The Haiku Society of America's Annual National Meeting with symposium and cultural events, will be held Friday through Sunday, Sept. 27-29 at the Best Western, 1501 Sherman Ave., Evanston. Free and open to the public, the program will draw participants from 27 states, Japan, and Canada. The symposium's theme will be: Contemporary Haiku: Where Do We Go From Here? It will elaborate on the tradition of this short, thoughtful genre of poetry that captures moments of our lives.

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 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, 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, 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 sale and free raffle with signings by authors, and open mic readings by poets.

The event will also feature networking meals held at ethnic restaurants in Evanston, and cultural events including a guided architectural tour of the Baha'i House of Worship in 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 will be included, among other field trips.

Below is a schedule and speakers' bios. For a registration form, contact Charlotte Digregorio, HSA Midwest Regional Coordinator, at c-books@hotmail.com, or by calling 847-881-2664. Registration deadline is Aug 21.

Friday, Sept. 27

6 p.m.  

Dinner, Giordano's, 1527 Chicago Ave., Evanston. No Host.

Optional: After dinner, concert in the community.

Saturday, Sept. 28

8 to 9 a.m.

HSA Annual National Board Meeting. Nomination of officers and other business. Open to the public.

9:00 to 9:30 a.m.

Check-in with registration materials given.

9:30 to 9:40 a.m.

Welcome by Charlotte Digregorio, HSA Midwest Regional Coordinator

9:40-10:30 a.m.

Keynote Speech by Professor Toshio Kimura, (Tokyo, Japan), followed by questions.

Title: New Era/Epoch of Haiku

Prof. Kimura will discuss modern/non-traditional haiku and how we define the role of nature in it.

10:30-10:40 a.m.-break time

10:40 to 11:00 a.m.        

Guided Meditation, by William Shehan, (Illinois).

11:00 a.m. to Noon          

Editor's Panel: What Is The Future of American Haiku?

Panel Moderator: Marsh Muirhead, (Minnesota)

Panelists:

Stanford Forrester, (Connecticut); Roberta Beary, (Maryland); Francine Banwarth, (Iowa); and Dr. Randy Brooks, (Illinois). Panel will share their perspectives on this theme, and also answer questions about what editors seek in haiku submissions.

Noon to 1:30 p.m.      

Hotel Lunch

1:30--2:30 p.m.          

Haibun-- Blood, Sweat and Tears

Subtitle: Anonymous Haibun Workshop, by Roberta Beary, (Maryland)

Do you have what it takes for your haibun to be accepted for publication? Haibun Editor Roberta  Beary, along with the audience, will edit your haibun according to Modern Haiku submission guidelines:

 (1) Each verse should be able to stand on it own as a haiku, without reference to the prose; (2) The prose should be composed in haikai style-that is, with an eye to brevity, objectivity, and non-intellectualization; (3) The haiku and the prose should stand in the same relationship to one another as do the two parts of the haiku-that is, one part should not repeat, explain, or continue the other, rather the juxtaposition of the two should lead the reader to experience added insight or resonance. Haibun are generally, but not necessarily, titled.

Important: Participants who wish to submit haibun must email no more than one haibun (without name appearing anywhere on the work) to Roberta Beary  by Aug. 21:  shortpoems@gmail.com 

2:30-2:45 p.m.-break time

2:45-3:15 p.m        

Haiga: A few words, a few brush strokes, by Lidia Rozmus, (Illinois)                  

The artist-poet will give an Introduction to haiga - tradition, aesthetics, and tools. It will be followed by questions and answers.

3:15-3:30 p.m.            

Break: Viewing of Lidia Rozmus' Haiga

             Haiku Book/Journal Display

3:30-4:30 p.m.

Workshop: Reading the New Haiku

by Dr. David G. Lanoue, HSA President, (Louisiana)

4:30--5 p.m.

Raffle of Haiku Journals/Books

Networking with Panelists/Speakers

Book Signing/Sales

________________________________________________________________________

Optional:

5:30 p.m.

Dinner, Celtic Knot Public House, 626 Church St., Evanston. No Host.

Following dinner, guitar performance with poetry set to music by John O'Connor.

Haiku readings by interested participants at the Restaurant.

Sunday, Sept. 29

9:30 a.m.

Architectural Tour of world-famous Baha'i House of Worship, 100 Linden Ave.,   Wilmette.

(Free Guided Group Tour). Afterwards, Ginko walk through its beautiful gardens.

11:30

Lunch at Whole Foods Deli, 1640 Chicago Ave., Evanston.

Afternoon

Free guided group tour of Northwestern University's Block Museum, 40 Arts Circle Drive, Evanston.

Grosse Point Lighthouse in Evanston, walk on the beautiful beach of Lake Michigan, or trip to downtown Chicago.

Francine Banwarth of Dubuque, IA, has been a longtime member of the Haiku Society of America. She served as second vice president from 2008 through 2010, and in 2012 was named editor of its journal, Frogpond. She served on the board of Modern Haiku from 2010-2012. She has helped organize meetings and workshops with Haiku Dubuque and the Mineral Point, WI Foundry Books haiku group, under the leadership of Gayle Bull.  Banwarth has won awards for her haiku, including First Place in the Harold G. Henderson contest in 2005, First Place in the Betty Drevniok contest in 2009, the Shiki Kukai Poets' Choice award in 2009, and the Haiku Foundation's Touchstone award for haiku in 2011. She was a featured poet in New Resonance 5, published by Red Moon Press. Her haiku, senryu, rengay, and haibun have been published in numerous journals and anthologies.

Roberta Beary is the haibun editor of Modern Haiku. Her book of short poems, The Unworn Necklace, (Snapshot Press, 1st hardcover ed. 2011), was named a Poetry Society of America award finalist. It was also a Haiku Society of America Merit Book Award prize winner. Beary's haiku and senryu have been honored throughout North America, Europe, and Asia for their innovative style. They have been featured at several readings, most recently by Haiku Ireland. Beary has been a three-time winner of the Kiyoshi and Kiyoko Tokutomi Memorial Haiku Contest, and she placed First in the HSA Brady Contest, Haiku International Association, Kusamakura,  Penumbra, and  Polish Haiku International Contests. She has judged haibun and senryu contests for HSA, and has co-edited two HSA anthologies. She lived in Japan for five years. www.robertabeary.com  

Dr. Randy M. Brooks is the Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences and Professor of English at Millikin University. He teaches courses on the global haiku traditions at Millikin with student work available on the MU Haiku web site: <http://performance.millikin.edu/haiku>. He and his wife, Shirley Brooks, are co-editors and publishers of Brooks Books, and edit Mayfly haiku magazine. He serves as web editor of Modern Haiku magazine and on the Executive Committee of the Haiku Society of America as the Electronic Media Officer, editing the Frogpond web sampler and maintaining the society web site. He is also web editor for Modern Haiku magazine. In addition to his collection of haiku, School's Out, published by Press Here, he is co-editor of the Global Haiku Anthology published by Iron Press (England) and Mosaic Press (Canada) in 2000 and co-editor of the Midwest Haiku Anthology published in 1992. Randy has served on the editorial board for the Red Moon Press annual haiku anthologies since 2005.

Stanford M. Forrester is a past president of the Haiku Society of America and editor of bottle rockets: a collection of short verse, which boasts its 14th year in print. He is also publisher of a small press of poetry, www.bottlerocketspress.com.

Forrester has had poems published in many journals and anthologies worldwide.  He perhaps is most proud of his poetry included in Haiku edited by Peter Washington in the Everyman's Pocket Poetry Series, published by Knopf, and American Zen: A Gathering of Poets, published by Bottomdog Press. Some of his recently published books are: The Haiku Manual of Icarus and the toddler's chant republished by Stark Mountain Press. He took first seat in the 57th Annual Basho Anthology Contest in Ueno, Japan in 2004, and his haiku won second place in the International Robert Frost Poetry & Haiku contest in 2012. He has taught workshops in many venues including Zen Mountain Monastery, Kripalu, and The Japan Society in New York City. He has presented papers at Mansfield Freeman Center for East Asian Studies at Wesleyan University, among other academic institutions.

Prof. Toshio Kimura was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1956. He began composing haiku during college. He is Head of the International Affairs Section of Modern Haiku Association and is Director of Haiku International Association. He is a member of Japan PEN Club and was Chairman of the Haiku Symposium at the International PEN Conference in Tokyo in 2012. Prof. Kimura studied English literature at the postgraduate school of Meiji-Gakuin University in Tokyo in 1982, and was an Academic Fellow of English/Comparative Literature at the University of London (2001-02). Currently, he is Professor of English Studies at Nihon University in Japan. His haiku collections are: In the Distance; Little Brier Rose (both in Japanese); Phantasm of Flowers (English); and The Blue Planet (Multilingual anthology, for which he served as editorial supervisor.)

Dr. David G. Lanoue is a professor of English at Xavier University of Louisiana. He is a translator of Japanese haiku, teacher of English and world literature, and writer of haiku and "haiku novels." He is co-founder of the New Orleans Haiku Society, an associate member of the Haiku Foundation, and president of the Haiku Society of America. His books include a translation (Cup-of-Tea Poems: Selected Haiku of Kobayashi Issa), criticism (Pure Land Haiku: The Art of Priest Issa) and a series of haiku novels: Haiku Guy (2000), Laughing Buddha (2004), Haiku Wars (2009) and Frog Poet (2012). Some of these books have appeared in French, German, Spanish, Bulgarian, Serbian and Japanese editions. In addition, he has published The Distant Mountain: The Life and Haiku of Kobayashi Issa in English with Hindi translations by Angelee Deodhar. He maintains The Haiku of Kobayashi Issa website, for which he has translated 10,000 of Issa's haiku.

Marsh Muirhead is a writer, dentist, and flight instructor living on the banks of the Mississippi (not far from the headwaters) in Bemidji, Minnesota. Muirhead's collection of haiku and senryu, her cold martini, has just been released, . His fiction and poetry have appeared in Carolina Quarterly, The Southeast Review, New Mexico Poetry Review, Rattle, North Dakota Quarterly, Minnetonka Review and elsewhere. His poem, "Releasing the Animals (the anti-haiku)," won the Poetry Prize at the Robert Frost Festival in Key West in 2009. Since writing his first haiku in 2007 (after attending Charlie Trumbull's workshop in Key West), he has published more than 100 haiku in major U.S. haiku journals and in several anthologies--several editions of The Red Moon Anthology, Haiku 21, and others. Muirhead judged the 2010 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest, and has conducted numerous haiku workshops and readings.He organized "A Weekend with Billy Collins" in Bemidji in the fall of 2010. He won The Great American Think-Off, a national essay and debate event in 2011, in answer to the question, "Does Poetry Matter."  He said it did. He is also the author of Key West Explained -- a guide for the traveler (a guide to the most literary of small towns) and has written numerous magazine articles on aviation, travel, auto racing, bodybuilding, and other concerns. He was the "Spotlight poet" in the 41.1 issue of Modern Haiku and also won the Museum of Haiku Literature Award from issue 34.3 of Frogpond (reprinted in 35.1). 

Lidia Rozmus was born in Poland and studied at Jagiellonian University in Krakow where she received her Master's Degree in Art History. Since 1980, Lidia has lived in the U.S., and has worked as a graphic designer. She paints sumi-e and oils. She has written and designed several books of haiku, haibun, and haiga, including A Dandelion's Flight-Haiku and Sumi-e which received the Haiku Society of America Merit Book Award for design; Twenty Views from Mole Hill: My Journey which also received the Haiku Society Merit Book Award for haibun in 2004; and Hailstones: Haiku by Taneda Santoka. Her paintings have been exhibited in the U.S., Japan, and Poland, and her haiku has been published internationally. She is Art Editor of Modern Haiku and Art Director of Deep North Press. She was Co-Editor and Art Director of the Haiku Society's 2009 Anthology, A Travel-Worn Satchel.