Online internet courses by Call of the Page

Are you interested in a Call of the Page course? We run courses on haiku; tanka; tanka stories/prose; haibun; shahai; and other genres.

Please email Karen or Alan at our joint email address: admin@callofthepage.org
We will let you know more about these courses.

Call of the Page (Alan & Karen)

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Emily Dickinson gendai haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month










image©NaPoWriMo

National Poetry Writing Month

Gendai haiku challenge
inspired by Emily Dickinson 
.
last quarter
I save up for a chin of gold
and a new moon

4am moonrise
your chin of gold, and me
tucked in bed

moonrise
I shine your chin of gold
and dimities of blue

backscattered 
from the lunar surface
the universe my shoe 

.

Friday, April 29, 2011

haiku for a Royal Wedding

haiku for a wedding:

hornbeams and maples
Milton echoes round the vaults
of Westminster Abbey

Royal Wedding April 29th 2011
Prince William & Kate Middleton 


weblinks:

Royal Wedding video feeds:

Trees in Westminster Abbey:

Westminster Abbey:

20ft-high English field maples, six in total, along with two hornbeams.
The hornbeam is known for being extremely hard and is said to symbolise resilience. The English field maple is said represent humility and reserve. It is the favoured wood used for harp making and it is also used to create medieval loving cups.

John Milton, possibly the world’s most accomplished poet:

.

gendai haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month







image©NaPoWriMo



National Poetry Writing Month
www.napowrimo.net 

Alan's gendai haiku challenge

don't trust the cat
her eyes green the earth
with anti-matter

.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

gendai haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month








image©NaPoWriMo


National Poetry Writing Month
April 27th concupiscence challenge

Gendai haiku challenge


Emperor of Ice-Cream
my life as concupiscence
in a kitchen stanza

 
A nod to Wallace Stevens and thanks to The Columbia History of American Poetry. Ed. Jay Parini and Brett C. Miller. New York: Columbia UP, 1993.
 

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

gendai haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month




image©NaPoWriMo




National Poetry Writing Month
www.napowrimo.net


2 single-line English-language gendai haiku by Alan Summers for NaPoWriMo for Monday and Tuesday April 25th and 26th 2011



corn chaff realising oil as one colour



field of dreams an unborn child's colour isn't rapeseed


gendai haiku:

It should be our method that we create haiku which match the times. This is not a new idea and was prevalent in the old days; even Sanki Saito wrote about it before the association existed. Sanki believed:     
"To the difficult question 'what is new?'

I will answer: the new means how the emotions of today's society and people are expressed to fit the times. The haiku must be innovative in any time. 

So we should begin and continue to express the emotions of the people of this time and generation."

(Gendai Haiku, S.21.10)
Kiyoko Uda
President, Modern Haiku Association
Tokyo, JAPAN
(English Translation: Akiko Takazawa)

.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Alan's haiku created into posters at StudioManchester's Japan Art Auction


An incredible collaboration with Hidenori Hiruta and Sarah Jane Robertson through haiku and art has created the opportunity that my haiku have helped in a small way with the disasters that Japan are suffering.

It wouldn't have been possible without Sarah Jane Robertson approaching me, and for Hidenori Hiruta to be so open and ready to help despite being in Japan amongst all the sorrow.  


For more of my comments scroll further down, but for now, enjoy the images and the story.

STUDIOMANCHESTER

Hulme Street, off Oxford St, Manchester



haiku©Alan Summers
translation©Hidenori Hiruta
image/poster © Sarah Jane Robertson www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk


 








 
 













Japan Art Auction
Thursday 7th April 2011

An exhibition and auction of creative work was organised to raise funds for the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal, including two of my haiku which were also translated into Japanese by Hidenori Hiruta, and made into beautiful art posters by Sarah Jane Robertson of Creative State.

More than 40 artists from the UK, Ireland, USA, France, Norway and Japan pledged to donate existing work or create new pieces. The artists range from photographers and illustrators to writers, ceramic artists and jewellery designers.

100% of proceeds donated to the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke of the legendary Manchester band The Smiths opened the exhibition.

An initial £4,660 was raised on the night!  
[scroll down for later larger amount!]

A big thank you also to the Sponsors:
Samsi Japanese Restaurants
Jonathan Oakes
Studio Manchester
 




Sarah Jane Robertson, Creative Director at Creative State not only kindly created two stunning haiku mandalas for the auction, in collaboration with myself and Hidenori Hiruta, she also continued to sell them via her blog to raise another £400 for the Red Cross. 
Taking the new total to £5,160! 


My profound thanks to Sarah Jane Robertson for contacting me with the suggestion of haiku art to help raise funds.


My deep thanks, respect, and admiration, always, to Hidenori Hiruta (Secretary-General of the Akita International Haiku Network) for creating wonderful translations and being such a supportive colleague, in a time of great need.
 
Details




image/art © Sarah Jane Robertson



magnolia moon haiku©Alan Summers
image/art © Sarah Jane Robertson www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk












haiku©Alan Summers 
translation©Hidenori Hiruta

image/art © Sarah Jane Robertson www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk



image/art © Sarah Jane Robertson www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk




Alan's haiku translation©Hidenori Hiruta
image/art © Sarah Jane Robertson www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk 

Hidenori's translation of my haiku, and I took his literal translation in Japanese as my English translation.  Translations can work more than two ways.  
.
image/art © Sarah Jane Robertson www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk 

printing process images/art © Sarah Jane Robertson www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk 












Leeds and Edinburgh-based graphic designer, Sarah Jane Robertson created this pair of A3 mandala letterpress prints. Entitled Sunshine & Moonlight, she worked with myself and Hidenori Hiruta, in response to the Earthquake and Tsunami and radiation threats. 

Sarah then created the prints in response to the poems and letterpress printed them to give greater depth and definition, adding to the original artwork. 




photo©Alan Summers
postcards © Sarah Jane Robertson www.sarahjrobertson.co.uk






photo©Molly Cockcroft 2011








Sarah contacted me with this idea with a very short deadline for both of us.   I don't know how Sarah pulled out all the stops to produce artwork and then have it created as a quality poster, but it happened.

Hidenori Hiruta came up with quality translations in a very short time, no easy task, and once Sarah received our work in no time she got a design idea working that could incorporate my haiku and Hidenori's translations.

Thanks to two fabulous sponsors of Sarah's who we thank profusely:
Blush Publishing from North Wales, using traditional printing techniques and vintage printing presses.

GF Smith: a specialty paper merchant from Hull, East Yorkshire going for over 100 years, and no need to say more, than if it's from Hull, it's always going to be special, friendly, and quality all the way.

.
Sarah Jane Robertson:

Creative State is the trading name for Creative State Studio Ltd. Registered in England and Wales No. 6557792.
.
Registered Office 6 Chapel Lofts, Commercial Street, Leeds LS27 8HL. VAT Number: 940 0169 54.

 

Sunday, April 24, 2011

gendai haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month








image©NaPoWriMo

National Poetry Writing Month
http://www.napowrimo.net/

Gendai haiku challenge

one line haiku 


kwkslvr : I've a need for the next biblical cubit

.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Friday, April 22, 2011

gendai haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month









image©NaPoWriMo
http://www.napowrimo.net/

Catching up to April 22nd and Easter Gendai!


Red Sea
stone fish penetrate
my rubber soul


I sneeze half-a-dozen times the Red Sea parted


Red Sea
Year of the Rabbitfishes
Betty goes Wilde


Red Sea
the Rabbitfishes
out of the jug


Red Sea
a Boxfish breaks out
of its wrapping


the Medusa Stage
out of the fire
out of the coral


Red Sea beat my still heart hydrozoa


Byztantine reasons
deep-water squid
feed the whale


AV positive
the great sperm whale
reigns fifty years


fifty years
the sperm whale
and Justinian


Zam Zam
the baby keeps crying
mosaic over teak


Monday, April 11, 2011

Sunday, April 10, 2011

gendai haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month








April 10th

zeros and ones
Monsieur Verdoux
takes a bow

 
Monsieur Verdoux bombed with film theatre goers and critics when it was first released, but has become a classic.

Weblinks:
1.)  http://www.slantmagazine.com/house/2010/03/anthologizing-bluebeard-a-conversation-with-miriam-bale/
2.)  http://www.hashmoder.com/2010/01/16/monsieur-verdoux/

 

Saturday, April 09, 2011

Alan's haiku for NaPoWriMo, or National Poetry Writing Month










3 haiku for April 7th, 8th & 9th

Plato's big picture
the meaningful differences
of infused foods

quantum bananas
the drummer wife's
new church

Harper's New Monthly
HC Andersen's sunshine
comes full loop

.

Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Last call out for the Purely Haiku Course!

Purely Haiku:
Monday Afternoon 11th - 
Friday Breakfast 15th April 
Claridge House, Surrey, South East England
(just outside London)

Enquiries and Bookings:
Phone: 01342 832150
Phone: 0845 3457281

Claridge House:


I think that's a brilliant price. It's a bargain for what you are offering. I thought it was going to be much more.

Annie Bachini (past President of the British Haiku Society)
.
There may be some of you who think it's not needed to do a whole course on haiku, after all it's only a certain format, very short, and easy to do. Far from it! ;-)

This course has been specifically designed to show you the delightful complexities and challenges of haiku writing.


It's designed to suit your own particular needs and ambitions.

You can start putting a collection together, or have poems that the best haiku magazines will accept, or just enjoy basking in an environment that is relaxing in every way whilst learning something new.











image©Claridge House


The course is designed to give benefit to both complete beginners and seasoned writers of haiku.  Even a highly published friend of mine from Washington State was considering coming over for this course! (Note: this isn't my anthology boss and co-editor but another highly accomplished writer from the same state.  See further below in my bio).


The food is exceptional, and ALL fabulous meals and luxurious tea/coffee/other hot drink and cake and biscuit breaks are done by the staff, we don't lift a finger! ;-)

Check our other links on Area 17 to get a further feel of this extraordinary course,
.  
http://area17.blogspot.com/2011/03/still-time-to-book-up-for-purely-haiku.html
.
and check out our famous fun renga that we do every time to conclude the course:
.
.
Alan Summers

Alan Summers is a Japan Times award-winning writer for haiku and renku.

He has been a Poetry School Visiting Tutor for haiku, tanka, and renga, as well as appointed as the Japan-UK-150 roving renga poet-in-residence.

Alan is a founding editor for the haijinx humor in haiku magazine; renku/renga editor for Notes from the Gean haikai literature magazine; and creator of the Bath 1000 Verse Renga, and Hull Global Renga Projects.

Alan will be reading extracts from his forthcoming haiku collection due out in the Summer; as well as from the anthology he co-edited with Washington State haiku writer Michael Dylan Welch.

.

Tuesday, April 05, 2011

The Haiku Walk: Nature As Inspiration - Alan booked for the first ever Worcester Literary Festival!

.
The first ever Worcestershire Literary Festival : the aim and mission is to raise awareness of the written word, literature and the spoken word in all forms and genres and to provide a fun and educational programme of events that are accessible for all.

The Haiku Walk:
Nature As Inspiration

 
Event details:
http://www.worcslitfest.com/the-haiku-walk-nature-as-inspiration/


Information: http://www.worcslitfest.com/contact-us/
Japan Times award-winning writer Alan Summers leads a fun haiku-writing walk with a complementary Haiku Journal notebook: “Nature half-writes the haiku before we’ve even put pen to paper. Become a co-poet with nature.”
There is more than one walk, so please feel free to join in when you'd like a particular walk, or come and go too.  I'll always be based at the café when not on one of the walks.
 
Start:
Saturday, June 18, 2011 11:00 am
End:
Saturday, June 18, 2011 5:00 pm
Cost:
£5.00 (£4.00 for concessions)
Venue:
Orchard Cafe, Worcester Countryside Centre
Address:
Google Map
Wild Wood Drive, Worcester, United Kingdom, WR5 2LG

Monday, April 04, 2011

April 2nd - 4th re Alan's haiku for NaPoWriMo aka National Poetry Writing Month









image©NaPoWriMo


Three in a row, from 2nd to 4th April!


2nd April

future waterfalls
new angel DNA bursts out
from dancing pinheads

(gendai haiku)


3rd April

fingertip acupuncture I hold a sneeze at the library

(gendai haiku)


4th April 

Simon Says
If you believed they put a man
on the moon

(gendai haiku)