Cloudcatcher: Ginko No.48 (summer) Lennox Head

Thursday, 1 February 2018

The Cloudcatcher summer ginko is generally held the first week after school goes back. This year it also happened to be the first day of the ‘cool change’ and it rained. A hurried ring-around altered the meeting place from Lake Ainsworth to a picnic shelter in the town, with a short walk to the beach. The surf had been predicted as ‘hazardous’, and indeed looked really wild, with an offshore wind holding up the curves of the numerous white-topped milky-grey waves. However, through the drizzle we discerned half a dozen boardriders taking up the challenge, and rewarded with some glorious rides. A row of seagulls lined the fence, facing into the strong breeze to hold their feathers back, swallows flew up and down the steps to the beach, and a pelican chose the highest pole to keep an eye on it all.

Seven of us around the table read from the recent issue of Windfall, specifically the five haiku by Cloudcatchers included in it. We tried the new method of reading haiku as reported in HaikuOz by Jan Dodd (suggested by her American visitor Sheila Sondik): L1, then L1 & L2, then L1 & L2 & L3. However there was a consensus of opinion that this interfered with the placement of the keriji, and the two-part nature of a traditional haiku presentation, so we decided not to implement this procedure in the future. Continue reading “Cloudcatcher: Ginko No.48 (summer) Lennox Head”

Eucalypt e-Newsletter

The February 2018 Eucalypt: a tanka journal e-Newsletter is now online. Included are the Scribble Awards from issue 23, Book Notes, items of interest on the web, submission and subscription details and an engaging writing challenge you might like to try.

warm wishes

Julie Thorndyke
Editor, Eucalypt: a tanka journal

 

Members’ News January, 2018

Well there goes January in a flash and here we go into February . . .

We have managed to catch a few snippets of last month’s news, and thank you again to all those who have sent items to share with our readers.

Haiku Musings

It is usually of great interest as well as instructional to reflect on what haiku means to others, this is certainly the case here. We continue with our series of thoughtful reflections on haiku with the publication of My Writing Practice by Dawn Bruce and Why Haiku by Lorin Ford.

These are best read in the quiet zone, unhurried and perhaps with a cup of tea. Continue reading “Members’ News January, 2018”

HAIKU @ THE OAKS, CANBERRA

25 January 2018

We were just gathering round our shady table when the darkening clouds began to rumble. So we headed to The Oaks marquee instead, a wise move we agreed, when shortly a rainstorm came drumming down.

As we unpacked our show-and-tell, we remarked on the number of copies of Windfall 6 on the table! Yes, we had all noticed that this issue contains haiku by each one of us – Gregory Piko, Hazel Hall, Kathy Kituai, Marietta McGregor, Glenys Ferguson, Jan Dobb. The chummy tone of the afternoon ‘deepened’. Continue reading “HAIKU @ THE OAKS, CANBERRA”

Yarra Haiku Poets

Yarra Haiku Poets is a new regular event to be held every second month in Melbourne and surrounding areas.

The intention is to encourage poets to meet, discuss and share haiku related topics in a social setting.

According to Wikipedia, the Yarra river was a meeting place for indigenous Australians and the name Yarra  was a mistranslation of the Wurrundjeri term Yarro-yarro meaning  “ever flowing”.  This term aptly also represents the diversity, creativity and pleasure we enjoy with our involvement in haiku.

These events are open to any interested individual whether established poet or new to the genre. Continue reading “Yarra Haiku Poets”

Travelling Through the Unexpected by Lynette Arden

You are invited to join Lynette Arden for the launch of her poetry book: Travelling Through the Unexpected, with works of haiku, senryu, tanka, haibun and free verse selected by Graham Rowlands and published by Ginninderra Press. Rob Walker will be the guest speaker at the launch. You can listen to Lynette Arden speaking about the book in a radio interview on  5 MBS for the Kaleidoscope program, broadcast on Wednesday 17 January at 6 pm, with a repeat on Saturday 20 January at 11 am. The interview is also available as a Podcast

Come along to the launch at Halifax Café, 187 Halifax St, Adelaide at 2 pm on Saturday 10 February.

Travelling Through the Unexpected is available through Ginninderra Press: https://www.ginninderrapress.com.au

The book is also available through on line bookstores such as Booktopia, Book Depository, Fishpond, and Amazon in hard copy and eBook versions.

Continue reading “Travelling Through the Unexpected by Lynette Arden”