Haiku: Where Do We Go From Here?
The Midwest Region of the Haiku Society of America will host the organization’s Annual National Meeting with an exciting symposium and cultural events in Metro Chicago, Friday through Sunday, Sept. 27-29. The Symposium’s theme will be: Contemporary Haiku: Where Do We Go From Here? The event will be held at the Holiday Inn in Evanston IL, along Chicago’s North Shore.
The gathering is already drawing participants and speakers from 20 states, Japan, and Canada.
The Symposium will feature a keynote speech from Professor Toshio Kimura, Director of the Haiku International Association in Tokyo. He will speak on the new era of haiku and how the role of nature is being defined.
There will be a panel of editors addressing the future of American haiku. It will include: Stanford Forrester of bottle rockets, Francine Banwarth of Frogpond, George Swede, former Editor of Frogpond, Roberta Beary, Haibun Editor of Modern Haiku, and Dr. Randy Brooks, Editor of Mayfly. The panel will also field questions on what editors seek in haiku submissions.
Among other highlights will be a presentation by Roberta Beary on haibun, a prose piece that uses embedded haiku to enhance the composition’s resonance and effect. During this presentation, haibun that has been submitted to the presenter ahead of time, will be anonymously critiqued during the session. There will also be a haiga presentation–haiku combined with art–by Lidia Rozmus, an artist-poet. Her work will be exhibited during the Symposium.
In addition, Dr. David G. Lanoue, HSA President will give a presentation, “Reading the New Haiku,” that will explore postmodern haiku of the 21st century to arrive at authorial intention versus readers’ invention in haiku.
Other highlights will include a guided meditation, a haiku book/journal display with signings by authors, a raffle of haiku journals and books, and readings by poets.
The event will also feature networking meals held at ethnic restaurants in the quaint town of Evanston, and cultural events including a guided architectural tour of the world-famous Baha’i House of Worship in nearby Wilmette. This will also include a nature walk (Ginko) through the Temple’s gardens to inspire the writing of haiku. Further, a guided tour of Northwestern University’s Block Museum, a major tourist attraction, will be included, among other cultural field trips.
Biographies of speakers, registration form, and instructions for hotel reservations, may be requested by email from Charlotte Digregorio, HSA Midwest Regional Coordinator, at c-books@hotmail.com.