I are planning to produce a book that will pair his childhood bird watching field notes and watercolour paintings with my short-form poetry and photography. We hope to be able to give copies to our friends and families as keepsakes, and we’re brimming over with ideas at the moment!
I was honoured to be chosen for this feature by the editor, Marilyn Hazelton.
In response to her question regarding my musical background as it informs Three-Part Harmony:
I have been playing guitar, singing, and writing songs since the age of 12. My eldest sister was the main musical mentor in my life. I received my first guitar from her as a Christmas gift, and we often played music and sang together. She taught my sisters and me to sing harmony, hence the title and dedication of this book. Though she passed away when she was 28, every time I play my guitar, I think of her.
In response to her question regarding how I compiled the book:
It took about a year to finalize the manuscript. I began my eliminating poems that had appeared in my first book, Warp and Weft: Tanka Threads. I sorted the remaining published work into themed groups, and whittled the field down to approximately 300 tanka. This is like working on a huge jigsaw puzzle. I inserted each tanka into a set until they resonated with each other, thereby breathing new life into old poems.
In response to her question regarding my reflections on three tanka sets she chose at random:
murmuration
curls of clouds
become passerines
each autumn
the low-angled light
invites me to follow
snow geese
scribe an ancient mystery
across the moon
their soft murmurs
catching winter's breath
a starling
m u m u r a t i o n
sifting the sky
she recalls the moment
her life changed shape
I have been an avid birder for 40 years. Birds inspire me on a daily basis, and they feature in many of my tanka. In murmuration, I tried to encompass the way birds make me feel, how they capture my imagination, and stir my emotion. Here, we have clouds shape-shifting into passerines, snow geese becoming scribes, and starlings changing the very shape of sky.
bread and tempers
that phone call
all those years ago
I still see
a serpent writhing
between her fingers
the argument
escalates all night
inside me
these paper-thin walls
only meant for wasps
we lived
above a bake shop
that summer
of bread and tempers
rising through the night
I find it cathartic and healing to share my joys and sorrows via the written word. I do not shy away from writing about the dark times in my life, because these experiences have helped to mould me into the writer I am, and the writer that I will become.
gunmetal nights
mule deer
resting in a thicket
by the slough
all over this world
the sound of guns
shots fired
another child dies
for a debt
her chalk outline
macabre street art
bullets of crows
on gunmetal nights
a deeper shade
of anguish echoes
in her bones
This set is especially meaningful to me, as I have a complicated relationship with guns. When I was a child, my father hunted to provide food for our family, so they seemed like a necessary evil, if you will. Over the years, two of my cousins have been murdered by these weapons, and with escalating gun violence throughout the world, I find myself becoming increasingly fearful for our global community.
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letters addressed to you
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Meet Canada Haiku Invitational Winner 2017
Debbie Strange
Canada Winner, 2017 VCBF Haiku Invitational
transience . . .
petal by petal
we let go
Debbie Strange
Winnipeg, Manitoba
Congratulations on having your haiku selected as the top winner in the Canada category in the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival’s 2017 Haiku Invitational contest. How did you first learn about haiku, and how much writing of haiku or other poetry have you done?
To be recognized in this competition is a particular honour, as I lived in Vancouver for ten years, and it holds a special place in my heart. I extend my thanks to the Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival, the judges, and to Michael Dylan Welch, for this opportunity to share my haiku story. Weaving words into poetry, stories, and songs has been my passion since childhood. Though I was introduced to the rudimentary basics of haiku in school, I did not begin to concentrate my efforts on short forms until joining social media in recent years. I now devote several hours each day to writing haiku and tanka, and to creating haiga [paintings with haiku]. This practice serves as a form of meditation for me, and is a welcome distraction from physical limitations. I am grateful to the editors of leading publications worldwide who have welcomed my offerings, and to the judges of respected haiku and tanka contests who have warmly responded to my work.
What was the inspiration for your winning poem?
My poem was inspired by the “freedom” theme. I tried to achieve a sense of ambiguity in this haiku so that readers could enter into the work on their own terms. “Transience” acknowledges that all life is in a perpetual state of change. “Petal by petal” represents the passage of time, as well as the ever-evolving layers of our internal and external lives. “We let go” refers to the shedding of metaphorical shackles (worry, anger, hurt, etc.), and to the transitioning of life into (and perhaps beyond) death. By casting off the chains that bind us, we are freed to become more than we imagined, and the best versions of ourselves.
Describe the moment when you first learned you had won.
After being immersed in autumn’s quiet beauty while on a camping adventure, I reluctantly returned to the noise of the city, to find dozens of mundane emails requiring my attention. Buried beneath all of the ordinary business of living was the extraordinary news of this award, which I immediately shared with my husband and sisters. I am beyond thrilled to have my haiku included amongst those of so many gifted writers!
Do you have favourite books or websites relating to haiku that others might benefit from in order to learn haiku as a literary art and to share one’s haiku?
I am affiliated with Haiku Canada (http://haikucanada.org/), Tanka Canada (http://tanka.a2hosted.com/), and several other organizations. Links to excellent online and print journals may be accessed through my publication archive at my blog, Warp and Weft: Images and Words (http://debbiemstrange.blogspot.ca). For those interested in an introduction to haiku, without being overwhelmed by “rules”, I recommend the lovely pocket-sized primer, Hue: A Day at Butchart Gardens by T. A. Carter. The Haiku Foundation website (www.thehaikufoundation.org) shares a wealth of information, as do Graceguts (www.graceguts.com), NeverEnding Story (http://neverendingstoryhaikutanka.blogspot.com/), and Call of the Page (www.callofthepage.org/home/haiku/). Online sites that promote bodies of work by individual haiku writers include the Mann Library’s Daily Haiku (http://haiku.mannlib.cornell.edu/) and the Living Haiku and Senryū Anthologies (http://livinghaikuanthology.com/ and http://livingsenryuanthology.com/). Snapshot Press (http://www.snapshotpress.co.uk/) and Red Moon Press (www.redmoonpress.com/) produce fine books, and for online translations of the classics, you can’t go wrong with Blue Willow Haiku World (https://fayaoyagi.wordpress.com/), and the Haiku of Kobayashi Issa (http://haikuguy.com/issa/).
Please tell us more about yourself.
I was born on a small farm in Saskatchewan, and my love of learning began in a one-room schoolhouse. My father introduced me to classical poetry, and my sister taught me to sing and play guitar. I have been an avid photographer since my teens, and favourite subjects include the minutiae of life (dewdrops, lichen, feathers), and all things rusted, broken, and abandoned. Macro photography has taught my mind to be still, open, and aware of my surroundings, and I often use my photographs as writing prompts.
How does where you live and what you enjoy doing affect the way you write haiku?
I have lived on the prairies, in the mountains, and at the ocean’s edge. My travels have taken me across Canada. A sense of place, coupled with direct observation of nature, is integral to my writing. In 2015, Keibooks released my full-length collection, Warp and Weft: Tanka Threads, and Folded Word released my haiku chapbook, A Year Unfolding, in 2017. A showcase of award-winning poems that I have incorporated into art may be viewed in The Haiku Foundation Haiga Galleries (https://www.thehaikufoundation.org/thf-haiga-galleries/haiga-of-debbie-strange/).
The Tanka of Debbie Strange
Poet and photographic artist Debbie Strange uses the Japanese minimalist forms of haiku and tanka to explore her responses to the landscapes she encounters. Last month she launched Warp and Weft, Tanka Threads, a collection of tanka triptychs that editor M. Kei calls “primal poetry with a pagan heart”. A recent interest unites her two passions; at the launch she presented a slideshow of her photographic and artwork images into which poems from the collection were embedded.
Here’s an example.
Debbie Strange makes her home in Winnipeg after having lived in each of the four western Canadian provinces. She is a member of the Writers’ Collective of Manitoba and the Manitoba Writers’ Guild, as well as several haiku and tanka organizations. Her short form writing has received many awards, and has been translated, anthologized and widely published internationally.
Debbie’s photographic images have been exhibited and published, and she is currently working on a collection of haiga (haiku with art) and tanka art.
Warp and Weft, Tanka Threads, was published through Keibooks by M. Kei.
http://www.amazon.com/Warp-Weft-Threads-Debbie-Strange/dp/1512361127
Read my e-chat with Debbie Strange below.
CM: I know a bit about haiku but nothing about tanka. Can you explain the conventions of tanka composition?
DS: Many Westerners were taught to write haiku in grade school, and most of what we learned was based on the misconception that haiku must be written in 17 syllables! Although tanka is not as well known in Canada, this form is also often thought to be based on syllabic count (31 in this case). The confusion stems from the fact that Japanese sound units differ from English syllables. If you would like to read a selection of my haiku, please visit the featured poet archive of the Mann Library, in Cornell University, Ithaca, New York:
http://haiku.mannlib.cornell.edu/category/author/debbie-strange/
The term “short song” is commonly used to describe tanka, and this well-respected Japanese lyrical form has been written for more than 1300 years. A basic description of contemporary tanka is that it is generally composed of five unrhymed metrical units or poetic phrases, using approximately 20 words or syllables that are arranged in a rhythmic short/long/short/long/long pattern. The poems often contain juxtapositions of the natural and the human world, and each line must be able to stand alone, or perform a critical function. Tanka allows more metaphor and simile than haiku, and tanka often have a turning point which belongs equally to the first and last halves of the poem, and which builds to the last line, with only one clear grammatical break. Individual tanka are usually untitled, with little or no punctuation and capitalization, and few articles. That said, modern tanka is still evolving, and so are the “rules” of writing these quintains!
CM: How did you come to write haiku and tanka? Had you written other kinds of poetry before?
DS: I have written poetry and songs since I was a child, only beginning to share my work after joining the Writers’ Collective of Manitoba in 2000. I entered their annual contests, and I was fortunate to receive a few awards for free verse poetry, fiction, and non-fiction over the years.
In 2013, via social media, I discovered a thriving Japanese short form community, and instantly fell in love with haiku and tanka. I began focusing exclusively on these forms, and I practice writing them and creating haiga and tanshi (small poem) art on a daily basis. The example of my tanka art reproduced above contains a prairie tanka sequence which was first published in 2015 in Ribbons, the Tanka Society of America’s journal.
Since I narrowed my writing focus, opportunities to publish have expanded beyond my wildest imaginings. This is completely astonishing to me, and I am grateful every day for the amazing turn in my writing life!
If you are interested in discovering more about my published work, I invite you to visit my blog archive and Twitter feed:
http://www.debbiemstrange.blogspot.ca
http://www.twitter.com/Debbie_Strange
CM: Tell me about your new collection, Warp and Weft. The title encourages the idea of threads. Can you describe the threads running through the book and present some of the poems?
DS: Warp and Weft is a collection of over 200 individual tanka, written in both traditional and modern styles, and presented as themed triptychs.
In sorting through my published tanka, I was interested to find that although the works had appeared in a variety of journals, there were recurring themes, phrases and word choices. There was also a nearly equal division between light and dark moods.
Each triptych in this tanka collection contains poems taken from different publications, but sharing a common thread. A word or phrase from the last poem in each triptych also serves as its title. The work is arranged so that readers shuttle back and forth between the light and dark tanka fibres. Poems tracing my family history are woven into the book’s underlying fabric.
The following selections were inspired in part by my experiences in Manitoba’s Whiteshell Provincial Park (Bannock Point), Riding Mountain National Park, Steep Rock, and by my love for our Canadian winters!
the altar of air
offerings
on sacred stones
petroforms
scarred with lichen
we listen to the chanting wind
in the highlands
we are standing stones
leaning
toward each other
f r a g m e n t e d
tobacco bundles
tied to jackpine bones
prayer fragments
hanging deliverance
in the altar of air
blues
a blue fan
unfolding in the distance
so many hills
we meant to climb before
they became mountains
layers
of this blue life
winnowed
by the hour glass
my furrows deepen
we replay
our lowest notes
over and over
these blues wailing
through harmonica bones
turning season
winter winds
play an aeolian harp
of barbed wire
a lone coyote and I howl
at the long night moon
lying in sage
on limestone cliffs
sunning myself
with ribbon snakes
emerging from hibernation
mercurial wind
in this turning season
my body
a weather vane tilting
in a new direction
filling up winter
a lullaby
of snow fluttering
against the tent
unzipping our cocoons
we emerge into winter
ice dancing
between frozen waves
on winter’s lake
silver blades carve initials
in the diamond dust of snow
snowflakes
in my open hands
the slow drift
of our memories
filling up winter
CM: Are you working on any other projects at the moment?
DS: I have a haiku chapbook called A Year Unfolding to be published in November 2016 by Folded Word Press.
I also have work forthcoming in More Grows in a Crooked Row: Tanka Conversations with 15 Canadian Poets, edited by Angela Leuck, as well as in Wild Moons: The Canadian Tanka Anthology, edited by Angela Leuck and George Swede. Hopefully these two publications will help to further the tanka cause. It would be wonderful if more people in Canada discovered the joys of writing and reading tanka!
Thank you for the interview, Catherine, and for this opportunity to discuss my creative processes.
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September 2014
Debbie Strange, Canada |
I am grateful to an’ya for inviting me to be the featured poet in this issue of cattails. She was the first editor to whom I submitted work, and I was thrilled when an artist of her calibre chose to accept my haiku! This encouraged me to take the plunge and begin sending out my work. As a neophyte in the world of writing Japanese short form poetry, I was concerned that I might not have anything of value to add to the wealth of information provided by much more knowledgeable writers. Then, it occurred to me that perhaps my positive experiences with this genre over the past year might inspire other poets to embark on a similar adventure. The Pulse of Poetry I make my home in Winnipeg, Manitoba. I have also lived in Saskatchewan and Alberta, the other two prairie provinces, as well as on the west coast of British Columbia. Both the prairie and the sea play integral roles in much of my writing. Photography and art are important aspects of my creative life. An exhibition of my abstract photographs was recently held at the Assiniboine Park Conservatory in Winnipeg. A gallery of these images may be viewed on crated.com. I am currently assembling a collection of haiga and tanka art, and I often post these creations on Twitter. You are welcome to visit me online at: https://twitter.com/Debbie_Strange My other interests include singing, playing guitar and writing songs, tending a huge perennial flower garden, and exploring nature with my husband and our dog in a lime-green 1978 VW camper named Ludwig Van. Our camping trips provide wonderful inspiration for my photography and writing. Though I’ve been a word weaver all my life, I am not a prolific writer. When I finally allow a fully-fledged work to leave the nest, I worry that its feathers might be singed, but I also feel hopeful that this might be the creation that takes wing and soars. I do not have a stockpile of perfectly rendered poems in my flock to send out into the world, but I do have a flourishing collection of fragments. This is my treasure trove, and within it are the pinions I need in order to fashion the wing of a new poem. I hope that words will always be thrumming in my blood through the pulse of poetry. Turning Points In 2000, I became a member of The Writers’ Collective of Manitoba. I entered their annual contests, and was thankful when I was lucky enough to receive recognition. I also sent in work for evaluation, and the constructive criticism given to me was invaluable. Through my association with this group, I gained a newfound confidence in my writing. As I learned to read my work aloud in public, my voice began to emerge from its cocoon, and this was the beginning of my metamorphosis as a writer. I entered into retirement earlier than planned, due to the after-effects of an injury. The silver lining behind that cloud is that I now have more time to devote to writing and learning! In 2013, I made a promise to my inner critic to answer calls for submissions, and to begin sharing my work, no matter how apprehensive I was. The first step I took in that direction was to join Twitter. Before long, I was a member of a thriving online short form poetry community, with too many excellent poets to mention here. That being said, it was serendipitous for me that the first two writers of Japanese short form poetry I discovered on Twitter were the well-known M. Kei and Chen-ou Liu. I admire their work, and I am grateful for the vast knowledge they share, as well as for their support and encouragement. They have helped change the course of my writing life. Journeying into Haiku and Tanka M. Kei is an esteemed tanka poet, novelist, and Editor of Atlas Poetica, as well as many other publications. I had never heard of tanka, and encountering this form has been life changing for me. M. Kei published 100 of my traditional and experimental tanka in the Bright Stars Tanka Anthology series, and I am indebted to him for leading me on my journey into tanka. The singer in me has fallen deeply in love with these short songs, and the practice of writing tanka daily feels like coming home. Chen-ou Liu is an award-winning poet, and Editor and Chief Translator of Never Ending Story – the First English-Chinese Bilingual Haiku and Tanka Blog. I had been introduced to the “traditional 5/7/5” haiku in school, and Chen-ou has expanded my perception and understanding of this form. |
My first published haiku: sere grasses... summer threads unraveling kernelsonline 2013 | My first published tanka: on sagebrush prairie the whirring grasshoppers and trilling larks sing a lamentation hymn for my sister’s stone ears Notes from the Gean August 2013 |
| Looking back on my first publications, I see how my work has evolved. Brevity is a difficult concept to grasp for a self-confessed “adjective addict”, but I’m learning that less is more. The minimalist nature of Japanese short form poetry appeals to me. I like to see the black bones of a poem on the page, with nothing distracting from, or confining the words. The general lack of capitalization, punctuation, and complex line breaks makes for an austerity and starkness on the page that I find aesthetically pleasing. I also discovered haiga and tanka art on Twitter, and this has become another new passion. Blending my photographs and art with my words satisfies both creative urges in me. I am a member of the United Haiku and Tanka Society, Haiku Canada, Tanka Canada, the Tanka Society of America and the World Haiku Association. I subscribe to several journals, and as a result of this, I am continually being introduced to the work of a wide variety of poets with diverse styles. I have made some observations as I travel this road. I find it refreshing that most journal editors do not care who you are or what you have published in the past. The most important thing is the work, and the only prerequisite is quality. Also, it is interesting to note that self-publishing is celebrated rather than frowned upon, as is often the case with mainstream writing. A short time ago, I could never have imagined that I would have my work published in international journals. Some of the pieces have been translated into other languages, and this is a source of amazement to me. In closing, I will quote from my thoughts regarding inspiration, which Steve Wilkinson, Editor of The Bamboo Hut, so kindly published: My writing is mainly informed by experiences in both my emotional world and the natural world. Words are my solace and salvation. I am inspired by the very shape of words, their cadence, meaning and power. I breathe words, write words and sing words. In return, they bless me, heal me and save me. |
