most outrageous haiku poet ever (letter from Jones)

Following is a letter from Jones (Daniel Jones) which I'm sending to the Haiku Canada Archives. Among many interesting traits, Jones was a perfectionist, and in pre-computer days this letter is perfectly typed - no whiteout, no correctotape. Jones descended on the Toronto literary scene from Hamilton in the early 1980s. By 1994 he was dead at age 34 by suicide, a victim I feel of the frustrations of being an overly talented poet/writer/haikuist/publisher/editor/performer in a country which doesn't recognize such incredible talent early enough. 

I met Jones at a very informal poetry round robin reading at James Deahl's place. Jones made quite an entrance. He pulled out a bottle and spit the cork, then handed it around. When he read his first poem, I believe it was "things I have shoved in my ...", I fell over laughing. I asked if I could publish his poetry with my small Unfinished Monument Press, and quickly Jack and Jill in Toronto was printed. Soon after Wayne Ray published Jones's first and only collection of haiku, Two Cops Kissing, with his HMS Press.

Regarding his status as a unique haiku poet, Jones was known to have performed poetry readings buck naked. It is very painful reading through my correspondence file with Jones, but I hope to add more to the blog later. I've taken the liberty of highlighting Jones's paragraph about his perception of Haiku Canada.     

                                                             ~    ~    ~     

PO Box 794
Station P
Toronto,  Canada
M5S 2Z1

25 September 1989



Chris,

Thanks for the letter and for the haiku pamphlet. Apart from the spelling, McCawley did quite a nice job on it. Good news about the reading.

So thanks for the lead, I think. I sent this Mark McCawley 8 pieces from The Brave, and he took them all and made the same offer about the chaplbook. Now I'm a little dubious about the whole project. He seems earnest, if a little too much so. He sent me a long letter about "the spirit" of small press and his publication "credits", including such highlights as The Poetry Alberta Yearbook. Well, as you paraphrase Shaunt, "What the hey!" I guess.

I keep making these vague offers to visit via letter, and I'm wondering if I can hold up to them. I've never been so busy in my life. I mean it's been really insane. I haven't been able to visit Kevin Connolly since he moved 2 months ago, and he only moved to Queen and Woodbine. A visit does sound good, but I better not make any promises.

I had a letter from Tom Wayman who fled the city life and moved to the Slocan Valley.

Haiku Canada always makes me think of Team Canada in hockey. I passed Keith Southward on the street the other day, and he snubbed me as usual.

It seems I'm going to be organizing the Toronto Small Press Book Fair in the spring. That seems like a long time away, but  I have to start on it already. Stuart and Nick needed a rest, and no one else wanted to do  it, so I bit the bullet. I'm sharing the chores with someone named Glenn Gustafson, whom I've never met and is only 22. I really think I could do without this.

What's happening with UnfinMon? I seem to recall there were some problems with Shaunt and Jim I can't recall the details and don't really care. I guess in a few months I'l have to send out the stuff for the Book Fair. Should I send it to you? Ask Shaunt? Or just not bother? Just for my own interest, though, I am curious what's happening.

I hope you've got lots of wood for the stove. It's getting bloody cold already.

Best,

Jones