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
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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 When I joined social media, I soon discovered that my knowledge was completely outdated!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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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. |
