Lynette Arden

Cloudcatchers’ Ginko No.38 (winter)

23 July 2015

On again, off again! With rain and even a thunderstorm predicted we took our chances and gathered anyway for the Cloudcatchers’ thirty-eighth ginko. Yes, it drizzled most of the time, but with a few bursts of sunshine, a brilliant light on the waters at the mouth of the Richmond River in Ballina, along with the warmth of the camaraderie, we experienced another remarkable and productive day. Images of dolphins rolling wave-like up the river, the ever-optimistic fishermen silhouetted against a grey sky and raindrops on the tips of she-oak needles were recorded on damp pages. Lunch together wrapped up yet another morning of perception and empathy.

Quendryth Young

Review of “Haiku Bindii: Willow Light”

The following review has been written by Patricia Prime (NZ), editor of “Kokako”:

“Haiku Bindii: Willow Light. Journal of Bindii Japanese Genre Poetry Group 2015: Volume 2” has been edited by Lee Bentley, with layout and design by Lynette Arden.

Payment can be made via Paypal to lee.bentley@y7mail.com 1. $10AUD; 2. $15AUD; 3 $24 AUD; 4. $30 AUD. 5 or more copies, please contact Lee for details.

“Haiku Bindii: Willow Light” is the Bindii Japanese Genre Poetry Group’s second collection from Australian poets. Haiga inside front and back covers and throughout the book are by Belinda Broughton. The collection is composed of haiku, tanka, tanka prose and haibun.

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Red Kelpie Haiku Group Ginko & Meeting #4

Considering that June weather in Melbourne can be rainy, squally and generally miserable, we planned a venue with centrality and shelter in mind, so on Sunday the 14th we met down on the Old Melbourne Wharf, on the Yarra and now a part of Federation Square. Though a little cold, the day was surprisingly fine and sunny, with no wind.

Our discussion topic this time, inspired by Jaya’s query into the differences between haiku and senryu and taking into account Charles Trumbull’s insight into the growing preponderance of ‘tankaesque’ ku being written and published (see his ‘Between Basho and Ban’ya (bypassing Barthes): A New Brand of Haiku?’ in A Hundred Gourds, June 2015) was ‘Haiku, Senryu or Tankaesque Ku ?’ Each of us attending brought along examples of ku we thought fitted into each of these categories. A challenging topic! The discussion was enthusiastic, in-depth and very lively indeed.

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“Eucalypt” Issue 18, 2015 – Appraisals

From every issue of “Eucalypt: a tanka journal”, edited by Beverley George, two poems are peer-selected for appraisal.

Congratulations to New Zealand poets, Patricia Prime and Anne Curran, whose tanka were selected for appraisal by Sylvia Florin.

You can read about them here:

http://www.eucalypt.info/E-awards.html

While visiting the site, you may also wish to read a wide selection of tanka appraisals at:

http://www.eucalypt.info/E-bowerbird.html

A regular feature of the full-day Bowerbird workshops, convened twice a year, is a presentation by each of three delegates of a tanka by a poet whom the presenter has never met. The appraisals are lively and varied.

– Beverley George

Bindii 6 June 2015

Review of Willow Light by Patricia Prime and Bindii Meeting 6 June 2015

A review of our latest Journal: Haiku Bindii Vol 2 Willow Light by Patricia Prime has been published on the HaikuOz website.

PDF file of review: Review of Willow Light by Patricia Prime

Nine members and guests met at the Box Factory for Karin Anderson’s talk onhas early love tanka, from as far back as ninth century Ise Monogatari. Karin then discussed kyoka, the humorous equivalent of the tanka form, also with examples.

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A Hundred Gourds 4:3 released

Yesterday, Lorin Ford – Haiku Editor, Managing Editor for “A Hundred Gourds” – wrote:

Outside my window is the first rainbow of my Melbourne winter, which begins today. Those in the Northern Hemisphere will soon be welcoming summer. Wherever you are in the world, the 15th issue of “A Hundred Gourds”, a quarterly journal of haiku, haibun, haiga, tanka and renku poetry is now online for your reading pleasure:
www.ahundredgourds.com

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Publication of John Carley’s “Renku Reckoner”

Thanks to Lorin Ford for passing on the following message from Norman Darlington about the recent publication of John Carley’s “Renku Reckoner”, through Darlington Richards Press: as Lorin herself has noted, “This is the book many of us have been waiting for!”

Norman Darlington writes:

Darlington Richard Press are pleased to announce that John Carley’s eagerly-awaited “Renku Reckoner” is now available athttp://www.lulu.com/spotlight/darlingtonrichards.

Carley’s 186-page “haikai manifesto” includes descriptions, seasonal schemas, appraisals and examples of twelve traditional and modern renku forms, from the 36-verse kasen to the 4-verse yotsumono, and 19 chapters on renku theory and practice, including a series of carefully constructed exercises. This authoritative work will be a welcome addition to the library of any poet or reader, beginner or advanced, with a serious interest in collaborative poetry in English.

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Cloudcatchers’ Ginko #37

Cloudcatchers’ Autumn Ginko 2015

The wild, wild weather at the end of April caused the postponement of our autumn ginko. However, two weeks later, on 14 May, atmospheric conditions were superb as we explored a new venue. Thursday Plantation (a tea tree plantation) is situated on the outskirts of Ballina and features the plantation itself, a maze and a rainforest remnant. We had been warned of an abundance of mosquitos, but a slight chill in the air kept them at bay, and the notices Beware of Snakes did not concern us.

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