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

haijinx IV:2
northern autumn • equinox • southern spring

submissions closed May 21^st

haiku by Buson translated by Mark Brooks
haiga by Kuniharu Shimizu from haijinx II:1

updated November 2011

After prolonged delays with haijinx IV:2 over the summer, the core editorial team of Mark Brooks, Alan Summers, and Carmen Sterba decided that haijinx should change publication schedule from quarterly to semi-annually. As a result, we are not open to submissions now and do not expect to be before the release of the delayed issue. The 2012 publication schedule remains unannounced.

We spent some time finalizing our decisions for this delayed issue and only began contacting authors in October while kris moon, our artist-in-residence, started her magic with our final selections to create a truly unique and fantastic haikai experience. Unfortunately, production was further delayed through November due to medical issues involving the family of haijinx‘s founder, Mark Brooks.

As a result, the delayed IV:2 will be released around the solstice in December. This will most likely be the last issue in the current format as several editors will depart with its release. Thanks for your patience, we hope you enjoy the issue once it is released.

haijinx pnow publishes shortly after the equinoxes each year. The next issue, haijinx IV:2, will be released shortly. The deadline was May 21^st.

Our most recent issue, haijinx IV-1, released in March 2011, features over 200 poems from over 50 poets. 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 that issue included 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.

submissions

We accept original, unpublished haiku (preferably between 5 and 10 at a time), renga & renku, and haiga & sumi-e. We will also accept previously published work in these categories, but please include the publication information at the time you submit your work and do not submit work currently under consideration elsewhere. Please make sure that each submission contains a majority of unpublished work. Non-English works may be submitted with translation. We will publish them in both English and their native language. If you do not have a translation, contact us to see if we know of a translator who might work with you.

We are always looking for articles on haiku, even from authors who disagree with us. Please contact us with your article ideas beforehand.

The deadline was May 21^st and submissions are now closed.

help wanted

haijinx is seeking haijin for exciting opportunities with an upstart haikai website.

Proposals for haikai columnists now being accepted. Multiple possibilities. Please contact Mark for details.

Reviews from critical readers now being accepted. haijinx publishes reviews of recent and classic haikai literature. Please contact us for a list of titles currently under consideration, to make suggestions, and to see how you might help.

Materials from haikai publishers now being accepted. haijinx publishes multiple reviews in each issue and will maintain a Materials Received section. Please contact us for more information.

fine print

We acquire first serial rights to unpublished work and secondary rights to previously published work. We also reserve reprint rights.

“first rights” means that we will be the first to publish the poem anywhere. “secondary rights” simply means we will republish a previously published work. We will always credit the original publication. “reprint rights” means that we will be allowed to reprint the work in any form at our discretion. This includes issues of haijinx quarterly, the haijinx web site, future “best of” or “annual” anthologies of haijinx poetry, and other hard copy and electronic publications.

All other rights revert to the author. This means you can reprint the work however you see fit without contacting us. This includes allowing others to reprint it. When reprinting works that first appeared in a haijinx publication, we request that you note that.

By submitting to haijinx, you are agreeing to these terms.

Related posts:

1. last call for the equinox
2. haijinx staff update: Tom Clausen
3. haijinx IV:1 released!

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

haiku by Buson translated by Mark Brooks
haiga by Kuniharu Shimizu from haijinx II:1

revised March 2011

The haijinx team had much fun reading haiku over the last six weeks, what with your submissions and February’s incredible debut NaHaiWriMo experience. In fact, founding editor Alan Summers enjoyed NaHaiWriMo so much that he agreed to provide prompts during March for the writers participating in NaHaiWriMo via Facebook. And, if you are on Facebook, please take a moment to like haijinx, too.

The first haijinx issue of 2011 will be out for the equinox, March 20^th. Over the next few days we will announce some of the columns and columnists debuting in this issue and the next. And new announcements about staff are coming as well. It’s an exciting time around here.

Today, March 1^st, is the last day of the submission period for this upcoming equinox issue. Thanks for your incredible response so far. We are sorting through submissions daily and have kept a number of wonderful haiku for our final group review this week. We expect final acceptance notes to go out right around March 8^th.

There is still time to get your haiku to us though. We would love to see how your haiku fit in with this haijinx of the equinox.

We accept original, unpublished haiku (preferably between 5 and 10 at a time), haiga, renku, and sumi-e. We will also accept previously published work in these categories (not haibun, see below), but please include the publication information at the time you submit your work and do not submit work currently under consideration elsewhere. Please make sure that each submission contains a majority of unpublished work. Non-English works may be submitted with translation. We will publish them in both English and their native language. If you do not have a translation, contact us to see if we know of a translator who might work with you.

We are always looking for articles on haiku, even from authors who disagree with us. Please contact us with your article ideas beforehand.

Submissions may be sent using this form or to our central address

submissions – at – haijinx dot org

haibun

We now accept haibun. You may submit up to 2 haibun per issue directly to editor Roberta Beary. No single haibun should exceed 150 words. We do not consider any haibun that  has been previously published or accepted for publication in any form. We do not consider any unpublished haibun which include  previously published haiku or haiku which have been accepted for publication.

Please submit your best work in the body of an email to

shortpoems at gmail.com

with ‘haijinx haibun submission’ and your name in the subject line.

about us

Mark Brooks created haijinx in 2001 along with editors Alan Summers and Carmen Sterba. After a multi-year hiatus, our most recent issue, haijinx III-1, came out in December 2010. For our upcoming equinox issue, we happily continue the relaunch of haijinx by welcoming Roberta Beary as our first haibun editor as well as new columnist Melissa Allen. Tom Clausen joined on as a guest haiku editor for this first 2011 equinox issue.

fine print

We acquire first serial rights to unpublished work and secondary rights to previously published work. We also reserve reprint rights.

“first rights” means that we will be the first to publish the poem anywhere. “secondary rights” simply means we will republish a previously published work. We will always credit the original publication. “reprint rights” means that we will be allowed to reprint the work in any form at our discretion. This includes issues of haijinx, the haijinx web site, future “best of” or “annual” anthologies of haijinx poetry, and other hard copy and electronic publications.

All other rights revert to the author. This means you can reprint the work however you see fit without contacting us. This includes allowing others to reprint it. When reprinting works that first appeared in a haijinx publication, we request that you note that that.

By submitting to haijinx, you are agreeing to these terms.

help wanted

haijinx is seeking haijin for exciting opportunities with an upstart haikai website.

Proposals for haikai columnists now being accepted. Multiple possibilities. Columnists are invited to submit proposals for monthly or quarterly columns. Please contact Mark for details.

Reviews from critical readers now being accepted. haijinx publishes reviews of recent and classic haikai literature. Please contact us for a list of titles currently under consideration, to make suggestions, and to see how you might help.

Materials from haikai publishers now being accepted. haijinx publishes multiple reviews in each issue and will maintain a Materials Received section. Please contact us for more information.

Related posts:

1. update on haijinx IV:2
2. call for submissions
3. haijinx staff update: Roberta Beary

haijinx welcomes Tom Clausen as a guest haiku editor for our upcoming spring issue.

Tom brings a wealth of haiku knowledge and experience to the haijinx team. For our spring issue, he will act as a fourth editor for haiku, helping review the raw submissions as well as taking part in the final anonymous selection process. To learn more about Tom, please visit his bio page and enjoy the links.

haijinx publishes around the solstices and equinoxes each year. The first 2011 issue will be released on March 20^th and the submission deadline is March 1s. For details, please visit our submissions page. Our most recent issue, haijinx III-1, came out in December 2010.

Related posts:

1. haijinx staff update: kris moon
2. haijinx staff update: Aubrie Cox
3. haijinx staff update: Melissa Allen
4. haijinx staff update: Roberta Beary

haijinx welcomes Roberta Beary as the haijinx quarterly editor for haibun. To learn more about Roberta Beary’s work, please visit http://www.robertabeary.com/.

For each haijinx issue, you may submit up to 2 haibun. No single haibun should exceed 150 words. We do not consider any haibun that  has been previously published or accepted for publication in any form. We do not consider any unpublished haibun which include  previously published haiku or haiku which have been accepted for publication.

Please submit your best work in the body of an email to

shortpoems at gmail.com

with ‘haijinx haibun submission’ and your name in the subject line.

The submission deadline for the spring issue of haijinx quarterly is March 1st. For non-haibun submission, please visit our submissions page.

Related posts:

1. haijinx quarterly staff update: Christopher Patchel
2. haijinx staff update: Tom Clausen
3. haijinx quarterly staff update: Jerry Dreesen

Shooting My Poetry Mouth Off
by Richard Krawiec

haijinx proudly announces the restart of its regular columns with the January 2011 edition of Richard Krawiec’s Shooting My Poetry Mouth Off. Please enjoy this new column today:

January 2011 • Third Column

Related posts:

1. Column: Shooting My Poetry Mouth Off
2. Column: Shooting My Poetry Mouth Off

(click the haiga to enter)

Related posts:

1. haijinx IV:1 released!
2. @haijinx tweets from March 3rd
3. haijinx updates
4. @haijinx tweets from March 16th

Shooting My Poetry Mouth Off
by Richard Krawiec

haijinx proudly announces the initial publication of the next of its regular columns. Shooting My Poetry Mouth Off is an examination of English-language haiku through Western poetics by Richard Krawiec. Enjoy this new column today:

May 2010 • Second Column

Related posts:

1. Column: Shooting My Poetry Mouth Off
2. Column: Shooting My Poetry Mouth Off

haiku by Buson translated by Mark Brooks
haiga by Kuniharu Shimizu from haijinx II:1

May 20, 2010

During the first half of May, the home offices of haijinx relocated from Austin to Georgetown, Texas. As a result, the haijinx wire went offline for a few weeks. The news feed will restart in June.

Also, since there has been such a disruption to our online presence, the deadline for the haijinx quarterly, a journal focused on putting the hai back in haiku, will be extended until June 1. More details can be found in our original call for submissions and our submissions page

Thanks for your patience!

Mark Brooks
Christopher Patchel
Carmen Sterba
Alan Summers

Related posts:

1. call for submissions
2. last call for the equinox
3. Publication: Taj Mahal Review submissions due May 15th
4. Publication: Frogpond submissions due April 15th