The problem came to a head one day as I was driving through Tokyo.
While waiting for the light to change, I saw the following public
service announcement on the side of a bus: Omoiyari hitonikurumani
konomachini (Sympathy / toward people, toward cars / toward this
town). Seventeen syllables. Five-seven-five format. It must be a
haiku, I thought. But when I reached the office and repeated the
announcement to my Japanese coworkers, none of them thought it was
a haiku. I knew they were thinking to themselves, What kind of a
lunatic is she? One tried to break the news to me gently, It's not
a haiku, it's an advertising jingle. Well, I knew it was an
advertising jingle, but still, wasn't it an advertising jingle
haiku?-From The Haiku Apprentice Abigail Friedman was an American
diplomat in Tokyo, not a writer. A chance encounter leads her to a
haiku group, where she discovers poetry that anyone can enjoy
writing. Her teacher and fellow haiku group members instruct her in
seasonal flora and fauna, and gradually she learns to describe the
world in plain words, becoming one of the millions in Japan who
lead a haiku life. This is the author's story of her literary and
cultural voyage, and more: it is an invitation to readers to form
their own neighborhood haiku groups and, like her, learn to see the
world anew. "...A deft and seamless merging of genres: at once
memoir, travel literature, and an unpretentious guide onto the
terrain of Japanese poetry. It will appeal not just to poetry
lovers, but to all readers who are curious about the world beyond
their own borders." -- Foreword Magazine "Friedman is an appealing
guide through an alternate Japan where modern people make poems
about teacups and temples but also about skyscrapers and kidney
surgery." -- East Bay Express "The book is not designed to make the
reader a poet, but it does, perhaps, help us to pay more attention
to our poetical eye." -- BiblioBuffet "The Haiku Apprentice gives
the reader an original, thoughtful and personal glimpse of one
expat's productive encounter with Japan." -- Metropolis "...Notable
for its frankness and enthusiasm...Friedman has made a lively
narrative out of the things she learned..." -- The Japan Times
General
Imprint: |
Stone Bridge Press
|
Country of origin: |
United States |
Release date: |
June 2006 |
First published: |
May 2006 |
Authors: |
Abigail Friedman
|
Foreword by: |
Michael Dylan Welch
|
Dimensions: |
203 x 139 x 30mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback
|
Pages: |
224 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-933330-04-4 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
1-933330-04-X |
Barcode: |
9781933330044 |
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!