Spring wind frees
the full moon tangled
in leafless trees.
Nicholas
A. Virgilio
This impressive work traces the development of the Haiku
movement in English in America. A brief introductory chapter
details the early history of American Haiku movement in English
up to 1968. A small group of enthusiasts established the Haiku
Society of America (H.A.S.) in October 1968 under the guidance
of Harold G. Henderson. Early records of minutes reveal healthy
debates and the task of defining such key terms as haiku,
renga and hokku.
This initial section closes with several essays on technical
aspects of Haiku composition: sound, nature, punctuation and
sabi.
An essay entitled ‘Down with the Old Pond Haiku’ written
by Harold G. Henderson shortly before his death in 1974, warns
readers of the ‘tendency for haiku in English to fall into
a rut’. His solution: read Japanese haiku ‘in the original
or in semi-decent translations’ to realise the ‘vast variety’
of references and emotions from jokes (haikai) to dirges.
I refer the reader to ‘A Hidden Pond’ excerpted in HS #12.
The core of the book contains essays by various scholars
on aspects of haiku and related forms. William J. Higginson
writes on ‘Basho’s Zen and his Renga’ and ‘African American
Haiku’. The following is by Etheridge Knight, a veteran of
the Korean War.
The wire fence is tall
The lights in the prison barracks
Flick off, one by one.
Etheridge
Knight
The essay on ‘American and Japanese Perceptions of Haiku’
by Hiroaki Sato will be of interest to haiku writers in general.
His other essays also make interesting reading.
The concluding section of the book consists of tributes to
several haiku poets: including the late Nicholas A. Virgilio.
A comprehensive reference section lists awards and the winning
haiku, renga, etc.
Giving as it does a broad overview of the haiku movement
in America, A Haiku Path is essential reading for haiku enthusiasts
East and West.
by Joe McFadden
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