In tomorrow's inaugural issue of an online journal, A Hundred Gourds, I have one haiku and one haibun published. I will show them here after they are released. It will be my first haibun that gets published and I am very excited about it. Here I would like to thank the haibun editor Ray Rasmussen for his time and help; without his willingness to work with me together to make it publishable, I would not be able to share my haibun with the readers.
The haibun is about my mother, the most important person in my life. Without her, my life would have been totally different; I would not be writing this blog to share with you my joy, my excitement, my gratitude to having a mother who, uneducated but keenly aware of the importance of education, generously gave me an education not only in one language but in three languages.
I am looking forward to tomorrow to see my haibun written for my mother in publication.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Monday, October 31, 2011
Haiku Writing and Fiction Writing
Having had three haiku published in a journal, with one accepted for publication by another journal in December, I can add one more entry to my writer's resume : a published haiku writer in addition to an award-winning, produced playwright.
Here are the two haiku published in the October issue of Notes from the Gean:
Tientsin pears --
the sweet taste
of my mother's homeland
a reflection
across multiple rivers
my heritage
I started writing haiku in 2007. At that time, my understanding of this Japanese style short poetry was minimal--a haiku being non-conceptual and objective and short. At that time, holding a demanding day job of an interpreter plus working on a different writing project I considered primary, I spent little time reading and studying the others' haiku. However, things changed since last March. After joining the haiku forum, I've learned about its structure--a phrase and a fragment--and have had more time to read and study and write haiku, my poems have greatly improved.
What I've learned from this writing process is the importance of learning the know-how. Once I learned the techniques of effective haiku, I knew how to do it and how to do it right. Like working on any other kinds of writing, it takes time, devotion, passion, perseverance, and hard work. In the past, I had passion for haiku but not devotion.
Here are the two haiku published in the October issue of Notes from the Gean:
Tientsin pears --
the sweet taste
of my mother's homeland
a reflection
across multiple rivers
my heritage
I started writing haiku in 2007. At that time, my understanding of this Japanese style short poetry was minimal--a haiku being non-conceptual and objective and short. At that time, holding a demanding day job of an interpreter plus working on a different writing project I considered primary, I spent little time reading and studying the others' haiku. However, things changed since last March. After joining the haiku forum, I've learned about its structure--a phrase and a fragment--and have had more time to read and study and write haiku, my poems have greatly improved.
What I've learned from this writing process is the importance of learning the know-how. Once I learned the techniques of effective haiku, I knew how to do it and how to do it right. Like working on any other kinds of writing, it takes time, devotion, passion, perseverance, and hard work. In the past, I had passion for haiku but not devotion.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Subgenres
Like fiction, haiku have subgenres. Urban, shasei, gendai, haiku noir, and politiku, to name a few. I like them all but haven't tried my hand at many of them. Someday I may try, just for the heck of it, to write a couple of haiku noir that require cinematic techniques, a very intriguing subgenre. I have, though, written some politiku and posted them on Facebook. Politiku, as you can see, are haiku about political, social, and economic issues. The current situation provides a fertile ground for politiku.
Here's one of my politiku recently posted on Facebook:
days-old egg rolls
from a restaurant . . .
spending cuts
If you are not a haiku writer, you'll probably don't see the connection between the first two lines and the last line. The dot, dot, dot at the end of line two offers the reader a pause. In this politiku, line three has double meaning. Its one meaning : the government cuts spending and therefore many of the federal and local departments are understaffed. With insufficient manpower, inspectors don't inspect restaurants on a regular basis. Its other meaning: the restaurant owner who minds his/her bottom line also cuts spending and serves customers old food.
Such is the charm and power of haiku--with just three short lines and they can say aplenty.
Here's one of my politiku recently posted on Facebook:
days-old egg rolls
from a restaurant . . .
spending cuts
If you are not a haiku writer, you'll probably don't see the connection between the first two lines and the last line. The dot, dot, dot at the end of line two offers the reader a pause. In this politiku, line three has double meaning. Its one meaning : the government cuts spending and therefore many of the federal and local departments are understaffed. With insufficient manpower, inspectors don't inspect restaurants on a regular basis. Its other meaning: the restaurant owner who minds his/her bottom line also cuts spending and serves customers old food.
Such is the charm and power of haiku--with just three short lines and they can say aplenty.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Haiku Writing and Fiction Writing
The more I learn about haiku and the more I write haiku, the more common ground I find in haiku writing and fiction writing.
Kokoro is important in haiku. What is kokoro? It's Japanese, meaning feeling, heart, spirit. If a haiku lacks kokoro, it's not a good haiku, and I consider it an empty haiku, which may have touched on two or three of the five senses that meet the requirements of a haiku; however, after reading the poem, what is left to me is : So what? The same goes to fiction writing. After I read a novel or a short story that doesn't have kokoro, what is left to me is : So what?
I find it intriguing that all kinds of writing share some common ground in one way or another. Because of the discovery, I believe the more fields a write explores, the more benefits she will receive. People like to say "Think outside the box." Before doing that, we should look outside the box; what is out there are not only baseball fields, but cornfields, and other fields waiting for us to get in and take a look.
Kokoro is important in haiku. What is kokoro? It's Japanese, meaning feeling, heart, spirit. If a haiku lacks kokoro, it's not a good haiku, and I consider it an empty haiku, which may have touched on two or three of the five senses that meet the requirements of a haiku; however, after reading the poem, what is left to me is : So what? The same goes to fiction writing. After I read a novel or a short story that doesn't have kokoro, what is left to me is : So what?
I find it intriguing that all kinds of writing share some common ground in one way or another. Because of the discovery, I believe the more fields a write explores, the more benefits she will receive. People like to say "Think outside the box." Before doing that, we should look outside the box; what is out there are not only baseball fields, but cornfields, and other fields waiting for us to get in and take a look.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Haiku Writing II
Well, I am really into haiku and haibun. I've spent quite a bit of my time every day reading, pondering, and writing the Japanese style poetry. My reward is one of my haiku I submitted to Notes From the Gean www.geantree.com was published in this month's issue. The following is my published haiku:
my childhood dreams . . .
steam from the wok
evaporating
The publication of my haiku--my first one--is a tremendous encouragement, and I am thankful to the editor, Lorin Ford, for including it in Notes From the Gean, Vol. 3, issue #1.
Other than the confidence I've gained in my haiku writing, I've also found that the various techniques for effective haiku can be transferred to fiction writing, which I am also engaged in.
My advice to writers is: explore another field. As I said earlier, a writer is an explorer who dares to venture into the unknown. And the result is rewarding.
my childhood dreams . . .
steam from the wok
evaporating
The publication of my haiku--my first one--is a tremendous encouragement, and I am thankful to the editor, Lorin Ford, for including it in Notes From the Gean, Vol. 3, issue #1.
Other than the confidence I've gained in my haiku writing, I've also found that the various techniques for effective haiku can be transferred to fiction writing, which I am also engaged in.
My advice to writers is: explore another field. As I said earlier, a writer is an explorer who dares to venture into the unknown. And the result is rewarding.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Haiku Writing
Suddenly I find myself working on a haiku project which has not been listed for this year's writing plan of mine. Since I joined the Haiku Foundation http://www.thehaikufoundation.org/forum_sm/ to workshop my haiku in mid March, I've been reading, studying, and wrting haiku, and haiku writing has become my primary project. Every day I live with a haiku mind that helps sharpen my awareness about my surroundings to which I've already paid attention as a fiction writer and playwright.
I know why I love haiku because it shares some techniques with fiction writing. A good haiku shows but doesn't tell; it requires concrete images that involves our five senses.
Unlike poetry in general, the poet can project his/her thoughts and feelings into the poem, a haiku poet just shows the reader what he/she sees, hears, smells, touches, and tastes and puts it down in words and lets the reader interpreter the layers of meaning known as the leap. That is the indispensable ingredient in haiku, and that is why an effective haiku is not easy to write.
I know why I love haiku because it shares some techniques with fiction writing. A good haiku shows but doesn't tell; it requires concrete images that involves our five senses.
Unlike poetry in general, the poet can project his/her thoughts and feelings into the poem, a haiku poet just shows the reader what he/she sees, hears, smells, touches, and tastes and puts it down in words and lets the reader interpreter the layers of meaning known as the leap. That is the indispensable ingredient in haiku, and that is why an effective haiku is not easy to write.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Multiple Projects
I am back, I'm not back, as I'm not one hundred percent recovered. I am writing, I'm not writing as I'm revising some pieces of my old work.
Suddenly, I'm happy that I have multiple projects to work on.
When I was writing solely plays, I concentrated on only one script; I'd never started a second project before finishing my first one. At that time, I was happy to be focused. Now, I enjoy working on different projects, which enable me to get some writing done at this stage--still recovering from my serious illness that almost killed me about seven months ago.
My projects are divided into two categories: major and minor. The major one is undoubtedly my novel; the minor one, which can be subdivided into three categories--my play, short stories, and haiku. Focusing on my minor projects, one day I work on my play, another day, on a short story, still another day, on haiku, all depends on how I feel: energetic or tired and sluggish. On a bad day, I'll work on something easier; on a good day, i'll work on something more demanding. Doing so, I don't feel getting stuck. I'm moving forward.
With multiple projects, not only can I enjoy writing but feel satisfied that I can meet some deadlines. For a writer, every submission brings a hope.
Suddenly, I'm happy that I have multiple projects to work on.
When I was writing solely plays, I concentrated on only one script; I'd never started a second project before finishing my first one. At that time, I was happy to be focused. Now, I enjoy working on different projects, which enable me to get some writing done at this stage--still recovering from my serious illness that almost killed me about seven months ago.
My projects are divided into two categories: major and minor. The major one is undoubtedly my novel; the minor one, which can be subdivided into three categories--my play, short stories, and haiku. Focusing on my minor projects, one day I work on my play, another day, on a short story, still another day, on haiku, all depends on how I feel: energetic or tired and sluggish. On a bad day, I'll work on something easier; on a good day, i'll work on something more demanding. Doing so, I don't feel getting stuck. I'm moving forward.
With multiple projects, not only can I enjoy writing but feel satisfied that I can meet some deadlines. For a writer, every submission brings a hope.
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