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The Unswept Path: Contemporary American Haiku (Companions for the Journey)

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THE UNSWEPT PATH is a great collection of haiku and writings about haiku by contemporary American poets. It's the richest stew of haiku meditations since R.H. Blythe's pioneering work, revealing the haiku as a living vital form. Editors John Brandi & Dennis Maloney have done a brilliant job of gathering writers who exhibit a range of attitudes & approaches toward the haiku. Unlike other haiku related writings in English, this collection does not emphasize the formal elements of the tradition; rather the emphasis is on the haiku as a mode of perception. The reader is encouraged, i.e. inspired, to use it to purify their poetry & their minds. Brandi's brilliant essay sets the tone, evoking the spirit of Basho & Issa in ways related to our own times and establishing freedom and egolessness as haiku's most fertile ground. His work alone is worth the price of admission, as is the selection included by the late Cid Corman. We see familiar writers like Michael McClure, Diane DiPrima, Sonia Sanchez and Patricia Donegan in new ways, and writers new to me like Christopher Herrold and Penny Harter also shine. This book is a real treat for lovers of poetry. It's illuminating & entertaining--a sweeping success.