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Last Updated: 08 February 2016

October 7, 2013

 

"A Voice to be Heard."  That's a poet - a person who writes from an unknown, undefined place within their creative presence, memorable poems that dwell in the ether of poetic consciousness.

The Living Haiku Anthology team is collecting and documenting many of the finest haiku today (by living as well as departed poets).  In the journal, hundreds of published as well as older, unpublished poems of talented poets are presented for leisurely reading, serious study and research, and posterity.  Poets' histories, talent, and poetry are being savored (and saved) for generations to come!

Most often, we can only read a haiku or two from any particular poet - but nothing extensive.  Of course, books are terrific and there are numerous excellent ones available; yet, not necessarily from each author we might have an interest in.  And, frankly, where do we go to read "up-and-coming poets"?  It has always been clear that "new on the scene" does not auto-equate to less than splendid poetry!  Emerging poets often bring out startling and fresh ideas.  They are a perfect balance to the seasoned, well known professionals that continuously present superb haiku with deep, fulfilling resonance.  Presented together, in this living, organic anthology - a magnificent "dream-library" - are notable poets as well as emerging ones from all walks of life, languages, perspectives, and countries.

Submit your best haiku, published works, older writes, and share with readers your creative beauty and essence:  share with them your words of wisdom and insights; and, share with them your heart.

Welcome poets!  Welcome readers!

Don

Editor in Chief

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Last Updated: 08 February 2016

October 11, 2013

 

The Living Haiku Anthology continues to grow.  Each day brings new poets who further expand our collection of superb haiku. Thresholds are being crossed as unity emerges amongst poets of different languages, countries, and poetic voices.  We are together exclaiming, "Here are our poems, here are our voices — here is our collectivity for the world to celebrate!"

It's exciting!  At our fingertips, thousands of haiku in their variant styles are available for all of us to gain deeper understanding of poets' voices and hearts.   The haiku resonate; the Living Haiku Anthology resonates.  There is an unfolding sense of satisfaction by everyone involved — a sigh of contentment, so to speak, embodied in a sense of knowing that all of us have done our best to make the Living Haiku Anthology an engaging home for haiku and the poets who craft their words behind the scenes.

Thank you to each and every single poet for contributing to such an adventure!

Don
Editor in Chief

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Last Updated: 08 February 2016

Editors.  Who are they?  Where did they come from?  Are they biased?  How does one operate outside of their personal perspective?  Is it possible? 

A few of the words from the thesaurus paralleling bias are: prejudice, partiality, partisanship, favoritism, unfairness, one-sidedness, intolerance, discrimination, leaning, tendency, inclination, and predilection.  Do these, at least one of the group, resonate with you regarding the tagging of an editor?  And, if so, is it wrong?

Editors are not appointed by a super human figure.  They are appointed by themselves (a choosing of career or hobby); or, appointed by someone else.  That's about it.  They come with their biases and also with those of who has brought them aboard to "do the editing they do."  Is it fair?  Is there a clear road to being a perfect editor?  Is there only one-way to write and, if so, who appoints the way?

There is a Tao of writing.  Is there a perfection?  There is a preferred way (by a journal/anthology etc.) but is there an absolute?  If so, who decides?

Our anthology is edited.  Absolutely!  However, is the anthology an "exclusive" entity or an "inclusive" one?  Is the Living Haiku Anthology staff exercising heavy bias as to what is haiku (or even as to what is good haiku) or do we perceive it as one of pliability, letting folks who visit decide what they like or do not? 

I would have to say that the latter description describes our team the best - "the propensity for letting folks who visit decide what they like or do not."  In that, though, are there poems that, in the end, get turned away?  Yes!  Absolutely.  Are they bad?  I wouldn't say and can't.  They just don't fit — our choice of bias comes into play.  Somewhere along this journey, there is our vision.  In that vision, there are boundaries.  With boundaries, even pliable ones, there are those poems that will not fit.  Does that mean anything?  Not cosmically.  They just don't fit.  We're not claiming they are good; we're not claiming they are bad. It is nothing personal.

A sonnet is not a haiku.  There is no question by any of our team members regarding that.  A tanka has haiku qualities (possibly contains a perfect haiku) but as a whole, it is not a haiku?  Is a hokku a haiku?  Is a haiku a hokku?  Possibly . . . and possibly not.  Did Shiki ever write a hokku?  Did Basho ever write a haiku (without even knowing the name?).  Possibly?  Is there someone who is the perfect judge of all of this that can come out of hiding and enlighten us as to "truth"?  Probably not.

In the end, a journal and/or an anthology will embrace a written or unwritten mission statement — a style.  An editor is brought in to reflect that style (choices) and assist in developing the "voice" of the publication.  In that reflection, there will be a narrow (intolerant) or expanded (tolerant) view of what should or should not be accepted.

The Living Haiku Anthology has a mission statement:  "to accept and publish as many quality voices of haiku as possible while retaining an expanded acceptance of style."  This is not an easy task.  There are two techniques we embrace to carry this plan out: 1)  accept haiku that have been published by mainstream journals; 2)  to accept unpublished pieces as the editor chooses without causing unnecessary contraction as to what is or what is not haiku.  Again, not an easy task.  Is there such a thing as a "land of no bias"?  Probably not — not as long as humans are the editors.  We can try, however.  And, the LHA team does. 

Let readers participate; let readers decide.  Poets will be liked for their styles or not.  There is no absolute; there is only bias.  Is bias, whether contracted or expanded in definition, right or wrong?  Either way, we will leave as much to the readers that we can. 

As a team, we attempt to remain as broad minded as possible without any harshness toward the world of poets endeavoring to write haiku.  We do our collective best to embrace the world of haiku while at the same time not deteriorate the quality of haiku that is presented in the Living Haiku Anthology. 

We hope you are enjoying the anthology.  We also hope that you encourage other haiku poets to join in — to become part of this terrific experience that has grown so close to our hearts. 

Don
Editor in Chief