Haiku @ Folio

Haiku is brief and succinct, with emphasis on keen observation, clarity, depth of imagery and immediacy— and haiku discipline can be helpful to anybody who wishes to improve their writing. Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum and Haiku Northwest invite you to explore modern English language haiku in our new monthly study group. 

Join us in-person at Folio on the third Wednesday of each month. See the full schedule for details. Free and open to all - RSVP required.

Led by Dianne Garcia, over the next seven months we will discuss a definition of haiku (and common misconceptions and seldom-articulated “rules” for haiku), listen to examples of contemporary published English language haiku, explore one haiku concept/writing technique, endeavor to write responsive haiku, and return with our own haiku for feedback from the mentor and the group. We will explore haiku-related forms. We will learn about submission customs, where we can submit haiku for publication online or in print journals, or for self-publication as chapbooks.

Dianne Garcia is a long-time member of Haiku Northwest and has been active in supporting the Haiku Society of America and the Haiku Foundation.  Her haiku have been published in Frogpond, Modern Haiku, Kingfisher, Poetry Pea, and numerous anthologies as well as online on the Haiku Foundation forums.Dianne Garcia has been a mentor in the Haiku Society of America Mentorship program; we will use materials developed for and used by the Haiku Society of America program.  

Below is an outline of the concepts Dianne intends to cover over seven months. A caveat: things tend to unfold organically in the haiku world, and we will follow these paths if they are productive to the group’s writing experience.

1. Feb 21st: First meeting: Explore conceptions and misconceptions of haiku. Read and listen to some good examples of contemporary English language haiku. Responsive writing on your own. Resources for exploring haiku on your own. Take away: begin to write your own haiku.
2. March 20th: Second meeting: Basic Rules about form, content, imagery (season words, present tense, objective). Review of examples (your own or someone else’s). Write now; share. Take away: write haiku on your own, bringing one or two back to share at our Third meeting for feedback.
3. April 17th: Third meeting: Technique: the “cut”; internal comparison and relationships; creating internal flow in your haiku using techniques such as assonance, rhythm; two-part rule; sentence avoidance. Write now. Share one or two of your own haiku for feedback.
4. May 15th: Fourth meeting: Revision; bring depth to your haiku. Senryu, wabi/sabi, sensory, cultural allusions. Write now. Share one or two of your own haiku for feedback.
5. June 19th: Fifth meeting: Critique and revision by reviewing published haiku. Write now; Share one or two of your own haiku for feedback. Begin discussion of related Haiku forms (time allowing.)
6. July 17th: Sixth Meeting: Exploring related forms. Share one or two of your own haiku for feedback.
7. Aug 21st: Seventh meeting: Publication, self-study resources, where to find support if you choose to continue to write haiku (or come back to it after a time away.)