■Meeting Report on the World Haiku Conference
in Tolmin, Slovenia September 8, 2000
Japanese
Jim KACIAN
Hello Everybody: We've had an amazing time
at the first World Haiku Association Conference
here in Tolmin, Slovenia. Over 60 people
have gathered to share poems and thoughts
on poetry, and the camaraderie and energy generated
has been much greater than we could have
anticipated. So much in fact that many new
initiatives and projects have been created,
with expanding expectations of what we can
accomplish to bring haiku to more people
around the world, on every level. I thought
I might share some of the key moments in
the conference with those of you who were
not so fortunate as to be able to attend.
Friday September 1: People arrived in waves,
first the contingent from London (site of
the World Haiku Festival 2000, August 25-30)
at 3am; then a large group from Japan who
had spent some holiday time at Lake Bled;
then many of the Balkan attendees, usually
in groups of 2 or 3. By mid-day most everyone
was in, and the ginko to Tolminka Gorge attracted
the whole group. The weather was perfect
for such a trip, sunny and warm, but cooler
as we walked up the river's edge through
the gorge it has carved out of the dolomitic
mountains, until we passed through a cave
into the dim opening from which the river
issues. To everyone's credit, we all successfully
completed the walk, and had many opportunities
to write haiku and appreciate the splendor
of the setting. We returned to Tolmin for
the welcome reception, held in the Tolmin
Theatre. There we were treated not only to
food and drink, but also to a concert of
traditional Slovenian music, wonderfully
performed by the Dednina Quartet from Zagreb.
Welcoming speeches from the Mayor's office
(Deputy Mayor Carli), the site host (Dimitar
Anakiev) and the performance director (Igor
Drnovsek) were followed by a round reading
of greeting haiku from about half of the
participants. It was time for dinner, so
we adjourned from the theatre to the dining
hall of the Hotel Krn, where we ate copiously
and conversed in many tongues. At the beginning
of dessert, all those who had not yet greeted
us with a haiku were able to do so, and after much
more conversation we retired to our comfortable
lodgings. Saturday September 2: Following
breakfast in the hotel's dining room, we
moved to the theatre for the opening session
of talks. Dimitar Anakiev, our host here
in Slovenia, began the day's conversation
with his paper on "The Third Way".
He advanced the idea that WHA is not merely
a gathering of poets, but actually a seeking
of a furthering of the form itself. Poised
between the two models which predominate
the haiku world today, those of Japan on
the one hand, and the western mirroring of
Japan on the other, he proposed that WHA
is the beginning of a third model, which
is a more inclusive form, losing nothing
from the earlier two models but emphasizing
the poetic element to a greater degree than
has heretofore been permitted. He offered
the point that the important work being done
today in the form is taking this third way,
and includes the development of the "keywords"
concept, and a broader latitude for poetic
association. This set the tone for the kind
of poetry WHA values and will seek to advance.
He was followed by Jim Kacian of the United
States, who spoke on "The Structure
of WHA". After surveying of the state
of the haiku art around the world, and concluding
that interest is burgeoning in many countries,
cultures and languages, he asked the question
of what would best serve these many and
disparate people, and how WHA could be structured
to accomplish this service. He advanced a
design that intends to accommodate as many
people as possible, on the level of their
interest and involvement. First of all, he
advocates the creation of a website wherein
all members might have space for their own
work. This site is free of charge, and available
to all members, and, as membership is also
free, provides an opportunity for all poets
to have a voice. How this site differs from
other large and usually unedited site, however,
is in its management by editors who would
be appointed or elected by their national
or regional organizations. The mandate for
these editors is to choose work which is
exemplary of their place of origin, thus
assuring that the local and specific is not
lost in the growth of the form internationally,
but rather preserved, as haiku must be, as
a poem of a specific place and time. To create
these positions of editor will require cooperation
between WHA and local, regional and national
haiku societies around the world, which constitutes
the second level of the structure. Beyond
this, WHA will provide the kinds of work
that will help bind these societies together:
the critical work of good translation (English
has been adopted as the official working
language of WHA, for practical reasons, but
each language is encouraged to find its own
best poetry in the form); outreach in the
form of instruction and resources for those
countries and cultures just coming to haiku
(taking the form of books, magazines, and
workshops, among other things); major projects
which will advance the understanding of global
haiku, such as those currently planned: the
first world haiku anthology, the first "saijiki"
based on keywords, and the history of world
haiku as it has come to the many countries
around the world; and finally, but not least,
regular meetings where people from the many
countries can come together to share their
poetry and ideas about poetry for the evolution
of us all. The third speaker of the morning
was Susumu Takiguchi of England, who had
us consider, at this most appropriate time,
"Challenges of World Haiku in the 21st
Century". These are many and varied,
and it is important to begin dialogue on
them, to find the most useful language, as
well as possible direction for solutions.
Included among these questions are matters
such as the Japanese position in haiku in
the future, the near-ubiquitous use of English
in international haiku, and the predominance
of what we might term "the American
model" as the most common type of haiku
to be found. These are not new questions
which face us: how will haiku grow, how will
we be able to share it, what are the repercussions
to making the decisions we make. But they
are issues which must be faced if haiku is
to continue to grow, and remain meaningful
in both artistic and personal ways, in the
future. What is most heartening is that
they are being answered: Japanese poets increasingly
embrace international haiku, and even Japanese
haiku societies are coming to recognize the
value, importance and necessity of working
in a larger sphere; English certainly has
been adopted world-wide, and this is not
without problems, but it also seems apparent
that any choice would be fraught with the
same considerations, and that English offers
some things, such as the number of users
and its currency in other realms, which offset
whatever disadvantages it might offer; and
the creation of entities such as WHA ensures
that other models will have good exposure
in the international world, and that not
a single model will be recognized to the
exclusion of all others. So there is much
reason for encouragement as we come to meet
these challenges that await us in the years
to come. Most significant of all for the
morning session was the spirited question
and answer period which followed. Many broad
topics were discussed, and it was enlightening
to all to hear the many points of view regarding
each. Only through this kind of interchange
can we hope to know the full breadth and
depth of the issue at hand. And only at such
a colloquy as WHA made possible can this
breadth and depth be made available. Following
lunch at the hotel, the second session was
begun in the theatre by Ban'ya Natsuishi,
who spoke on "Our Basis for World Haiku
in the 21st Century". Ban'ya acknowledged
that many problems face world haiku in the
next century, but explored one of the ways
in which these problems might be overcome,
or at least faced. He chose the keyword "dream"
and, through examples and commentary, suggested
how poets from around the world-Joanne Morcom
and Jim Kacian of the United States, Sumie
Aihara, Tohta Kaneko and Saki Unui of japan,
Dimitar Anakiev of Slovenia, and Miroslav
Klivar of the Czech Republic-find a wide
range of material, but ultimately a commonality
of spirit and being. Conceding that the entire
basis for the new haiku could not be known
at this time, it is at least possible to
see how it can work amongst people by calling
forth shared realities, and appreciating
the deep feelings each poet expresses and
therefore shares. Marijan Cekolj of Croatia
then addressed some of the philosophical
issues concerned with the position of haiku
as zen. He considered the position from the
point of view of what it was like when zen
was taken to be essential to the understanding
of haiku, and drew many conclusions which
arise from such a consideration. Ion Codrescu
of Romania then spoke on "Communication
through Words and Images in a Time of Globalization".
In his talk, Codrescu advanced the idea that
haiku is primarily a visual poetry, and that
just as we create energy through the juxtaposition
of images transmitted verbally, so too can
we accomplish this between poem and image
through the medium of haiga. There followed
a discussion of how haiga functions, of how
what is missing is equally important to what
is presented, and of how we might share meaning
across borders when the verbal suggestions
is accompanied by visual cues. Zinovy Vayman
of Russia then considered the new haiku cultures
in Russia and Israel, both of which he has
had a hand in fomenting. The emergence of
haiku culture in such places, rich with literary
tradition and with great passion for culture,
is critical for the growth of world haiku. That
haiku understanding and community have begun
here, and in so many other places, is the
mandate for an organization such as WHA.
To conclude the session, Serge Tome of Belgium
spoke on "Haiku, a Poetic Form Adapted
to the Present World". He first considered
how information is taken in by the mind,
and how it is processed, and then used this
information to suggest how haiku works. This
comparison to other information-processing
systems was provocative and prompted lively
discussion. We adjourned at this point to
the theatre lobby where samples of local
food and wine, and more lively conversation,
was waiting. Again the sounds of many languages,
and many intonations of English, floated
in the air. In addition, rain had come up
during the afternoon and fell heavily without.
It was with reluctance that we finally moved
ourselves to the city museum, where we were
to have readings from our many participants.
Our reluctance was changed to appreciation,
however, as the reading were full of enthusiasm
and enjoyment. They were commenced by Ban'ya
Natsuishi, who read, with the aid of Dimitar
Anakiev (Serbian and Slovenian), Alain Kervern
(French) and Jim Kacian (English), in 5 languages,
selections from his book "A Future Waterfall",
published (in English) in 1999 by Red Moon
Press in the United States. This was followed
by readings from the many present who appeared
in the recent anthology "Multilingual
Haiku Troubadours 2000", these too in
at least Japanese and English, with Jim again
doing the honors. Then readings from "Our
Dream", another recent anthology on
the theme of the keyword "dream".
And then all others sharing at least a poem
or two with the assembled gathering. From
one piece of theatre to another: the group
once again returned to the theatre (and it
must be said that all these buildings, the
theatre, museum and hotel, are adjacent to
one another, and so transport was a matter
of only a minute or so) for a presentation
of haiku music, arranged by Igor Drnovsek.
Included on the program were several pieces
of music, all inspired by haiku, included
"Seven Haiku for Piano" by John
Cage; a trio of pieces by contemporary Slovenian
composer Neved Valand-"Birds" for
piano solo (based on selected Balkan haiku),
"Slika ya Klavir" ("Picture
for Piano") for piano solo (based on
haiku by Gordana Valand), and "Leprsa
Ledena Cipka" ("Trembles the Frozen
Lace") for soprano, piano, violin and
percussion (based on haiku by Gordana Valand);
selections from "Jasmine Tea" by
Grace Asquith, for mixed voices (based on
haiku by Ebba Story); and "Seasons"
by Russell J. Courter (setting classical
Japanese haiku for soprano and harp). At
its conclusion we walked through the balmy
night to dinner, conversation, and a nightcap
on the hotel piazza. Sunday September 3:
Again the day begins with breakfast at the
hotel, but this time following it we move
to the Mayor's conference room. This to accommodate
the slightly different program for the day
which is to include a round-table discussion.
But first we are treated to Alain Kervern's paper
"The Haiku and the Poetry Almanac: Can
this Formula be Transposed Elsewhere?"
Besides being a fine summation of what a
saijiki is and is intended to be, Alain places
the origins and uses of the saijiki within
the historical context in Japan, and within
the larger context of similar works around
the world, notably the English tradition
of pastoral calendars which often took the
form of extended works of poetry. He went
on to consider the problems of kigo in the
contemporary world, the diminution of the
role of kigo, and ultimately the emergence
of keywords as a critical element in the
forward movement of haiku. At last, he spoke
of the importance of the Tokyo conference
held in 1999, which ratified the use of keywords
and bridged the gap to the future of haiku.
Vladimir Devide next addressed the assemblage,
speaking on Croatian haiku. His concerns
highlighted the need to maintain the local
and the specific to be found in each country's
haiku, without which the form would become
homogenized and bland. He concluded with
some anecdotal definitions of haiku, which
were an excellent conclusion to our many
talks, being light and refreshing and often
amusing. Which led us to the featured part
of Sunday's meeting, the round table discussion.
This, in my opinion, was the most important
single event on the WHA calendar, as it was
an opportunity for the many people present,
and the many languages and cultures they
represented, to voice their opinions and
concerns on a wide range of issues facing
contemporary haiku. And it did not disappoint.
While many issues were discussed, the conversation
was concentrated in three major areas. The
first of these concerned the saijiki: is
it merely a local phenomenon, a cultural
and literary history of a people, or can
it have a more sweeping impact? Can it, indeed,
transport itself across national borders?
What has been the success of saijiki which
have attempted to do just that, such as William
J. Higginson's Haiku World? Each of these
points was discussed in detail, with, as
might be expected, a particularly generous
amount of information supplied by the Japanese
contingent. The consensus was that a saijiki
was an historical phenomenon, and that its
effects upon the haiku were enormous, but
that the needs of haiku poets in contemporary
times are different. All of which WHA finds
encouraging as it moves to bring forth the
first saijiki based upon the concept of keywords,
currently in process. Such a book should
be broader than a saijiki in that it will
convey kigo, indeed, but also other categories
heretofore not generally included in such
volumes, and in a more inclusive fashion,
utilizing the shared traditions and poems
of all haiku cultures. Only such a volume
can make the claim to cross national borders
and serve a truly world poetry. Many surprising
things came out of our conversation about
haiku education. Of course many grassroots
attempts to foster a deeper appreciation
of haiku as a form have been attempted, in
the west as well as in Japan. But perhaps
most interesting was that the Japanese are
finding the teaching of haiku to their children
to be a difficult matter. Standards of teaching
haiku in Japanese schools have decreased
in recent years, to the point where an average
student might now know 2 or 3 haiku by the
4th grade, as opposed to 50, 100 or more
only a few years ago. But perhaps the biggest
surprise came when Associate Professor Ikuyo
Yoshimura said that the most successful way
of teaching haiku to children of late has
been to introduce them to English-language
haiku (!). Because English, especially American,
culture is seen as "cool", haiku
issuing from America might be seen to be
cool enough for Japanese kids to know something
about. So the circle has closed, in a way,
and the wave laps back upon Japan which had
once been started there. A final key issue
of conversation, especially of interest to
the japanese contingent, was the organization
of Japanese haiku, especially as this affects
public haiku life in japan. What emerged
from the conversation was that, contrary
to public opinion, Japanese poets are quite
interested in the movement of haiku into
the world sphere, although Japanese haiku
hierarchies have been slow to embrace this
movement. It was apparent, however, that
the feeling amongst the assembled poets was
that of interest and cooperation. This brought
us, sadly, to the final round of readings.
Each of the poets shared a moment from their
time and varied experiences in Tolmin. The
full collection of these poems will be made
into a volume of commemoration by Ban'ya
Natsuishi in the next couple months, but
perhaps I can share with you my own farewell
poem. I wore a shirt upon which was imprinted
the kanji for "buddha" as the morning
session began, Sagicho Aihara, President
of the Gendai Haiku Kyukai (the Modern Haiku
Association), came up to me to greet me,
and also to read my shirt. And so I must
thank him for playing the major role in creating
my poem: reading butsu on my shirt a man
lays his hands on my belly We adjourned for
lunch, following which the Japanese contingent
boarded their bus for a brief tour of Kobarid,
and then return to Ljubljana and their flight
home. Others among us lingered a bit longer,
sharing conversations and a last drink, before
dispersing. Finally only Dimitar and I are
left in Tolmin, but we are happy to say that
we've heard from nearly all to say they have
arrived home safely and happily. And now
we have work to do: we move forward on creating
the website, the gathering place for national
societies, and the book projects which we
feel to be crucial to the future of haiku
around the world. What we found to be the
most important message of the first WHA meeting
is that communication between haiku poets
must improve, that people want to know what
is going on in other parts of the world.
And such a gathering as we have had, face
to face with other poets, sharing with them
poetry and food and conversation, is the
most important means at our disposal to supplying
that communication. I look forward to seeing
you all at the Second World Haiku Association
Conference, in Tenri, Japan October 3-5 2003.
p.s.: The whole of the proceedings was filmed
by NHK, National Television in Japan, with
an eye towards producing at least two different
programs for viewing in Japan, and possibly
for export to other places. The first is
a study of haiku in the Balkans, and to this
end the TV crew followed Dimitar through
most of his daily rounds. The second was
a general overview of WHA and this historic
first meeting. Expected time of airing of
these programs in Japan is December, 2000. |
