Cloudcatcher's Ginko No.20 had to be planned over a year ahead. A ginko held among the teeming life of a mangroves swamp demands a very low tide at a convenient location, at exactly the right time of day, on the right day of the week, in summer (because we wanted to wade).

There was only one site and one date that fitted these requirements: the mouth of the Brunswick River, on Thursday 27 January 2011. Of course we also hoped it would be fine, but not too hot. The day arrived, and it was PERFECT: a brilliant azure sky and a river that had peeled off its covers to allow us to enter into its fascinations. Poets strolled (bare-footed, mostly), along the mud flats and sandy riverbed, absorbed in a world of sand creatures, aerial mangrove roots, oyster shells, sea snails, and a variety of marine birds.

This paradise is just behind the Scout Hall, and we found, nearby, the cold ashes of a large fire, surrounded by a ring of logs, just perfect for sitting on, and all in the shadow of a cooling gum. Here some of the captured impressions were crafted into haiku, and these were read in turn around the campfire. We lunched at the Brunswick Hotel, looking out across the river, under a canopy of Moreton Bay Figs. A Round Robin is now underway.

The autumn ginko is planned for late April, at Bangalow Weir. Please contact Quendryth Young ([email protected]) nearer the time, for more details.

Quendryth Young

Posted by Greg Piko at 06:54 PM | Permalink

Famous Reporter #43 is due for release in February. The haiku section has been guest-edited by Janice Bostok and contains work by many HaikuOz members. If you are in Hobart, Melbourne or Castlemaine you might catch one of the launches:

Thursday 10 February 2011 at 5.30 pm. Hobart Bookshop, Hobart, Tasmania. Launched by Laurie Brinklow.

Saturday 26 February 2011 at 2:00 pm. Collected Works Bookshop, Melbourne.

Sunday 27 February 2011 at 3:00 pm. Guildford Hotel [Castlemaine Poetry Readings], via Castlemaine, Victoria. Launched by Ross Donlon.

Haiku for issue #43 are due by end April and should be sent to Lyn Reeves, 44 Bayside Drive, Lauderdale, 7021. Please include a stamped, self-addressed envelope and email address.

Posted by Greg Piko at 06:48 PM | Permalink

Moonbathing Issue 4 is now accepting submissions. I have additional copies of Moonbathing issue 3, hot off the press. If you wish to purchase a copy(ies), please see information below.

Moonbathing will publish two issues a year: Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:
Moonbathing will feature only women poets.
Send a maximum of 10 tanka per submission period.
Submission deadlines:
Spring/Summer: In-hand Deadline: May 15th spring/summer themes or non-seasonal only
No previously published tanka or simultaneous submissions; no tanka that has been posted on-line on a personal website/blog.

SUBMISSION ADDRESSES:
Send your tanka IN THE BODY OF AN E-MAIL to: Pamela A. Babusci: moongate44(at)gmail(dot)com PLEASE NO ATTACHMENTS. E-mail submissions ONLY.

I hope that all tanka poets who have their work accepted will support Moonbathing by purchasing a copy or a subscription. If Moonbathing is to survive it will need your support and I will be most grateful for it.
DONATIONS MOST WELCOME.

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 single issue. International: $14 (two issues) $7 single issue U.S. dollars; send US cash or international M.O.—payable to

Pamela A. Babusci to: Moonbathing Editor
150 Milford Street Apt. 13 14615-1810 USA

The Editor of Moonbathing is looking forward to receiving your best tanka. If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail Pamela A. Babusci moongate44(at)gmail(dot)com

Respectfully submitted,
Pamela A. Babusci,
Editor of Moonbathing

Posted by Greg Piko at 04:19 PM | Permalink

Several members of the Bindii group were interviewed by Radio Adelaide recently. The interview will be broadcast on Radio Adelaide 101.50 FM on Tues 25 January at 3.30 pm (half hour program).

The program will also be broadcast on the Internet from the Radio Adelaide Web Site http://radio.adelaide.edu.au/listenonline/

It is a streaming broadcast, so if you are located in the Eastern States it will be broadcast at 3 pm local time.

We were interviewed about the origin of the various Japanese forms, mainly tanka, renga /renku and haiku. We read some translations of the masters Basho, Buson, Issa and Shiki. We also read a selection of tanka and haiku written by group members and a collaborative renku composed by three Bindii members.

Lynette Arden
Bindii
(SA Japanese Poetry Forms Group)

Posted by Greg Piko at 07:56 PM | Permalink

HIBIKI is the first collaborative book of haiku by Cathy Drinkwater Better (Maryland, USA) and Geert Verbeke (Flanders, Belgium). This 40-page, side-stapled, digest-size book contains two individual sections of 72 haiku each, one devoted to each poet’s work and a brief biographical note. All of the haiku in HIBIKI are new.

This limited-edition collection is available exclusively through the poets: Contact Cathy Drinkwater Better at [email protected] for more information.

To order, write her at 613 Okemo Drive, Eldersburg, MD 21784; cost in the U.S. is $10, postage paid.

For more information, e-mail Cathy at [email protected] or visit her Web site at www.cathydrinkwaterbetter.com.

For information on overseas ordering, go to Geert’s Web site, http://www.haikugeert.net, and click on CYBERWIT INDIA at the top; or write to him at Leo Baekelandlaan14, B-8500, Kortrijk, Flanders, Belgium.

Posted by Greg Piko at 08:51 PM | Permalink

The contest is open to haiku poets worldwide, has no set theme, welcomes both the modern and traditional forms, but is restricted to the English language and unpublished haiku (including the Internet). Judges are paper wasp editors Jacqui Murray, John Knight and Ross Clark.

First Prize is A$150.00, Second Prize is A$75.00 and Third Prize is A$50.00.

Please note: The deadline is 1 February 2011. Please send your entries to Katherine Samuelowicz, paper wasp, 14 Fig Tree Pocket Road, Chapel Hill, Qld 4069, Australia. Email entries will not be accepted. Results will be published in paper wasp 17 in June 2011 and the anthology in July 2011.

Katherine Samuelowicz, for the paper wasp Editors

paper wasp invites haiku poets to enter its twelfth annual haiku contest. An anthology of the best haiku submitted will be published from the contest. One copy will be provided free to authors of entries selected for publication.

An entry fee of A$10.00 (from within Australia and from New Zealand (if paid in banknotes or cheques drawn on an Australian bank in Australia) or US$10.00 (international entries) applies to each sheet of three haiku submitted for judging, to cover contest costs and publication of the anthology. Each entry of three haiku must be clearly marked on the back of the sheet or card with the entrant’s full name, address including country and post/zip code and email address, if available, and your preferred or pen name for use if selected for publication. Judging is double blind. The judges’ decision is final, no correspondence will be entered into and entries will not be returned.

Posted by Greg Piko at 11:32 AM | Permalink

We have all seen the images of devastation caused in Queensland by the recent floods, and felt concern for the thousands of people who have lost family, their homes and possessions. Graham Nunn has started a flood relief appeal using sales of his most recent book of poetry, Ocean Hearted, as well as personal donations to raise much needed funds for the tens of thousands of people who are facing great personal loss. All moneys raised will be contributed to the Queensland Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal.

Details of Graham’s project are here: http://bit.ly/hkg55h

Please contribute what you can. Those affected by the flooding need all the help they can get at this stage . . . it's going to be a long road out.

Posted by Greg Piko at 04:24 PM | Permalink