About Haiku Poets of Northern California2012-13 schedule (please click here) MARIPOSA Submission Instruction The in-hand deadline for submission to the next issue of Mariposa (#26 Spring/ Summer) is March 1, 2012. Postal submissions must include an SASE or email address for acceptance decisions. We encourage email submissions. Only work by current members of HPNC can be considered. Poems from any season will now be accepted for each issue. Haiku, senryu, tanka, haibun, short linked verse, and brief articles (50-400 words) focusing on one aspect of haiku practice are welcome. Also line and gray-shade artwork suitable for reproduction within our 6” high and 4 ½” wide perimeters is encouraged. All submissions must be unpublished. Contest-winning poems, which have not been published in a book or journal, will gladly be considered. Email submissions are encouraged and should now be emailed to both ebbastory@juno.com and to susantolin@gmail.com. Please note: an emailed “receipt of submission” will no longer be sent. Please send postal submissions to: Ebba Story, 478 Guerrero Street, San Francisco, CA 94110. We look forward to receiving your work!
*** HPNC QUARTERLY MEETING FOR SPRING Sunday, April 22, 1-5 p.m., room C-235 at Fort Mason in San Francisco. Our featured reader will be Susan Diridoni. Our program will be a panel discussion on “Teaching Haiku.” *** Membership Dues
HPNC dues for 2012 became due on January 1. For only $15 you receive two issues of the journal Mariposa and four informative newsletters, as well as support HPNC programs such as the annual Two Autumns Reading and our quarterly meetings. Help contribute to an exciting new year. Please make checks payable to “HPNC” and send to: HPNC/Carolyn Hall, Membership Secretary 219 Brannan St. 8D San Francisco, CA 94107 ****** 2011 Haiku, Senryu, Tanka Winners HAIKU FIRST PLACE you can forget how to ride a bike autumn leaves Carolyn Hall SECOND PLACE THIRD PLACE
wildfire the night sky full of pine mist at dawn from the other side Ernest J. Berry a loon’s call Roland Packer HONORABLE MENTIONS (in ranked order):
deepening twilight a long list of regrets the maple in autumn no way to answer Carolyn Hall the grosbeak’s song Carolyn Hall SENRYU FIRST PLACE
death notice my first wife’s second husband Joseph Robello SECOND PLACE THIRD PLACEshe lowers her voice annoyed with myself static cling when she says it Francine Banwarth miscarriage Carolyn Hall
HONORABLE MENTIONS (no ranked order)
old friends unblinking eyes content to wait of the fortune-telling gypsy for whatever penny arcade John Stevenson Andre Surridge aquarium piranhas chimpanzees whisper: a toddler’s nose they’re just pressed to the glass like us Carolyn Hall Bill Pauly
TANKA FIRST PLACE mid-autumn night… the wind whispers to me Chinese words that offer me a home in the shape of a moon Chen-ou Liu SECOND PLACE THIRD PLACE our favorite walk her toothbrush by the river – in my medicine chest deep in conversation declares residency… we cover gazing at the mirror the same old ground a face hard to recognize Cara Holman Chen-ou Liu HONORABLE MENTIONS (no ranked order)
on the porch closing the door playing hide and seek reaching for moonlight leaning back I was always afraid I find it against it – I’d never be found already a small room wild geese fly north on my fingertips for the night in a perfect V Lesley Swanson Michael McClintock Margaret Chula Please go to 2011 Contests Result to read judges' comments. ***** HPNC Winter Meeting January 22, 2011 (Sunday) 1-5 pm, Rm C235 Fort Mason in San Francisco. Our featured reader is Alison Woolpert. Anne Homan, Patrick Gallagher, Patricia Machmiller will present "San Francisco Bay Saijiki" project.
***** HPNC Cherry Blossom Ginko March 20, 2011 (Sunday)
March 20, 2011, Japanese Tea Garden at Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA (from left: Maxine Grodjinsky, Susan Antolin, Linda Papanicolaou, Paul Watsky, Fay Aoyagi, Susan Diridoni, Gary Gach, Garry Gay (a photo taken by Carolyn Hall)
Fortunately, we had a nice weather on March 20, 2011. It was a little bit early for full blossoms, but we enjoyed the sunny afternoon at Japanese Tea garden.
The following are sample haiku of that day.
cherry blossom cloud— how long will it last this pledge to remain grateful Susan Antolin
tumbling out my blossom memories filling wih sun Susan Diridoni
oohs and aahs Carolyn Hall
my far-away home double-petal blossoms bending in the wind Fay Aoyagi
At the nearby restaurant, we did a haiku exercise called ‘fukuro-mawashi’ (direct translation will be ‘passing a bag).
There is a word written on each envelope and a poet must use it.
“south” or “road” (these were selected because of a name of the restaurant)
Taking the south road I start my adventure with a wandering moon Garry Gay
“cherry blossom thief” (one of many ‘blossom’ kigo from a Japanese saijiki. The meaning is ‘a person who steals a blossoming cherry branch.’)
call me Linda Papanicolaou “supermoon” (a day before was ‘supermoon’; the moon was closest to the earth in 19 years)
supermoon earth mother hugs her child Maxine Grodjinsky
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2010 HPNC Haiku, Senryu, Tanka, Rengay contest results
Haiku: Marco Fraticelli, Judge
HAIKU FIRST PLACE
rhubarb leaves how they soften the pelting rain
Michael McClintock
HAIKU SECOND PLACE
zen garden in the raked furrows pine needles gather
Garry Gay
HAIKU THIRD PLACE
pieces of sky in the forest canopy - summer's end
Linda Galloway
HAIKU HONORABLE MENTIONS (in ranked order):
the honking of geese heading south - our wordless smiles
Linda Galloway
longest day the stallion drinks straight from the hose
Melissa Spurr
a few leaves still on the trees. . . the train's faint call
Jeanne Cook
Judge's comment:
It is almost mandatory for a judge to state how difficult it was to select the winning haiku, however, in my case, I can say that this was very true.
After six or seven readings of all the submissions, I was still left with over thirty haiku which were worthy of selection as winners.
Why then these final three?
I have always felt that the haiku that effect me the most are those that are the most difficult for me to justify.
Certainly, there were many haiku that were very well written, very clever, or very touching.
But although I appreciated these, what I admired in them was the craft of the poet, rather than the haiku itself.
So why choose a haiku about a small hole in the forest canopy or a few pine needles in the furrows?
I suppose that if you have stood listening to the sound of rain on rhubarb leaves, you will know why.
Congratulations to the winners!
Senryu: Ferris Gilli, Judge
SENRYU FIRST PLACE
Dead Sea Scrolls my mother still has my baby teeth
Garry Gay
SENRYU SECOND PLACE
family chapel my ancestors' patina on the seats
Ernest Berry
SENRYU THIRD PLACE
cyber problem i borrow my neighbour's 9-year-old
Ernest Berry
SENRYU HONORABLE MENTIONS (no ranked order)
after the funeral we get into our comfortable clothes
Francine Banwarth
men's retreat-- toilet seats left down
Bruce Feingold
secular guest - thankful no one feels the need to say grace
Seren Fargo
transit lounge the toppled suitcase left that way
John Stevenson
funeral day family feuds not laid to rest
Carolyn Hall
autumn leaves . . . learning I'm dispensable
Francine Banwarth
Judge's Comment This was one of the hardest competitions I've ever judged, because of the large number of outstanding entries. After finding my first short list of twenty, then my next one of nine (no easy task!), I was still compelled to go through the whole batch again and again, so afraid I'd miss something special. It was especially difficult choosing the First Place poem, because the top three are so close in quality and appeal. I feel confident that readers will find"Dead Sea Scrolls" accessible, evocative, and appealing on several levels, as I do. "family chapel" is current, yet with the feel of history while containing subtle insights. And "cyber problem" is such a delightful sign of the times. Each honorable-mention poem has special appeal, and I could easily add ten more to the list.
Thank you for the opportunity to closely study so many crackerjack senryu. My congratulations to the winners, and a bow to all who submitted entries.
Tanka: John Stevenson, Judge
TANKA FIRST PLACE
unbuttoning a cuff loosening a sleeve the cool evening
Michael McClintock
The simplicity of the words perfectly reflects the small moment of release at the end of a day in which the formality of buttoned cuffs is giving way to evening. This is the product of effective craftsmanship. The “uh, uh, uh” of “unbuttoning a cuff” works with the “oo” of “loose” and “cool” and the partial rhyme of “sleeve” and “evening” without seeming the least bit forced. And the line structure supports a sense of slowing down, looking around, and focusing: action / upon a thing / other action / upon another thing / taking in one’s surroundings. The image is sensual in various ways, depending upon whether we imagine loosening our own clothing or having it done for us by someone else.
TANKA SECOND PLACE
we hear grunion outside the cottage at night swarming the beach - little abominations perishing in moonlight
Michael McClintock
A very good set up. And a smashing finish!
TANKA THIRD PLACE
dense fog covers the highway this morning - so hard to tell when I cross the line
John Soules
While the metaphor tends to be more prominent than the literal in this poem, I can attest to the resonance of the literal experience. At one time my commuting route included a place where the fog was sometimes so thick that I had to open the window and look down at the lines on the road in order to avoid crossing to the wrong side of the road or driving into a ditch. The tension of this dangerous experience, fed back into the metaphor, reveals its full potency.
TANKA HONORABLE MENTIONS (no ranked order)
I’m re-invented with two heads and three mouths by my Cubist friend who explains how my eyes became a school of fish
Michael McClintock
sitting out the tractor square dance at the fair a green John Deere with two left tires
John Soules
what to do with this body now you are gone . . . a glove puppet left on the airport shuttle
Andre Surridge
Rengay: Paul Watsky, Judge First Place Cherie Hunter Day (Cupertino, CA) Christopher Patchel (Mettawa, IL)
Pulse
reunion the smell of new clothes in a hug Cherie
ladies choice her cha-cha hips Christopher
sharing an umbrella our steps in and out of sync Cherie
third attempt by the chiropractor gets a crack Christopher
the eye roll as security frisks her Cherie
a seatmate’s baby cradled in my arms… his pulsing fontanel Christopher
Second Place:
John Thompson (Santa Rosa, CA) Renée Owen (Sebastopol, CA)
Hits of Blue
a moment’s coupling above the marsh reeds blue dragonflies John
in the half-light of dawn a kingfisher flashes past Renée
skinny dippers— their rumpled jeans on the opposite shore John
a peacock preens for his reflection still summer pond Renée
a hand-tied fly the pale tint of grandma’s hair John
bluegills sizzle— a gibbous moon rises through the pines Renée
Third Place: Michael Dylan Welch (Sammamish, WA) Billie Dee (San Diego, CA) Tanya McDonald (Woodinville, WA) Swapping Shells
shell gathering— our toes sinking down to the wet Michael
abandoned camper shell columbine in the shadows Billie
sea glass— she caresses the shell of his ear Tanya
the idle hooker reading Shelley Michael
by moonlight a hermit crab swapping shells Billie
the band shell darkened he gives my hand a squeeze Tanya
Honorable Mention: John Thompson (Santa Rosa, CA) Garry Gay (Windsor, CA) Bottoms Up
beach house a stack of whodunits read final page first John
high in the sky the kite in the puddle Garry
head stand the yoga class filled with wavering feet John
upside down pail sand castle crumbles into the moat Garry
overturned crab treads only air John
shaking out the last drop of soda summer sun Garry
Judge’s Comment
The dynamic First Place rengay well exemplifies the potential of this form. "Pulse" is wonderfully cohesive, especially thanks to how well the verse rhythm supports the poem's theme. The images vividly evoke physicality—living bodies in motion and in uncomfortably endured stasis. "Pulse's" diction is lively and economical: no slack links, awkwardness, or wasted words.
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2010 Two Autumns reading
We had another excellent Two Autumns reading on August 22, 2010 at Fort Mason, San Francisco.
 Four readers from left: Roberta Beary, Ebba Story, Victor Ortiz and Debbie Kolodji.
Michael Dylan Welch, the editor of 2010 chapbook, coordinated four rengay by readers to honor Garry Gay (who holds the rengay sheet in the photo below), the creator of rengay.
 Carolyn Hall (left to Garry in the photo above), our membership secretary, hosted a gathering at her house on Saturday.
If you would like to order 2010 chapbook, "Lighting a Candle," which is beautifully produced by Patrick Gallagher, please contact Renee Owen, our book sale representative.
slave cemetery
a marker
for every plant Roberta Beary
seagull moon
the sky still blue
this evening Deborah P Kolodji
Christmas morning
all the family
that could be here Victor Ortiz
tell me
how to grow old
winter moon Ebba Story
(sample haiku from "Lighting a Candle.")
An introduction to our four outstanding 2010 Two Autumns Readers.
Roberta Beary lived in Tokyo for five years of haiku study. Her individual poems, often a hybrid of haiku and senryu, have been honored throughout North America, Europe, and Asia. Her book The Unworn Necklace (Snapshot Press, 2007, reprinted in hardback in 2010) was selected as a William Carlos Williams Book Award finalist (Poetry Society of America). It was also a Haiku Society of America Merit Book Award prize winner. She and her husband live near Washington, DC. Deborah P Kolodji moderates the Southern California Haiku Study Group and is the president of the Science Fiction Poetry Association. The author of four chapbooks of poetry, she is a winner of the Virgil Hutton Haiku Memorial Award. Her haiku, longer poetry, memoirs, and short stories have appeared in the Red Moon Anthology, New Resonance 4, Modern Haiku, Frogpond, Bottle Rockets, The Rhysling Anthology, Star*Line, Strange Horizons, Mainichi Daily News, Comstock Review, Pearl, Poeticdiversity, Chicken Soup for the Dieter’s Soul, Thema, and elsewhere. Victor Ortiz lives near the Port of Los Angeles in San Pedro, California with his wife Mimi. He received his Ph.D. in Classics from UCLA and works as the associate director of academic technology at an independent school in Los Angeles. A member of the Southern California Haiku Study Group since 2002, his work has appeared in Frogpond, Modern Haiku, The Heron’s Nest, World Haiku Review, Bottle Rockets, Acorn, Noon, Roadrunner, and Mainichi Daily News. Some of his awards include the Scorpion Prize, runner up in Haiku Now! International Haiku Contest, Traditional Category, and an honorable mention in the Mainichi Haiku Contest. Ebba Story has had her prose and poetry appear in various haiku journals and anthologies, the Christian Science Monitor, and on the BBC. Since 1991 she has been an active member of the Haiku Poets of Northern California, serving several terms as secretary and newsletter editor. For two years she was associate editor of Woodnotes and she currently coedits Mariposa, HPNC’s literary journal. Her haiku classes and workshops have been presented in the wider Bay Area, Portland, and Seattle. As a member of the Yuki Teikei Haiku Society, she regularly composes articles with original haiku for the “Challenge Kigo” section of Geppo, their bimonthly publication. Mariposa Submission Deadline
Just a reminder that the submission deadline for the # 23 (Fall/Winter) issue of Mariposa is September 1. Haiku from all seasons, senryu, tanka, haibun, rengay, short linked verse, and brief articles (50-400 words) focusing on one aspect of haiku practice are welcome. Also line and gray-shade artwork suitable for reproduction within our 6” high and 4 ½ ” wide perimeters is encouraged. Please submit only unpublished work. At this time work that has been posted on the internet is considered published. Contest-winning poems, which have not been published in a book or journal, will gladly be considered. Send all submissions to the editor: Ebba Story, 478 Guerrero Street, San Francisco CA 94110 or more preferably by email to <ebbastory@juno.com>. Postal submissions should include an SASE or e-mail address for acceptance decisions. 2010 HPNC Haiku, Senryu, Tanka and Rengay Contest
Please go to "Contest Information Page" for the details.
Contest Information (click here!)
To see 2009 results, go to 2009 Haiku Senryu Tanka Rengay results
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Message from a web-master
We add "Haiku Conferences" page and "Other Haiku Activities" page. (7/29/10)
We created Members' News Page. If you are a HPNC member and would like us to upload your book information, a contest information, please send the info to us, at hpncadmin AT (@mark!) gmail.com or faycom AT (@mark) earthlink.net.(11/24/09)
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HPNC participated in this year's Litquake, San Francisco's annual citywide literary festival. We read as part of the "Lit Crawl." We were also featured in the San Francisco Bay Guardian, the city's free weekly newspaper, with a readership of 150,000. The feature is located here. More ... |
