about haijinx

"To me, the whole world seems like one endless straight line. There is an essential absurdity to human life and to humanity itself. One good result of that mindset is it keeps your humor ever fresh because there are new outrages and new absurdities always. We'll never run out of them."
Steve Allen interview, 2000

haijinx (ISSN 1542-7684) is a haikai journal that primarily focuses on modern interpretations of the haikai poetic and artistic tradition, including the role of humor in haiku.
Haiku with humor? Isn’t that senryu?

Hogwash. Haiku (hai ku) has often been translated as ‘"playful verse’" and we wish to highlight this particular feature. There is no hai- in haiku without humor and lightness.

R. H. Blyth defines several key characteristics of haiku, including humor, brevity, the interconnectedness/interpenetration of all things (nature of Japanese language is the heading), the musicality of language (onomatopoeia), cutting/juxtaposition of images, and seasonality. (Haiku, Volume 1, Eastern Culture, pp. 311-342.)

Humor is essential to haiku. Senryu, on the other hand, are (satirical) jokes for the sake of joking and not for the sake of attempting to capture an elusive moment of realization. Realization, as Steve Allen notes above and Blyth notes often, of the essential absurdity and humor of life.

As with the relatively recent push for the traditional use of season words (or keywords that involve nature if you prefer) in modern English-language haiku, we feel the traditional role of humor needs to be recognized.

haijinx is published twice a year, in early summer and early winter. The deadlines are April 1 and October 1 respectively. Regional editors read submissions throughout the year and generally reply within six weeks of receipt. Submission guidelines can be found here.

haijinx was originally an online journal. Our first three issues, as well as a special memorial issue, can be found on this web site now. The most recent issue, haijinx II:1 (spring 2002), was released on March 29, 2002. The next issue, haijinx II:2 will be released in early January. This will be our final online issue. These issues are free and will remained archived at this site.

Our first print issue, haijinx III-1 (spring/summer 2003), will be released in June, 2003. Please visit our subscription page for details. Highlights of print issues will be posted to this site.

So, we invite you to submit your haiku with humor to us! We will accept haiku, haibun, haiga, and sumi-e, as well as essays and articles on haiku. See the submission guidelines for more information.

We also publish the haijinx weekly wire, an email newsletter that contains haiku news and announcements and an occasional article. The haijinx weekly wire is edited by Paul Miller.

editor-in-chief Mark Brooks

editors Paul Miller

Carmen Sterba

Alan Summers

Serge Tomé

associate editors Linda Robeck

Billie Wilson

artist-in-residence Kuniharu Shimizu

here about haijinx | subscribe to haijinx | submit your work | haijinx products

now john crook award 2002 results | haijinx weekly wire | editor's blog | status

then I:1 | I:2 | memorial | II:1 | contributor index

there haikai.info | haikai.org | other links

The copyrights of individual poems, articles, translations, and images belong to their individual authors. The editors do not necessarily endorse the opinions of authors, nor do they assume responsibility for factual errors, infringements of copyrights, or omissions in acknowledgements.

Comments or Questions? web@haijinx.com