This poetry class will focus on the haiku form. The “hai” syllable in the word “haiku” connotes “play,” both in the sense of drama, or theatrics; and of recreation and enjoyment, or playfulness. Since “ku” denotes “word,” or “verbal component,” we will enjoy playing around with words in our haiku writing process. To begin this enjoyable process, we will celebrate fall by reading seasonal haiku by the traditional Japanese masters of the form, such as Matsuo Bash?, and by more contemporary American writers, such as Richard Wright. Their inspiration, combined with writing prompts and activities should lead to some haiku poems that we will share with each other for constructive feedback, or just simple enjoyment. Our goal is to produce some verses that we can inscribe in greeting cards for the most special people in our lives.

One of Bloomington’s finest and most outspoken poets, HIROMI YOSHIDA is a finalist for the 2019 New Women’s Voices Poetry Prize for her poetry chapbook Icarus Burning (Finishing Line Press, 2020) and a semifinalist for the 2020 Gerald Cable Book Award for Green Roses Bloom for Icarus. She is a poetry reader for Flying Island Journal and Plath Profiles, and the diversity consultant for the Writers Guild at Bloomington. Her poems have been nominated for inclusion in the Sundress Best of the Net anthology, and have been added to the INverse Poetry Archive. She is the author of two additional chapbooks that are forthcoming in 2021: Epicanthus (Finishing Line Press), and Icarus Redux (Alien Buddha Press).