I'm continuing to publish selected letters from my haiku correspondence before I donate them to the Haiku Canada Archives in the University of Victoria Special Collections. It's interesting to note in Lee's letter that haiku was relatively unknown in English thirty five years ago. In 1997 Lee became the President of the Haiku Society of America. He edited Modern Haiku from 2002 - 06. He's the current editor for Modern Haiku Press.
2 - 16 - 89
Dear Chris,
Thanks so much for your generous "care package" of
Canadian poetry. This morning I finally got a chance to
spend some time with the books - - in the tub, my favorite
place! Of course, I am familiar with your name and
Margaret Saunders from the various haiku publications.
It was enjoyable to read some of your "long" poems
and to be introduced to some poets who I haven't met before.
Quite a few more things going on there in Toronto than
here in Lincoln, IL!
In reference to your twenty years of odd jobs, I recall
Randy Brooks emphasizing how important it is for poets to
have "other" jobs. Where else to get material to write
about? Maybe this is why so many hollywood movies are
about the motion picture industry - - an indication of
their creative bankruptcy.
I have only recently begun to write "long" poems again - -
my first since I was in high school. Actually, I didn't do
much writing at all for the past 20 years, then began writing
haiku again in earnest about a year and a half ago. Over the
years I had kept in touch with haiku by reading and rereading
Blyth's Haiku, the only haiku books in English of which I
was aware. The interest in haiku today is just amazing to me.
I had an opportunity to visit some friends in Peterborough
this past summer. In case you don't get Modern Haiku, I am
enclosing a copy of a little piece I did up there. I hope
you enjoy it. Also a story about a haiku gathering we had
in the St.Louis area this past October. Glad to hear you
are enjoying my little "mouse."
Yours,
Lee
No comments:
Post a Comment