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November 21, 2009

Two recent international conferences -haiku and tanka

Please visit the Society of Women Writers NSW Inc website

http://www.womenwritersnsw.org/

to find reports of the recent 4th Haiku Pacific Rim Conference Terrigal Sept 22-25 2009
and the 6th International Tanka Festival Tokyo October 10-12 2009

Access is through the easy to use menu on the left hand side. Just look under poetry events and then click first on haiku and then on tanka. Both these articles, the former with more photographs than shown here, will appear in the Society's bimonthly newsletter "Images" edited by Dita Diamante. Please take time to read the about section of the Society which has been helping women writers since 1925.

A reminder you can also visit the haiku pages of the New Zealand Poetry Society for more details of 4HPR posted by Sandra Simpson.

November 18, 2009

Key-ku now open for submission

Submissions are open again for the “Key-ku” haiku column of the weekly news paper Solares Hill, published by the Key West Citizen, Key West, FL. Janelle Barrera and I are co-editing the column in the wake of Lee Gurga’s departure as editor, and we thank Lee again for his confidence in recommending us. Submissions of five or fewer may be emailed to sjnbarrera@gmail.com, Key-ku in the subject line please. Three lines and seasonal preferred, but there are no restrictions. No payment or copies are provided, though the Hill is available online through The Citizen. Questions or comments may be sent to Janelle or to me at cfmasat@bellsouth.net.

Fran Masat

Interview with Maureen Sexton

Haiku on Friday recently conducted an interview with Maureen Sexton. The complete interview can be read here:

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID;=114424058&blogID;=517722681

November 08, 2009

Bindii (formerly SA Haiku Group) Report of Meeting 7 November 2009

The meeting was held at the Box Factory in Regent St South, Adelaide.

Present: Lynette Arden, Maeve Archibald, Belinda Broughton, Margaret Fensom, Marilyn Linn, Elsa and Alain Rozanes, Alex Ask, Athena Zaknic.

We held a kukai. Each member brought 3 haiku or found 3 haiku in books. We circulated the haiku anonymously and each member read out favourites. There were many haiku to appreciate and the experience was most enjoyable. We plan to use this format again, along with other activities. Following the kukai we had lunch while workshopping haiku and tanka brought by various members.

Lynette Arden

November 02, 2009

Moonbathing

*MOONBATHING - A JOURNAL OF WOMEN'S TANKA*

*EDITORS*

*Pamela A. Babusci & Cathy Drinkwater Better*

*Published by Black Cat Press*

Founding Editors Pamela A. Babusci and Cathy Drinkwater Better, and Black Cat Press, are proud to announce the first all women's tanka journal: *Moonbathing*.

*Moonbathing* will publish two issues a year: Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer. The journal will be small in size but huge in the quality of the tanka that is accepted and published.

*Premiere Issue Tanka Contest:*

For the Premier Issue (Fall/Winter 2009-10), the Editors are sponsoring a "moonbathing" tanka contest. Tanka poets may submit *one tanka* on the subject of "moonbathing"--whatever that means to you--for consideration, in
addition to their regular submissions. The winner will be featured in the premiere issue of *Moonbathing *and receive a complementary copy. (Be sure to label your entry "moonbathing contest" if sending along with a regular
submission.)

*SUBMISSION GUIDELINES: *

*Moonbathing* will feature *only* women poets. Send a maximum of five (5) tanka per submission period. Submission deadlines:

*Fall/Winter Issue*: *In-hand Deadline*: November 1st. Fall/winter or non-seasonal themes only.

*Spring/Summer Issue*: *In-hand Deadline*: May 1st. Spring/summer or non-seasonal themes only.

No previously published tanka or simultaneous submissions; no tanka that has been posted on-line, whether on a personal website/blog or on a tanka discussion group; and no publicly workshopped tanka will be considered or
accepted.


*SUBMISSION ADDRESSES:*

*Tanka poets with last names beginning: A-M:*

Send your tanka IN THE BODY OF AN EMAIL to: Pamela A.
Babusci: *moongate44(at)gmail(dot)com* PLEASE NO
ATTACHMENTS. Or *mail* to: Pamela A. Babusci, 150 Milford St., Apt. 13,
Rochester, NY 14615 USA.

*Tanka poets with last names beginning: N-Z:*

Send your tanka IN THE BODY OF AN EMAIL to: Cathy Drinkwater
Better: *cbetter(at)juno(dot)com* PLEASE NO
ATTACHMENTS. Or *mail* to: Cathy Drinkwater Better, 613 Okemo Drive,
Eldersburg, MD 21784 USA.

*Submissions will not be returned*, so keep a copy of your poem(s). If sending a submission by snail-mail, please enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for a reply. We cannot respond to submissions without SASEs.

*Guidelines:*

The Editors are looking for the "crème de la crème" in contemporary English tanka being written by female poets. *Moonbathing* will accept one tanka per poet per issue, and one poem will be featured per page.

We are seeking to recognize, honor, and praise the unique "female voice" and perspective in tanka. The Editors are excited about being the first women editors to offer this type of literary venue to female tanka poets, and we
hope all women poets will feel honored and enthusiastic as well.

*Payment:*

Unfortunately, at this time the Editors will not be able to provide contributors' copies.

Due to the current economic situation--as well as our shoe-string budget--we hope that all tanka poets who have their work accepted will support *Moonbathing* by purchasing a copy or a subscription. If we are to succeed,
the magazine will need your support--and we will be most grateful for it.

*Disclaimer:*

*Moonbathing *does not assume liability for copyright infringement or failure to acknowledge previously published tanka.

*copies/subscriptions:*

Subscriptions: $10 for one year (two issues) U.S. and Canada; $5 for one copy (includes postage). Overseas: $14 U.S. dollars. Make checks--or send cash or international money orders--payable to "Cathy Walker" to: Moonbathing, Cathy Drinkwater Better [Walker], 613 Okemo Drive, Eldersburg, MD 21784 USA.

The Editors of *Moonbathing *are looking forward to receiving your best tanka. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail either Pamela A. Babusci *moongate44(at)gmail(dot)com* or Cathy Drinkwater Better *cbetter(at)juno(dot)com*

November 01, 2009

'Riverbeats' Haiku Contest Results

Late in September the Australian Haiku Society, HaikuOz, informed readers of an invitation by Riverbeats to take part in a spectacular free live show to be held on the banks of the Parramatta River on Sunday 31 October. The Parramatta City Council and New Writers Group asked for contributions of original haiku on the theme of water and our relationship to it. The selected poems were to be recited and/or projected on massive screens as part of the live light and sound performance.
Many members of the Australian Haiku Society accepted the challenge. Here are the results.

Riverbeats Live 09 Haiku Competition Winners:

Musical Director’s prize

Gayle Barbagallo:

the river at night
black water mirrors the sky
I float in the stars

NWG Inc Editors’ Awards

Quendryth Young Joint First:

riverside gym
all the treadmills
facing the water

gathering clouds
galahs tumble through
dusty river gums

a spider
in the rain gauge
clear sky

Nathalie Buckland Joint First:

rusted handrail
on the jetty’s edge –
rain-speckled river

sluggish river
the swimmer leaves
a line of splashes

sigh of wind
in the river gums
a crow calls

John Bird Joint Second:

dry dam
cold moonlight fills
old hoof prints

twilight surf –
something quick and silver
shares the wave

summer flood
a stranded cow bellows
into the twilight

M L Grace Joint Second:

footprints
in the empty waterhole
wander the mud

river birds song
the stillness between
each note

eels trail
silver ribbons on a near
empty dam

The following poems are on the directors’ performance list:

M L Grace

sun up
a thousand diamonds
splinter the sea

John Bird

dusk breeze –
a butterfly carried
out to sea

saltscape
a rusted wire fence
around dead gums

Gayle Barbagallo

sunlight on water
where infinite reflections
make silent music