The Haiku Handbook -25th Anniversary Edition: How to Write, Teach, and Appreciate Haiku [Deluxe Edition] [Paperback]

William J. Higginson (Author), Jane Reichhold (Foreword), Penny Harter (Contributor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2010

The Haiku Handbook is the first book to give readers everything they need to begin appreciating, writing, or teaching haiku. In this groundbreaking and now-classic volume, the authors present haiku poets writing in English, Spanish, French, German, and five other languages on an equal footing with Japanese poets. Not only are the four great Japanese masters of the haiku represented (Basho, Buson, Issa, and Shiki) but also major Western authors not commonly known to have written poetry in this form, including Gary Snyder, Jack Kerouac and Richard Wright.

With a new foreword by poet, translator, and author Jane Reichhold (Basho: The Complete Haiku), this anniversary edition presents a concise history of the Japanese haiku, including the dynamic changes throughout the twentieth century as this beloved poetry form has been adapted to modern and urban settings. Full chapters are offered on form, the seasons in haiku, and haiku craft, plus background on the Japanese poetic tradition and the effect of translation on our understanding of haiku. Other unique features are chapters on teaching and sharing haiku, with lesson plans for both elementary and secondary school use; a seasonal word index of poetic words; a comprehensive glossary; and a list of enduring classic resources for further exploration. By any standard, The Haiku Handbook is the defining volume in the genre.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

WILLIAM J. HIGGINSON (1938-2008) has been called "the guru of American haiku." For over 40 years, Higginson translated, wrote, commented about, lectured and taught haiku. He was the author or editor of more than 30 books.

PENNY HARTER is a much-published and award-winning poet, a poet-in-residence for the New Jersey State Council of the Arts and a teacher who travels widely giving workshops and lectures.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

[Following is the first section in Chapter 1, "Why Haiku?"]

Haiku Happen

We often see or sense something that gives us a bit of a lift, or a moment's pure sadness. Perhaps it is the funnies flapping in the breeze before a newsstand on a sunny spring day. Or some scent on the wind catches us as we step from the bus, or bend to lift the groceries from the car. Something tickles our ankle and, looking down to see what it is, we see more:

a baby crab
climbs up my leg--
such clear water

Or we are lying awake, alone with our thoughts, and as we turn to look at the clock

at midnight
a distant door
pulled shut

and we find ourselves more alone, because of the being on the other side of that door, than when we had no thoughts for others anywhere in the world.

The first of these two short poems was written about three hundred years ago by the Japanese poet Matsuo Basho. The second is by a twentieth-century Japanese poet, Ozaki Hosai. Both poems are haiku.

Moments that can give rise to haiku are not foreign to the Americas. Mark Cramer has translated the following poem, originally written in Spanish by the Mexican poet Jose Juan Tablada a few years before Hosai wrote "at midnight":

Tender willow
almost gold, almost amber,
almost light...

And just recently New Jerseyan Penny Harter found

the old doll
her mama box broken
to half a cry

Haiku happen all the time, wherever there are people who are "in touch" with the world of their senses, and with their own feeling response to it. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Kodansha USA; 25 Anv edition (March 1, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 4770031130
• ISBN-13: 978-4770031136
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #138,377 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 36 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Upon Reading the First Page, I Knew this Book was a Winner, July 11, 2001

By 

L. Curtis "Millicent Y. Curtis" (Memphis, Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Haiku Handbook: How to Write, Share, and Teach Haiku (Paperback)

Unlike some books, one usually have to read towards the middle to determine whether a book is excellent or lousy. Not so with "The Haiku Handbook". It's excellent from beginning to end. Mr. Higginson has done a wonderful job in explaining the origins and grand beauty of haiku poetry. My favorite chapters were the one's on "The Four Haiku Masters", "Sharing Haiku" and "Haiku for Kids". This book is evident that Mr. Higginson has vast knowledge of the Japanese culture and language. Not only does he discuss the haiku of Japan but also haiku from all over the world. I simply love the translations of haiku in the various languages such as french, spanish, german etc. In conclusion, for anyone cosidering haiku as a hobby or a professional literary career, this book is an excellent springboard.

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A very good book for learning how to write English haiku., March 3, 1998

By 

stochasticity (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Haiku Handbook: How to Write, Share, and Teach Haiku (Paperback)

This book really lives up to its title. This is the only book that I've seen that does a good job of teaching HOW to write English-language haiku. To help the reader learn about haiku, it has plenty of examples of modern haiku from around the world, as well as examples of historical Japanese haiku. Besides teaching about haiku, this book would be a very good book for anyone seeking a general introduction to haiku. It also has a good capsule history of haiku. You will, however, have to go to other books for greater detail on the history of haiku, or if you want greater emphasis on specifically Japanese haiku.

33 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Reference Book!, November 22, 1998

By 

Hortensia Anderson "Hortensia Anderson" (nyc, ny, usa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Haiku Handbook: How to Write, Share, and Teach Haiku (Paperback)

This is a wonderful book for the novice writer, reader AND teacher of haiku. Higginson manages to fit a decent representation of haiku (Japanese masters as well as African-American, Beat, and multi-lingual)as well as a brief history of related Japanese genres and "season word" lists.

Higginson definitely whets the appetite for even more information about and examples of haiku. An indispensable addition to any haiku and haiku-related library.