Redneck Haiku [Paperback]

Mary K. Witte (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2003

The redneck lifestyle is exposed through the hilariously antithetical filter of formal Japanese haiku in this collection of original verses. Each of the over 100 wickedly funny poems contains just three lines and 17 syllables, yet together they address the whole spectrum of redneck culture, including RVs, Wal-Mart, beer, Pop-Tarts, pickups, monster trucks, NASCAR, boats, trailers, trailer parks, barns, hunting, shotguns, dogs, Las Vegas, and the lottery.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mary K. Witte was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma, and raised on a farm in Porter, Oklahoma-the state's peach capitol. She lives in Fresno, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Santa Monica Press (April 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1891661299
• ISBN-13: 978-1891661297
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,085,263 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #34 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Literature & Fiction > Poetry > Japanese & Haiku
  • #51 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Entertainment > Humor > Limericks & Humorous Verse

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars WWJGD?, April 8, 2005

By 

Robert P. Beveridge "xterminal" (Lakewood, OH) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Redneck Haiku (Paperback)

Mary K. Witte, Redneck Haiku (Santa Monica Press, 2003)

What would Jim Goad do?

That was what I kept thinking as I turned the pages in this small tome. Would the author of the celebrated, reviled Redneck Manifesto be deeply offended, or would he be laughing his ass off?

Probably both.

The worst factor in the writing of American haiku these days, and it affects almost every otherwise-non-poet (and far too many actual poets) who attempts to write haiku, is the slavish devotion to 5-7-5. Pick up a few books on how to write haiku, people. Or a few books of haiku by recognized American masters, or recognized Japanese masters translated by someone worth their skin. 5-7-5 is an upper limit, not an upper AND lower limit. The shorter your haiku, the better. Slavish devotion to 5-7-5 leads to filler. Yes, even in haiku. There's more than one piece here that could have used a few words carved off here and there. (That said, there are some surprisingly excellent pieces as well.)

Now, ask yourself the question: will you feel guilty laughing at stereotypes? Sure, it's a redneck writing about rednecks (Witte, according to a recent interview, grew up on a farm outside Tulsa, and swears that some of the events she depicts in this book really happened to family members of hers), but do you feel guilty for laughing about it? Maybe you should. That said, this stuff ranges from the grimly amusing to the down-and-out hysterical. If Jim Goad wants to kick my ass for thinking so, that's his right, and I'd probably let him do it, too. ***

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "No wedding complete/without cold beer & Elvis/impersonator", May 20, 2003

By 

Ellen Etc. (Northern California, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Redneck Haiku (Paperback)

Follow the condensed adventures of Bubba, Flo, Wanda, Jake, and the feisty Grandma ("Last Las Vegas trip / spoiled by Granny's indecent / exposure arrest") in this amusing little book. NASCAR, guns, gumbo, and award-winning BBQ sauce, dogs under the porch, marriages and divorces -- the life of an extended redneck family chronicled in 17-syllable chapters. One haiku per page, just over 100 haiku; sit out under the awning of your trailer and read it straight through for the most laughs.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Haikus at an all new level, November 28, 2003

By 

Kelli Oliver-George (Olathe, ks United States) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Redneck Haiku (Paperback)

If you love the art of the haiku AND have an off-beat sense of humor, then this book is for you! This book has a place of honor on my coffee table - it is simply entertaining to gauge the reactions of my friends and family as they pick it up and start reading it. It's definitely a conversation piece.