Indeed, clarifying this split between haiku and senryû is one of the primary goals of haijinx. The “hai” in haiku is “playful” or “humorous” and we wish to highlight this particular feature. There is simply no hai in haiku without some sense of humor, lightness, or playfulness. We are not alone in this belief. Famed translator R.H. Blyth, in Haiku, Volume One: Eastern Culture (The Hokuseido Press, Tokyo, 1949), defines several key characteristics of haiku. Humor is first on that list. Akito Arima, the past president of the Haiku International Association, writes in the preface to A Hidden Pond (Kadokawa Shoten, Japan, 1997) that “[t]he universal character of haiku may be due to the fact that they always contain a sense of humor, as well as scenes of nature and daily life, things appreciated by anybody.” This list of primarily Japanese experts could go on.

— Mark Brooks, A Lost Introduction

haijinx IV:1 includes Frank Dullaghan’s new article, “Humour, Life and Haiku”

http://www.haijinx.org/IV-1/articles/dullaghan.humour.html

And while there have not been many recent articles on hai, humor and haiku in haijinx, the archive boasts the thoughts of several poets on the topic.

haijinx I:1 (Spring 2001)

Susumu Takiguchi — Sense of Humour: The Forgotten Prerequisite of Haiku
http://www.haijinx.org/I-1/articles/takiguchi.html

Nobuyuki Yuasa — Laughter in Japanese Haiku (reprint)
http://www.haijinx.org/I-1/articles/yuasa-p1.html

Wiliam J Higginson — Humor in Bashô’s Hokku I: The Childlike
http://www.haijinx.org/I-1/articles/higginson.html

Serge Tomé — Humour in the Western Haiku
http://www.haijinx.org/I-1/articles/tome-p1.html

Michael Dylan Welch — The Difference Between Haiku and Senryu
http://www.haijinx.org/I-1/articles/welch.html

John Crook — Humour in Haiku
http://www.haijinx.org/I-1/crook/index.html

Ikuyo Yoshimura — haiku with humour
http://www.haijinx.org/I-1/yoshimura/index.html

haijinx I:2 (Summer 2001)

Wiliam J Higginson — Humor in Bashô’s Hokku II: Playing in the Tradition
http://www.haijinx.org/I-2/articles/higginson.html

David G Lanoue — Issa’s Comic Vision
http://www.haijinx.org/I-2/articles/lanoue.html

Ryu Yotsuya — Humor and Kusatao’s Haiku
http://www.haijinx.org/I-2/articles/yotsuya.eng.html

Randy Brooks — Consonance as the Genesis of Humor in Haiku
http://www.haijinx.org/I-2/brooks/index.html

David Cobb — Humour in Haiku
http://www.haijinx.org/I-2/cobb/index.html

Dhugal Lindsay — Humour in Haijin
http://www.haijinx.org/I-2/lindsay/index.html

haijinx II:1 (Spring 2002)

Patrick Gallagher — Tell About the Truth As If It Were False
http://www.haijinx.org/II-1/articles/gallagher.html

Wiliam J Higginson — Humor in Bashô’s Hokku III: Cosmic Humor
http://www.haijinx.org/II-1/articles/higginson.html

Janice Bostok — To Laugh Or To Cry
http://www.haijinx.org/II-1/bostok/index.html

Peggy Willis Lyles — What’s So Funny?
http://www.haijinx.org/II-1/lyles/index.html

Related posts:

1. Consonance as the Genesis of Humor in Haiku by Randy Brooks
2. Humor in Bashô’s Hokku by William J Higginson
3. Humour in Haiku by David Cobb
4. Sense of Humour – A Forgotten Prerequisite of Haiku by Susumu Takiguchi

Please enjoy haijinx IV:1, our first issue of 2011 and perhaps the largest and most vibrant issue of haijinx so far.

Including special sections and the news, there are over 200 poems from over 50 poets in this issue. The main section consists of 25 pages of haiku, 8 of haibun & 4 of haiga. There’s 6 pages of news, three haikai articles, four reviews & a multi-part special on NaHaiWriMo. Art from kris moon throughout.

Contributors to this issue include Don Baird, Helen Buckingham, Marjorie Buettner, Ellen Compton, Cherie Hunter Day, Frank Dullaghan, Curtis Dunlap, Lorin Ford, Carolyn Hall, Michele L. Harvey, Jim Kacian, Michael Ketchek, Jacek Margolak, Michael Morell, Peter Newton, Kala Ramesh, Miriam Sagan, Shimi, Kuniharu Shimizu, Michael Dylan Welch, Billie Wilson, Robert D Wilson, & more.

Editors for the issue included Mark Brooks, Alan Summers, Carmen Sterba, Roberta Beary, kris moon, Melissa Allen and our guest Tom Clausen. Special section on NaHaiWriMo from Aubrie Cox. Special thanks to Karen, Dylan & Casey Brooks for their assistance and support during this issue.

http://www.haijinx.org/IV-1/

Next issue’s guest editor will be Aubrie Cox and kris moon will start as renga/renku editor for that issue too. Open for submissions now through May 21.

http://www.haijinx.org/submissions/

Thanks!

Mark Brooks
creator of haijinx

(click the haiga below to enter)

Related posts:

1. update on haijinx IV:2
2. haijinx III-1 released
3. @haijinx tweets from March 18th
4. @haijinx tweets from March 30th

Randy Brooks (haijinx bio 2002 | registry bio 2010) contributed the short piece “Consonance as the Genesis of Humor in Haiku” to our ongoing discussion of humor and haiku for his spotlight in our second issue.

haijinx I:2 : Consonance as the Genesis of Humor in Haiku (Summer 2001)

note from the editor

The original issues of haijinx are not indexed by the new site automatically. So from time to time I will add a quick post that links to an older piece. Eventually this will enable readers to find these original items using the tags, etc in the new haijinx.

Related posts:

1. Humor in Bashô’s Hokku by William J Higginson
2. Sense of Humour – A Forgotten Prerequisite of Haiku by Susumu Takiguchi
3. Humour in Haiku by David Cobb
4. To Laugh Or To Cry by Janice Bostok

Ryu Yotsuya (haijinx bio 2002) contributed the short piece “Harmony” to the discussion of humor and haiku for his spotlight in our third issue.

haijinx II:1 : Harmony (Spring 2002)

note from the editor
The original issues of haijinx are not indexed by the new site automatically. So from time to time I will add a quick post that links to an older piece. Eventually this will enable readers to find these original items using the tags, etc in the new haijinx.

No related posts.

Janice Bostok (haijinx bio 2002) contributed “To Laugh Or To Cry” to the discussion of humor and haiku for her spotlight in our third issue.

haijinx II:1 : To Laugh Or To Cry (Spring 2002)

note from the editor
The original issues of haijinx are not indexed by the new site automatically. So from time to time I will add a quick post that links to an older piece. Eventually this will enable readers to find these original items using the tags, etc in the new haijinx.

Related posts:

1. Harmony by Ryu Yotsuya
2. Consonance as the Genesis of Humor in Haiku by Randy Brooks
3. Sense of Humour – A Forgotten Prerequisite of Haiku by Susumu Takiguchi
4. Humour in Haiku by David Cobb

Peggy Willis Lyles (haijinx bio 2002 | registry bio 2010) contributed “What’s So Funny?” to the discussion of humor and haiku for her spotlight in our third issue.

haijinx II:1 : What’s So Funny? (Spring 2002)

note from the editor
The original issues of haijinx are not indexed by the new site automatically. So from time to time I will add a quick post that links to an older piece. Eventually this will enable readers to find these original items using the tags, etc in the new haijinx.

Related posts:

1. To Laugh Or To Cry by Janice Bostok
2. Harmony by Ryu Yotsuya
3. Sense of Humour – A Forgotten Prerequisite of Haiku by Susumu Takiguchi
4. Humour in Haiku by David Cobb

Dhugal Lindsay (haijinx bio 2002), the first non-Japanese writer to win the annual Nakaniida Grand Haiku Prize for haiku in Japanese  contributed “Humour in Haijin” for his spotlight in our second issue. In this article, available in English and Japanese, he discusses the haijin’s philosophy of life.

haijinx I:2 : Humour in Haijin (Summer 2001)

note from the editor
The original issues of haijinx are not indexed by the new site automatically. So from time to time I will add a quick post that links to an older piece. Eventually this will enable readers to find these original items using the tags, etc in the new haijinx.

Related posts:

1. Humour in Haiku by David Cobb
2. Humour in the Western Haiku by Serge Tomé
3. Sense of Humour – A Forgotten Prerequisite of Haiku by Susumu Takiguchi
4. light seasonings: insects by Takashi Nonin & Carmen Sterba

David Cobb (haijinx bio 2002 | registry bio 2010) contributed “Humour in Haiku” for his spotlight in our second issue. In it he discusses R. H. Blyth’s definition of humour as one of the 13 chief characteristics of haiku.

haijinx I:2 : Humour in Haiku (Summer 2001)

note from the editor
The original issues of haijinx are not indexed by the new site automatically. So from time to time I will add a quick post that links to an older piece. Eventually this will enable readers to find these original items using the tags, etc in the new haijinx.

Related posts:

1. Sense of Humour – A Forgotten Prerequisite of Haiku by Susumu Takiguchi
2. Humour in Haijin by Dhugal Lindsay
3. Humour in the Western Haiku by Serge Tomé
4. Issa’s Comic Vision by David G Lanoue

For the first issue of haijinx, Susumu Takiguchi (haijinx bio 2002) prepared an article on humor in haiku that covers the meaning and history of hai, haikai, & haiku.

haijinx I:1 : Sense of Humour – A Forgotten Prerequisite of Haiku by Susumu Takiguchi

note from the editor
The original issues of haijinx are not indexed by the new site automatically. So from time to time I will add a quick post that links to an older piece. Eventually this will enable readers to find these original items using the tags, etc in the new haijinx.

Related posts:

1. Humour in Haiku by David Cobb
2. Humour in the Western Haiku by Serge Tomé
3. Humour in Haijin by Dhugal Lindsay
4. Consonance as the Genesis of Humor in Haiku by Randy Brooks

Nobuyuki Yuasa (haijinx bio 2002) graciously allowed haijinx to reprint an article. “Laughter in Japanese Haiku”, from Rediscovering Basho – A 300th Anniversary Celebration, Stephen Henry Gill & C. Andrew Gerstle ed., Global Oriental, 1999, ISBN 1-901903-15-X).

haijinx I:1 : Laughter in Japanese Haiku (Spring 2001)

note from the editor
The original issues of haijinx are not indexed by the new site automatically. So from time to time I will add a quick post that links to an older piece. Eventually this will enable readers to find these original items using the tags, etc in the new haijinx.

Related posts:

1. Humour in Haiku by David Cobb
2. Sense of Humour – A Forgotten Prerequisite of Haiku by Susumu Takiguchi
3. Humour in the Western Haiku by Serge Tomé
4. Consonance as the Genesis of Humor in Haiku by Randy Brooks