Southern California Haiku Study Group

March 21, 2009 - Workshop and Kukai

2009-03-25T12:44:00.000-07:00

Blue Room - Pacific Asia Museum
Front Row: Wendy Wright, Peggy Castro, Lynn Allgood, Elva Lauter, Margaret Hehman-Smith, Deborah P Kolodji, Phyllis Collins
Back Row: Michael Angerman, D'Ellen, Tom Billicke, Kathabela Wilson, Ines Foley, Gini Carr
Not Shown: Susan Rogers, Janis Lukstein

The Southern California Haiku Study Group had its monthly workshop and kukai in the Blue Room of the Pacific Asia Museum on Saturday, March 21st. Fifteen enthusiastic haiku poets made for a lively and fun meeting. Debbie brought an edible kigo in the form of homemade Irish soda bread, still warm from the oven, which disappeared quickly.

A discussion of season words turned up the following: Irish soda bread, cherry blossoms, jade plant, chilly day, blossoms, green new growth, spring sunset, sowing seeds, weed wacking, eating outside/dining alfresco, daylight savings, buds budding, dew/wet grass, chestnut trees turning, horses shedding, first days of spring

Some high scoring samples from the kukai:

under the magnolia tree
I look for
yesterday's blossoms

- Phyllis Collins

shell-gathering --
a row of tiny shoes
on the sea wall

- Wendy Wright

raindrops
on the windowpane --
a sea of grass outside

- Elva Lauter

warming my hands
on a hot cup of tea --
first day of spring

- Margaret Hehman-Smith

Afterwards, in keeping with the season, we dined alfresco at El Portal Restaurant. The next workshop and kukai will be on April 18, 2009.

February 21, 2009 - Workshop and Kukai

2009-03-06T23:06:00.000-08:00

Japanese Magnolia blossoms in the museum courtyard

On Saturday, February 21st, the Southern California Haiku Study Group met at the Pacific Asia Museum for its monthly workshop and kukai. Elva Lauter, Peggy Castro, Alvin Thomas Ethington, Lindy Hill, Taura Scott, Gloria Siegel, Sharon Hawley, Michael Angerman, Deborah Kolodji, Genie Nakano, Hideki Obayashi, Janis Lukstein, Kathabela Wilson, and Wendy Wright were present.

After a read-around of our own haiku, we had a reading of Issue #45 of Mayfly. Several native Southern Californian members of our group had never heard of a mayfly, but Lindy Hill, who once lived in Illinois, described the aquatic insect and its very short life cycle for the rest of us, giving us a greater appreciation of the haiku journal's name.

The following words were suggested as kigo prompts for the season:

magnolia, new growth, red bud, first green, lovers, orange blossom, cymbidium, strawberries, President's Day, sapling, weeping willow, crocus, snowmelt, birds of paradise

We then had a half hour writing session, followed by a kukai. The following haiku scored highly in the kukai:

wisteria
a longing for what
might have been

- Peggy Castro

turning a corner
I pause --
two white doves

- Elva Lauter

snow melts
to spring mud
my stuck car

- Michael Angerman

footsteps sound
on cobbled stone --
winter's end

- Wendy Wright

Our next workshop and kukai will take place on Saturday, March 21, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.

February 1, 2009 - Haiku Workshop at CSULB Japanese Garden

2009-02-15T22:21:00.000-08:00

back row: Phyllis Collins, Alvin Thomas Ethington, Sharon Hawley, Margaret Hehman-Smith, Kraig Keeler
front row: Deborah P Kolodji, Janis Lukstein, Kathabela Wilson, Michael Angerman, Wendy Wright
not shown: Victor P Gendrano, Kendall Evans

The Southern California Haiku Study Group held a haiku workshop and ginko walk at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at California State University, Long Beach on Sunday, February 1, 2009. The theme was haiku context.

We met in the Friendship Garden, a private meeting area adjacent to the garden. Wendy Wright read from Blyth translations of classical Japanese haiku and from Fay Aogayi's books, Chrysanthemum Love and In Borrowed Shoes.

Each table had a copy of Chiyo-Ni: Woman Haiku Master by Patricia Donegan and Yoshie Ishibashi, as well as a copy of Einstein's Century by Akito Arima. We read and discussed about a dozen examples from each book.

After a short break, we read the section on context from Lee Gurga's book, Haiku, A Poet's Guide, discussing all of his example haiku. Then, Debbie spoke a bit about ginko walks and we went out to the garden to walk and write.

Afterwards, we reconvened to share what we had written and to critique those haiku participants wanted to offer up for in-depth critique. We hope to start a tradition of an annual workshop at the Japanese Garden.

Haiku Workshop - Sunday, Feb 1, 2009

2009-01-31T00:35:00.000-08:00

The Southern California Haiku Study Group will be having an in-depth haiku workshop and winter ginko walk this Sunday, February 1st at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden on the California State University, Long Beach campus.

The garden has reserved the "friendship garden" area for us from noon to 4 pm. The workshop is free and open to anyone interested in haiku. Please bring haiku to workshop and discuss.

Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden
California State University Long Beach
1250 Bellflower Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90840
http://www.csulb.edu/~jgarden/

From 405 Fwy

Southbound Exit at Bellflower Blvd. Turn left from the off-ramp and then make an immediate right on Bellflower Blvd. Continue to Beach Drive and turn left into campus. Turn Left on Earl Warren Drive. At the second Stop sign turn Right, into Parking Lot 16

From 405 Northbound / 22 West/ 605 Fwy South

Exit at 7th Street and continue to Bellflower Blvd. Turn right at Bellflower Blvd and make another right at Beach Drive Turn Left on Earl Warren Drive. The Japanese Garden will be on your left side after passing the second Stop sign.

Parking on Sunday noon- 4:00 p.m. is free in student spaces.

January 17, 2009 - Workshop and Kukai

2009-01-18T00:52:00.000-08:00

Sharon Hawley reads the kukai haiku at the Pacific Asia Museum

On January 17th, a baker's dozen met in the Blue Room at the Pacific Asia museum for a productive haiku workshop. Michael Angerman, Sharon Hawley, Lindy Hill, Pauli Dutton, Lynn Halley Allgood, Genie Nakano, Deborah P Kolodji, Kathabela Wilson, Tom Bilicke, Ines Foley, Alvin Thomas Ethington, Susan Rogers, and Janis Lukstein were present.

The workshop kicked off with a read-around of haiku, followed by a review and discussion of the "haiku moment," reading and discussing pages 33-35 of Haiku: A Poet's Guide by Lee Gurga.

This was followed by our group's traditional discussion of the kigo pertaining to the current season. The following seasonal references were suggested by participants fo the writing session:

taking down the Christmas tree, blue sky/clear mountains, the closest moon, falling camellia blossoms, winter sunbathing, sunshine all day, cold wind, Martin Luther King's dream, chilling bones, Queen's tears (bromialiad), changing of the guard

Participants sat in the garden or in the blue room to write haiku on these seasonal references or those from the group kigo list. Each person entered two haiku in the kukai. Sharon Hawley was the reader. Here is a sampling of some of the highest scoring haiku:

chilly night
the dog barks
at the hallway door

- Ines Foley

dumpling soup
after the sun goes down
winter wind

- Tom Bilicke

Mercury retrograde
can't find my keys or where
I put my patience

- Lynn Halley Allgood

rooftop lion
a pigeon sunbathes
on his head

- Kathabela Wilson

orange and black
a koi fan dances
to waterfall music

- Janis Lukstein

the tree my daughter
decorated before she left
I wanted it to stay all year

- Pauli Dutton

2009 SCHSG Post-Holiday Party

2009-01-10T01:23:00.000-08:00

Stairs: Naia, Vic Gendrano
Susan Rogers, Michael Angerman, Rick Wilson, Kathabela Wilson

On Sunday, January 4, 2009, Wendy and Tom Wright hosted the Southern California Haiku Study Group's annual post-holiday party and New Year's haiga card exchange. After a wonderful dinner, we met upstairs in Wendy's poetry lounge. Each person passed out his or her haiga card and read the haiku from it. Some amazing haiku were shared. Rick Wilson played one of his antique flutes.

Wendy and Tom Wright, Naia and Clive, Kathabela and Rick Wilson, Peggy Castro, Margaret Hehman-Smith, Taura Scott, Sharon Hawley, Michael Angerman, G. Murray Thomas, D'Ellen, Alvin Thomas Ethington, Janis Lukstein, Deborah P Kolodji, and Susan Rogers were present for the festivities. It was a wonderful way to launch a new year of haiku.

Peggy Castro, Margaret Hehman-Smith, D'Ellen, Deborah P Kolodji

December 20, 2008 - Workshop and Kukai

2008-12-28T02:10:00.000-08:00

Top: Phyllis Collins, Ines Foley, Susan Rogers, Peggy Castro, D'Ellen, Sharon Hawley, Kathabela Wilson
Bottom: Tom Bilicke, Lindy Hill, Violet, Peggy Hehman-Smith
Not shown: Deborah P Kolodji

Just a few days before Christmas, twelve members of the Southern California Haiku Study Group brought cookie-laden plates, tea, and haiku to the Blue Room of the Pacific Asia Museum. The monthly kigo was discussed and the following were suggested for our writing session:

Christmas baking, winter wreaths, winter wind, snow on the mountains, frost on trees, diamonds on grass, night time fog, cinnamon sticks, autumn light changing to winter, cats at the window, Christmas shopping, scent of pine

Three members of the group braved the weather to sit outside in the courtyard garden to write haiku. And all three poets wrote poems about a "cold bench." And, when you think about it, what a wonderful winter kigo for Southern California, a place where the climate is mild enough that we might sit outside on a garden bench in the winter, where we might feel the coldness of the stone through our clothes.

A sample of some high scoring haiku from the kukai:

we pretend
to be a happy family
in artificial snow

- D'Ellen

crows
their hoarse murmurings
blend with winter wind

- Phyllis Collins

on a cold stone bench
under almost leafless trees
an iron Buddha

- Susan Rogers

cold
even through my jeans
garden bench

- Deborah P Kolodji

above the tree line, SCHSG 2008 Anthology Reading

2008-08-31T11:12:00.000-07:00

On August 24, 2008 the Southern California Haiku Study Group (SCHSG) and the Pacific Asia Museum co-hosted a Haiku Reading & Book Signing event for above the tree line, the newly released 2008 SCHSG anthology.
Nearly 40 poets and members of the public entered the museum's Japanese Gallery to the enchanted and meditative musical preludes by Rick and Kathabela Wilson -- Rick playing a variety of modern and historical Asian flutes and Kathabela accompanying him on various percussion instruments. Rick and Kathabela also played an interlude and postlude.

After welcoming remarks from Tai Ling Wong, museum coordinator of the "Authors on Asia" programs, SCHSG moderator Deborah P. Kolodji introduced above the tree line, and Naia, editor of this year's anthology, introduced haiku poets reading their anthology poems.

Among the poems read, G. Murray Thomas shared:

voices from the garden
discuss expensive tea--
my lukewarm cup

and Margaret Hehman-Smith shared:

September moon
the shift in the color
of his eyes

The 2008 anthology drew its title from a haiku written and submitted by Wendy Wright, which was among those she read during the event:

Perseid dawn
stars fade one by one
above the tree line

Says Tai Ling Wong on behalf of the Pacific Asia Museum, "Congratulations to all the members of the Southern California Haiku Study Group on the publication of your new anthology above the tree line and thank you for holding another of your special events here at the museum."

L to R: Janis Lukstein, Naia, Deborah P. Kolodji, Victor P. Gendrano, Billie Dee, Wendy Wright

Link to Anthology Description/Ordering Information

August 16, 2008 - Workshop and Kukai

2008-08-17T20:21:00.000-07:00

(top, l to r): Lindy Hill, Phyllis Collins, Naia, Janis Lukstein, Deborah P Kolodji, Peggy Castro
(bottom, l to r): Linda Galloway, Miyoko Nakamura (photo by Vic Gendrano)

The air was much cooler in the Blue Room than it was outside as members of the Southern California Haiku Study Group met for their monthly workshop and kukai. During the kigo discussion, "summer olympics," "hot wave," "hating summer," "crepe myrtle blossoms," "cabbage whites," and "blooming hibiscus" were among the suggested season words for the writing session.

Top scorers from the kukai include:

something naive
about that hibiscus
in all its yellow glory

- Peggy Castro

bruised fruit hangs
from the plum tree -
summer's end

- Lindy Hill

cheap hot dogs
and sand in my shoes -
hating summer

- Linda Galloway

the ink-stained koi
wiggles its tail,
writes its own haiku

- Phyllis Collins

The above the tree line anthology reading will take place next week on Sunday, August 24th, starting at 2:00 p.m. It will be in the Japanese Gallery.

The next meeting will be on Saturday, September 20th. It will start an hour earlier, at 1:00 p.m., because Mariko Kitakubo will be visiting from Japan and will read tanka from her newest book, Cicada Forest.

2008 SCHSG Anthology

2008-07-22T14:28:00.000-07:00

ANNOUNCEMENT

Southern California Haiku Study Group 2008 Anthology

above the tree line

above the tree line features 30 southern California haiku poets, offering an amazing range of regional perspectives and inspired voices. The title of this year's anthology was taken by a haiku written by SCHSG member Wendy Wright:

Perseid dawn
stars fade one by one
above the tree line

-Wendy Wright

above the tree line

perfect bound
75 pages
glossy, color cover
5-1/2" x 8-1/2"
features haiku, haibun and artwork by southern California haiku poets
includes back-cover comments by Fay Aoyagi, Stephen Addiss, Ferris Gilli, Jim Kacian, and Michael Dylan Welch

Ferris Gilli (Associate Editor of The Heron's Nest) writes, "above the tree line is a treasure trove of genres and styles . . . from the cover to the last poem, the imagery in this lovely book sets a standard for group anthologies."

Michael Dylan Welch (Haiku Society of America 2008 Regional Coordinator, WA) writes, "The group's participants who variety and emotional range in their work, and this anthology, th group's largest yet, is an inclusive showcase of a vibrant and enviable haiku scene."

Fay Aoyagi (Haiku Society of America 2008 Regional Coordinator, CA) writes, "The world presented by haiku can be a door to the undiscovered land in a reader's mind. I took many memorable journeys through this book."

Sample haiku from the Southern California Haiku Study Group 2008 anthology

above the tree line

receding surf
the undercurrent
in her voice

-Darrell Byrd

winter sun
shadow birds hop
shadow branches

-gK

cottonwood rattle--
the wordlessness
of his final day

-Deborah P. Kolodji

each there
for the other--
moon and pine

-Michael McClintock

parting . . .
the clatter of train tracks
into dark

-Naia

with a shake
of her beach towel
yellow butterflies

-Victor Ortiz

first call
of the year
mockingbird

-Kath Abela Wilson

July 19, 2008 - Workshop and Kukai

2008-07-20T18:02:00.000-07:00

Lindy Hill reads the entries for the July kukai
July 19, 2008

The Southern California Haiku Study Group met in the Blue Room of the Pacific Asia Museum for the July workshop and kukai. Peggy Hehman-Smith, Elva Lauper, Phyllis Collins, Lindy Hill, Sharon Hawley, Kathabela Wilson, and Debbie Kolodji were present.

Peggy brought yellow teardrop tomatoes from her garden, a delicious kigo that everyone enjoyed even though no one ended up using it in their haiku. Some of the kigo discussed were smog-hidden mountains, plums, summer herbs, short shadows, fans, and sunscreen.

Thirty-one haiku were entered in the kukai including:

on the Queen Mary
evening shadows cross her deck
slowly...eerily

- Margaret Hehman-Smith

summer heat --
rose petals shower
the dry earth

- Elva Lauper

July breeze
the lazy bob
of paper lanterns

- Deborah P Kolodji

The next workshop and kukai will be on Saturday, August 16th, at 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The 2008 anthology launch and reading will be on Sunday, August 24th, starting at 2:00 p.m.

Mariko Kitakubo Tanka Reading

2008-04-21T09:16:00.001-07:00

front: Lindy Hill, Violet, Nardin Gottfried, Phyllis Collins, Mariko Kitakubo, Linda Galloway, Peggy Castro, Janis Lukstein
back: Debbie Kolodji, Ines Foley, Vic Gendrano

On Saturday, April 19, 2008, the Southern California Haiku Study Group co-sponsored a bilingual tanka reading by Mariko Kitakubo with the Pacific Asia Museum. The reading took place in the Japanese Gallery where the Rengetsu exhibit is on display through May 11th. Otagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875) was a Buddhist nun, a poet, a calligrapher, and ceramic artist. Listening to Kitakubo read tanka in Japanese surrounded by pottery and scrolls with Rengetsu poetry was a very special experience for all who attended.

Linda Galloway read the English translations of Kitakubo's work, translations by Amelia Fielden of Australia. The mood was set by music by Mei on shamisen, Rick Wilson on flute, and Kathy Wilson on percussion before and after the performance.

The reading was well attended, with approximately 40 people present. In addition to Mariko, Linda, Kathy, Rick, and Mei, attendees included Nardin Gottfried, Vic Gendrano, Peggy Hehman-Smith, Debbie Kolodji, D'Ellen Hutchins, Justin Kibbe, Jane Moore, Ericka Wilks, Violet, Ines Foley, Phyllis Collins, Elva, Nobuko Sugamoto, Peggy Castro, Lindy Hill, Maja Trochimczyk, Hisashi Matsue and members of a Japanese language tanka group in Los Angeles.

April 19th - Mariko Kitakubo

2008-04-05T22:50:00.000-07:00

Mariko Kitakubo
tanka poet & performer
April 19, 2008 - 2 p.m.
Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena, CA

In a rare bilingual performance as part of the Authors on Asia program at the Pacific Asia Museum, Mariko Kitakubo, a leading Japanese poet and performance artist from Toyko, will present her tanka (Japan’s oldest and most popular poetry form) accompanied by Linda Galloway reading the English translation. The program is co-sponsored by the Southern California Haiku Study Group.

Kitakubo is a member of the Association of Contemporary Tanka Poets, Nihonkajin Club and the Sakujitsu Society. She has published three books in Japanese, I Want to Tell You in the Way of the Waves (1999), When the Music Stops (2002), and Will (2005) in addition to two collections of tanka in English, On this Same Star (2007) and Cicada Forest (2008).

Books will be available for purchase and signing. The program is free to museum members and Southern California Haiku Study Group members and free with museum general admission for non-members. $7 general, $5 students and seniors. There will be a reception afterwards in the museum courtyard. To help with planning for the event, please call 626-449-2742, ext 20 for reservations.

October 20, 2007 - Workshop and Kukai

2007-11-17T11:30:00.000-08:00

October 20, 2007

Blue Room, Pacific Asia Museum

The October workshop was a joint meeting between the Southern California Haiku Study Group and the Urban Emerging Poets, which meets over eight consecutive Saturdays in the Fall and Spring at the back room of the Santa Catalina Branch of the Pasadena Library. Both groups start at 2:00 p.m.

Present were Peggy Castro, Sharon Hawley, Sandra Flick, Elva Lauter, Lynn, Lindy Hill, Debbie Kolodji, Pauli Dutton, Violet, Kath Wilson, Don Kingfisher Campbell, Wendy Wright, Tom Bilicke, Ines Foley, Theresa Antonia, and Mary Torregrossa.

For the haiku read-around, each visiting poet was loaned a book of classical Japanese haiku and given the choice of reading one of their own, or one from the book. A lively discussion followed when Lynn noticed that she had a different translation of the haiku Sharon read from Autumn Haiku, Selected Poems by Kobayashi Issa translated by Lewis Mackenzie:

And, when I die,
Be thou guardian of my tomb,
Grasshopper.

- Issa

Lynn was reading from classic Haiku, selected and translated by Yozuru Miura:

Oh, cricket!
Act as grave keeper
After I am gone.

- Issa

The group thought in the first translation the emphasis seemed to be on the tomb whereas the emphasis in the second translation was on the cricket.

The group then discussed kigo, looking at the season word handouts. We went around the table and had each person say the word that first popped into their head when thinking of October (without repeating someone else's word). Then, everyone was to write a haiku using their word for the kukai.

There were 54 haiku in the kukai, including:

full moon
in a tree of stars --
taste of golden apple

- Elva Lauper

cigarette --
alone in her garden,
the Blue Hour

- Tom Bilicke

temple dog's
silent bark
of 100 years

- Don Kingfisher Campbell

The next meeting of the Southern California Haiku Study Group will be on Saturday, November 17, 2007 at the Pacific Asia Museum at 2:00 p.m.

September 15, 2007 - Workshop and Kukai

2007-10-15T21:27:00.000-07:00

Water Lilies, Pacific Asia Museum Courtyard

There was another wedding at the Pacific Asia Museum and members of the Southern California Haiku Study Group met in the Volunteer Room. Present were Peggy Hehman-Smith, Phyllis Collins, Lindy Hill, Pauli Dutton, Dick Dutton, Kathy Wilson, Debbie Kolodji, Violet, Wendy Wright, and Janis.

We discussed the season, lamenting summer's end with cooler nights, but enjoying blooming morning glory vines and the sound of crickets.

Some sample haiku from the kukai:

is it the same cricket
in the rafters tonight?
old friend

- Lindy Hill

dying morning glory vine
slowly releases
the garden gate

- Peggy Hehman-Smith

alone in the gallery
where we sang --
distant drums

- Kath Abela Wilson

August 18, 2007 - Workshop and Kukai

2007-10-03T12:58:00.000-07:00

Photo courtesy of Debbie Kolodji

Eight haiku poets attended the August 18th Southern California Haiku Study Group workshop and kukai at the charming and inspiring Pacific Asia Museum: Phyllis Collins, Tom Conroy, Anne Jones, Debbie Kolodji, Elva Lauter, Janis Lukstein, Naia, and Wendy Wright.

After several rounds of sharing recent haiku written by attendees, we discussed using all the senses to perceive our surroundings. Members offered their insights and discussed writing good haiku, and draft haiku were workshopped. Janis shared some photos from a recent haiku excursion.

The group reviewed kigo words and phrases indicative of our region during this time of year. Two haiku that were highlighted during our meeting were:

morning fog
covers the garden...
then red hibiscus

-Elva Lauter

end of summer --
his old fisherman's cap
on a chair

-Wendy Wright

The next workshop and kukai will be on Saturday, October 20th from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Rattle of Bamboo our group anthology reading July 29, 2007

2007-09-11T13:28:00.000-07:00

In the exquisite setting of the Japanese Gallery of our gracious host, the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, we presented our 2006 anthology, Rattle of Bamboo. Poets published in the anthology who read were Tom Bilicke, Tom Conroy, D'Ellen, Linda Galloway, gK, Nardin Gottfried, Peggy Hehman-Smith, Gloria Jaguden, Anne Jones, Deborah P Kolodji, Janis Lukstein, Kath Wilson, and Wendy Wright. With gracious introductions by our moderator Deborah P Kolodji, acting editor Linda Galloway and a welcoming prelude by Tai-Ling Wong of the museum, the first reader Tom Billicke read his beautiful ephemeral haiku tribite to our past member and long-time friend, David Priebe (1937-2006) in whose memory he wrote:

cool hotel lobby
I watch traffic passing
and remember you

Punctuating the reading appropriate to our oriental roots and setting, were Japanese and Chinese flutes and percussion, so in tune with our lyrical verse and images. Rick Wilson played Japanese shinoboe as introduction, with Kath Wilson on Japanese drums. At mid-reading he played a Chinese dizi accompanied by small cymbals and the reading ended with the intensity of the Japanese ryuteki (dragon flute) and drums.

One of the most moving points of the reading was a series presented by our dedicated editor, Linda Galloway, of haiku inspired and dedicated to the passing of her beloved daughter a year ago. The deep sound of a Nepalese singing bowl added to the dramatic moment.

Debbie Kolodji's beautiful musical verse so appropriately reflects the mood of our presentation:

green storm
a gong echoes
as it stills

The spirit of lost friends, the reading community of strong and expressive poets, the founding by Jerry Ball, who set this group sail, the generosity of our host the Pacific Asia Museum, the beauty of the setting, the music like wind through bamboo, the work of our editor and moderator, all made this an unforgettably poetic experience for all involved. We look forward to next year's anthology and presentation!

July 21, 2007 - Workshop and Kukai

2007-08-18T01:22:00.000-07:00

July 2007 Kukai
Blue Room, Pacific Asia Museum
(photo by Kath Wilson)

Twelve people attended the July 21st workshop and kukai at the Pacific Asia Museum: Peggy Castro, Peggy Hehman-Smith, Lindy Hill, Linda Galloway, Nardin Gottfried, Darrell Byrd, Phyllis Collins, Elva, Violet, Kath Wilson, Wendy Wright, and Debbie Kolodji.

Linda showed the group some bookmaking kits that she has been using to make her haiku diaries.

We had a group discussion about kigo, with some controversary as to whether or not "hermit crabs" were seasonal. We tentatively decided that it was a summer kigo. Some other kigo discussed included summer Shakespeare, outdoor concerts, summer herbs, and the milky way.

Two high scoring haiku in the kukai used the kigo "too hot to go out":

too hot to go out
the dogs take their
ninth nap of the day

- Margaret Hehman-Smith

too hot to go out
I lie back and watch
my toes curl

-Peggy Castro

Another high scoring haiku :

melon blossom
a yellow powdered bee
wipes its face

- Darrell Byrd

The next workshop and kukai will be on Saturday, August 18th from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Tanabata

2007-07-11T00:39:00.000-07:00

Debbie Kolodji, Wendy Wright,
Naia and Peggy Hehman-Smith
Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden, CSULB
Tanabata Celebration, July 8, 2007

The SCHSG manned a table at Tanabata Festival at the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden at CSULB on Sunday, July 8, 2007. Peggy Hehman-Smith, Naia, Wendy Wright, Debbie Kolodji, and Janis Lukstein were the participating members.

The afternoon was rewarding, talking to the parents and children who came by to learn about haiku. There were two tables. One was set up for the younger children with coloring book style haiku drawings for the children to color. Wendy did the artwork for some tanabata haiku by Issa.

For older children who didn't want to color but didn't want to try to write haiku, Wendy put a haiku on a blank paper by Issa:

Even the insects sing
"it's great Tanabata!
Tanabata!
- Issa

On display was a book illustrating how to draw various types of insects. One little girl drew a very cool-looking earwig. All of the papers had a hole punched at the top with a ribbon so the kids could take their haiku artwork home and hang them up for Tanabata.

At the other table, there was tanzaku for haiku writing as well as some blank paper. Several books of haiku and art were on display.

A surprising number of people were game enough to attempt their first haiku with some help from the group.

July Haiku Events

2007-07-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

Sunday, July 8, 2007 - Tanabata Celebration
The California Haiku Study Group will staff a haiku table at the CSULB Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden from Noon to 4:00 p.m.

Saturday, July 21, 2007 - Workshop and Kukai
2:00 pm at the Pacific Asia Museum

Sunday, July 29, 2007 - rattle of bamboo reading and signing
2:00 pm at the Pacific Asia Museum

Copies of rattle of bamboo, the Southern California Haiku Study Group 2007 anthology, can be purchased at the museum gift shop and through mail by contacting Darrell Byrd (dbyrd37@yahoo.com).

June 16, 2007 - Workshop and Kukai

2007-06-21T23:08:00.000-07:00

The June workshop and kukai was attended by Ines Foley, Tom Bilicke, Linda Galloway, Nardin Gottfried, Debbie Kolodji, Lindy Hill, G. Murray Thomas, D'Ellen, Darrell Byrd, Pauli Dutton, Naia, and Wendy Wright.

After a haiku read-around, we discussed the season's kigo:

The Season: summer, June gloom
Sky and Heavens: summer constellations, short shadows
Mountains, Fields, and Ocean: dry grass
Flowers and Plants: jacaranda pods, green tomatoes
Birds and Animals: bees in fallen blooms, feeding finches
Human Affairs: weddings, Father's Day

There were several nice haiku in the kukai:

dawn moon
I too, only half
awake

- Darrell Byrd

evening primrose
she unwinds her long
black hair

- Linda Galloway

poetry by the water
a green heron
cocks his head

- G. Murray Thomas

May 19, 2007 - Workshop and Kukai

2007-05-21T19:28:00.000-07:00

Pacific Asia Museum Courtyard, Pasadena, CA

Our May workshop, attended by Linda Galloway, Nardin Gottfried, Darrell Byrd, Tom Bilicke, Peggy Castro, and Lindy Hill was a delightful afternoon. Linda Galloway led the meeting, and gave a brief talk about the life of Masaoka Shiki (1867-1903) and his historic contribution to modern haiku. Linda had just returned from the international Haiku Pacific Rim (HPR) Conference, in Matsuyama, Japan, the birthplace and hometown of Shiki. The conference was held at the Shiki Museum in Matsuyama. Linda then passed around reproductions of Shiki's paintings and read some of Shiki's spring haiku.

once there was
an old man and an old woman --
peach blossoms

doll shadows
peach shadows
overlapped on the wall

misted moon --
on the Gojo Bridge
no one at all

spring snowfall
among the willows --
it is, is not

--Shiki

The group shared haiku and had a group discussion about the place and appropriateness of using questions in haiku. Members gave examples of their haiku which contained questions.

For the monthly kukai, Linda Galloway brought spring kigo (season words) from the haiku of Shiki, and others. Examples were:

cats in love, cherry blossoms, days are long, first thunder, frog, idle weather, mist, misty moon, paper kites, peach blossoms, plum blossoms, spring dusk, spring moon, spring moor, spring rain, spring snow, spring wind, uguisu (bush warbler), violets, water wander**, willow trees.

[**water wander is a spring game and consists of. starters up stream & haiku contestants down stream. The starters put wine-filled cups into the water upstream. Then the contestants down stream must write a haiku before the wine cups reach them. A haiku contestant grabs a cup, runs upstream, recites his haiku, and gets to drink the wine.]

Some haiku from the group members were:

misty moon --
the clouded eyes of an old
bamboo shoot seller

--Linda Galloway

Telephone book --
I pick a number at random,
She was glad I called.

--Tom Bilicke

Escondido --
a spot on the way to town
is now town

--Darrell Byrd

grief at her move --
tulip blooms
fail to open

--Lindy Hill

May 21, 2007 - San Jose Teahouse Reading

2007-05-21T05:47:00.000-07:00

Wendy Wright, Deborah Kolodji, Jerry Ball
and Janis, Japanese Friendship Garden, San Jose, CA
May 21, 2007

Southern California Haiku Study Group members Wendy Wright, Deborah Kolodji, and Janis drove to San Jose for the annual Yuki Teikei Teahouse Reading in San Jose. SCHSG founder, Jerry Ball, was one of the featured haiku poets for the reading.

It was a satisfying day of haiku. We met at the Japanese Friendship Garden in Kelley Park at 10:00 for a workship led by Anne Homan. Other workshop attendees, in addition to the four SCHSG members above, included Alison Woolpert, Ed Grossman, Carol Steele, Roger Abe, Maxine, Eric, Christine, and Bill.

Participants were given the following kigo for inspiration before strolling the gardens for a ginko:

ducklings, end of springtime, Mother's Day, new leaves/young leaves, waterfall, spring tranquility

Some of us visited Heritage Park, also in Kelley Park, for lunch before returning for the haiku reading where we were joined by Ann Bendixen, donnalynn chase, and Maxine . In addition to Jerry Ball, the other featured poets were Betty and Jim Arnold, all of who read haiku from their recent trip to Japan for Haiku Pacific Rim.

Afterwards, some of us had dinner at Gombei in Japantown, a restaurant known for home-style Japanese dishes. We all vowed to attend the Asilomar retreat in September to learn more about haiku and spend time with our Yuki Teikei friends

April 22, 2007 - Pacific Asia Museum Family Festival

2007-04-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

SCHSG at the Pacific Asia Museum Family Festival
Debbie Kolodji and Kath Wilson
April 22, 2007

The Southern California Haiku Study Group had a haiku table at the Family Festival at the Pacific Asia Museum on Sunday, April 22, 2007. The table was manned by Debbie Kolodji and then by Kath Wilson.

We had coloring book style pages of kites with an Issa haiku for the children to color, copies of our April kigo list and notecards for those adults who wanted to try their hands at haiku.

Kath also brought nice cardstock paper, paper, glue, and copies of Pacific Asia Museum brochures so that the children could cut out photos of the museum and glue them on the card. Kath then composed a special haiku for each child with their name in it. It was an afternoon filled with smiling children and the haiku table was a popular one for parents and children alike.

April 21, 2007 - Workshop and Kukai

2007-04-28T14:24:00.000-07:00

Kath Wilson, Tom Bilicke, and Debbie Kolodji
April 21, 2007, Pacific Asia Museum

Today's workshop was small but lively. The koi were back in the courtyard to inspire us:

floating gauze
of a belly dancer
koi wiggle

- Deborah P Kolodji

We discussed the season and had a small kukai with many nice haiku by the three of us.

Here are some sample April kigo:

The Season: spring wind, warmer days
Sky and Heavens: spring sky, pink moon
Mountains, Fields and Ocean: snow run-off, green hills
Flowers and Plants: Easter Lily, wisteria
Birds and Animals: harbor seal pups, woodpecker nests
Human Affairs: baseball season starts, vacation plans

Our next workshop and kukai will be on Saturday, May 19, 2007, from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Pacific Asia Museum. Bring your haiku and thoughts of the season and join us.