Main

one moment please: a one day haiku workshop with Maureen Sexton

Sunday 15th August 2010, Wild Fig Jam Cottage

What is haiku? Why has it become so popular?

Part I of this workshop will run from 10 am – 12 noon and will address the following topics:

a brief history of haiku
haiku purpose
defining haiku
stopping the mind chatter
are syllables important?
fragment and phrase theory
techniques for writing haiku

the stillness –
soaking into stones
cicada’s cry

-- Matsuo Basho

Part II will run from 1 pm to 4 pm and will include the following:

a ginko (haiku walk)
sharing what we’ve discovered
mixing our words
the ‘aha’ moment
why haiku is becoming so popular

Graham Nunn (Brisbane, Qld) defines haiku as: ‘a short poem that captures the true essence of a moment in time.'


summer storm
shorter than
my cup of tea

-- Graham Nunn


“What is the relevance of Zen to Haiku? … Zen and haiku are about finding one’s way to what is known as haiku ‘spirit’. Zen was present at the very moment haiku came into being. Haiku was Zen in inspiration. … What is the relevance of Zen to haiku today, more than 350 years later? In one word is it is discipline. The discipline of self. The discipline to quiet the chatter of our minds.” This is an excerpt of a much longer article by Jacqui Murray, April 2008 that can be found at - /Zen%20and%20haiku%20jacqui%20murray.pdf

Brought to you by Wild Fig Jam Cottage

Jane Durkin and Liz Stern
Located on Biddle Road, between Geographe Bay and Yallingup Beach. http://members.iinet.net.au/~jane_durkin/

$110 Workshop inc. morning/afternoon tea and lunch

For booking and payment details please call Liz on Mob. 0404 241 132 or Ph. 9755 2221, or Email [email protected]

There is accommodation available if you would like to stay for 1 or 2 nights at special rates that include cost of the workshop and meals, please enquire.

Presented by: Maureen Sexton, HaikuOz (The Australian Haiku Society), WA Representative - /

BIO Maureen Sexton:

Born and raised in Perth Western Australia, I have lived here most of my life, except for three years in Adelaide and some time residing in Melbourne and rural WA, including: Kalgoorlie, Bridgetown and Peppermint Grove Beach. My interests are mainly in the arts, environmentalism and social justice. I am a freelance writer, poet, haiku writer, editor, amateur photographer, artist, website builder/designer, and digital media artist.

I have gained vast writer-in-the-community experience and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Writing, which I completed at Edith Cowan University, with some of my studies undertaken at Murdoch University and Flinders University.

I was fortunate to be offered, and to complete, an intense mentorship in haiku, with respected haijin John Bird, in 2007, and am currently the HaikuOz (The Australia Haiku Society) WA Regional Representative. My haiku has been widely published nationally and internationally, in such journals as the Heron's Nest, Paper Wasp, Famous Reporter, Stylus Poetry Journal, Haiku Australia Dreaming, FreeExpressions and Creatrix Poetry Journal. I find haiku writing and haiku's awe of nature, to be particularly meditative, healing and inspiring. With the frustration and anger at the continual destruction of the environment, I find haiku is a way of keeping myself calm and in the 'now'.

My poetry has also been widely published internationally and nationally. Believing in the importance of poetry, I have been actively involved in trying to raise community awareness of the relevance of poetry in our lives today. Poets throughout history have also been at the forefront of political and social challenges and changes, and, I believe, need to be more active at this time.

I plan to use my writing, photography and art as a way of voicing my concerns, and hopefully helping to bring about awareness and change.

http://www.maureensexton.com.au

[email protected]

0435 024 616