Coming soon to Distinguished Guests - Events lineup for 2010
 

The latest edits to the year's lineup were made on July 13 by Maryann:


Dear Eratosphereans,

The Distinguished Guest Forum has been brought some of the most stimulating events at the Sphere, with popular bakeoffs and workshops, and comments from renowned guests the high craft of poems that make it as finalists for the events.

This year, we hope to maintain and yes, exceed that tradition of excellence. We have lined up an exciting cast of Distinguished Guests for our regular annual events, and a few new ones.

I’m thrilled to announce the following lineup, coming soon to the Distinguished Guest in 2010:

March 1— Short poems bakeoff: Wendy Videlock, Distinguished Guest; Maryann Corbett, Host.

April/May — The Sonnet bakeoff: Catherine Tufariello, Distinguished Guest; Susan McLean, Host.
     Submissions: March 11-April 18. Event: May 1-..

earlier in June — Richard Wilbur Festival (similar to the Robert Frost festival of a couple of years ago) hosted by Tim Murphy.
     Event: June 15 or so-..

June 17 — The Poetry of Quiet Desperation discussion panel with Joshua Mehigan and Jeff Holt hosted by Tim Murphy.

July — Translation bakeoff: Geoffrey Brock, Distinguished Guest; Adam Elgar, Host.
     Submissions: May 24-June 30. Event: July 16-..

August — Flash Fiction workshop (similar to the Flash Fiction workshop we had with Vanessa Gebbie some years back): Nina Schuyler, Distinguished Guest; Tim Love, Host.
     Event: August 11-15..

Late August / Early September — Light verse bakeoff: Deborah Warren, Distinguished Guest; Michael Cantor, Host.
     Submissions: July 31-August 31. Event: Sept 14-..****

Mid September — The Michael Donaghy event hosted by Tim Murphy.
     Event: Sept 17-.. ***We'll need to reschedule this, as conflicts are creeping up.***

End of September — International Translation Day hosted by Adam Elgar.
     Event: Sept 26-..

Early October — Tanka workshop, everything conducted by David Anthony.
     Event: Oct 8-..

Mid October — Haiku (and possibly Haibun) workshop: Lee Gurga, Distinguished Guest; David Rosenthal, Host.
     Event: Oct 22-..

Mid November — The Michael Donaghy event hosted by Katy Evans-Bush.
     Event: TBA..

December — Deck the Halls: Catherine Savage Brosman, Distinguished Guest; Dee Cohen**, Host. (Special thanks to Tim Murphy for getting Catherine for us!)
     Submissions: Oct 26-Nov 28. Event: Dec 10-..


So, we’re all set for another year of wonderful Distinguished Guests and events!

Cheers,
…Alex

WOW! Quite a line up, thanks in advance to the hosts/hostesses and guests. The Sphere rocks!

Donna

No tanka?
Tim said there would be tanka.

David said what I was thinking.

Tanka is creative, Tanka is ancient, Tanka is formal=Tanka Goood

Lee declined last year. David, has he committed to join us this year? If so, just run the event double breasted to encompass both tanka and haiku. He's perfectly qualified to teach and judge both.

I assume he has agreed, but really that is Alex's department. I do not know much about tanka myself, and haven't written any -- I am all haiku -- but if Lee is willing, I will bone up a bit and figure something out. I think it is really up to Lee and Alex.

David R.

I don't think Lee does tanka.

I'd combined haiku and tanka until Lee indicated that he only does the former. Hence the current lineup. Still, I'll try to squeeze Tanka in.

Cheers,
...Alex

Become the haiku
Seek one pure cherry blossom
Not a drunken tree

Just wondering: Will haibun be included in the October workshop? I ask because, in the Winter-Spring 2010 issue of Modern Haiku, editor Charles Trumbull announced that Lee Gurga has agreed to serve as the magazine's haibun editor.

Blossoms blaze
on a drunken tree.
Heaven’s gift:
joy at winter’s end.
One is not enough.

Old patterns ignored
No room for frogs and crickets
Crowded modern pond

David is qualified to host a Tanka event, or if he prefers not to, he most certainly knows those who can. And as David and Alex indicated, Lee doesn't do Tanka. Haiku and Tanka are separate schools of Japanese formal poetry and often times, at least traditionally, the two do not come together in one poet.

Just for clarity's sake: David A. may be qualified to host Tanka, but David R. is only qualified to host haiku. I am sure Father Rob meant David A., but I want to make sure it's all clear. The very Sphere abounds in Davids.

Meanwhile, re: Haibun -- conducting a workshop on haibun the way we usually do the haiku workshop might be a bit unwieldy, but a discussion about it as part of Lee's visit might be workable. I will try to make it so.

David R.

PS -- looking at the little exchange in this thread between David A. and Michael C., I wonder how one might construct a forum for composing renga. The thread structure of online boards seems a natural fit for it. But this is a digression....

David A is an authority on tanka. David Gwyllam Anthony, will you leap into the breach?

Patricia, I'm sure if enough interest is expressed when Lee Gurga's event begins, I believe he'll include haibun.

I'll also add a note here for David Rosenthal, who's hosting the event, to request the inclusion of haibun when he starts setting up the workshop kickoff with Lee.

Cheers,
...Alex

Indeed, given the interest in tanka, I've now included a tanka workshop with David Anthony in the lineup. This will precede Lee Gurga's event.

Did I say "interest"? David is concerned that he and Fr. Robert Pecotte may be the only ones interested in tanka. However, I know he'll make things interesting enough to get quite a few from the Met and Non-Met crowd to cross over and try their hands at it. That's where you all come in, Right!?

Cheers,
...Alex

Count me in as one who is very interested. I've written a good deal of linked tanka (sometimes interspersed with Western rhymed and metered stanzas in a he said/she said format), a number have been published, and one even received a Pushcart nomination, but I really don't know what I'm doing.

I have some understanding of haiku, but I'm not sure - beyond the syllable count - regarding the guidelines for tanka or linked tanka in terms of what is intended to be accomplished, and what tools should the poet use? What makes it "special", and different from any other five line syllabic poem? Is irony always a factor, for example? Word play? Elements of nature/season, as in haiku? Dunno. I essentially treat it as extended and more flexible haiku. I use tanka only in narrative poems on Japan, where it appears to fit in and help, and I force a Japanese-like flatness into the rhythm, trying to avoid slipping into meter. And, like haiku, I try to work with images and impressions, and let the reader do the rest of the work. But basically, what tanka provides me is "Japanese-ness", and I don't think that was the original intention, since the Japanese didn't have to worry about whether their poetry sounded Japanese. Additional insight would be appreciated and helpful.

Thanks, Alex. I'll be looking forward to October with its tanka, haiku (with, possibly, haibun) events.

All best!

Yes, I hope haibun will be included.

We've rescheduled the "Quiet Desperation" event. It will now take place in early June. The Wilbur Fest will be later in June.

Bumping this thread, because things are shifting and evolving, as they always do.