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Every year, Anne Burgevin of State College, Pennsylvania collects the poems she writes for NaHaiWriMo into a handmade book. Here are photos of her books featuring poems written in response to the February writing prompts provided each year from 2012 through 2024, with Anne’s comments about each photo. She also maintains a private email list she uses to share her NaHaiWriMo poems every February, and in more recent years has generously sent any reader who asks a handmade rendition of their favourite poem, as shown in the photos at the end. See also Anne Burgevin’s Meet the Prompter interview.
Anne Burgevin’s Handmade NaHaiWriMo Books
Anne Burgevin’s Handmade NaHaiWriMo Books
“Each February for the past three years I have participated in NaHaiWriMo. It has become an exciting focal point of my winter. At the end of each February I make a small Japanese stab-binding book and hand-write my 28 or 29 haiku into them.”
“Creating the title page for my NaHaiWriMo books is very satisfying. I feel as if I’ve really made something special. My books go on the poetry shelf in our living room! If you participate in NaHaiWriMo, maybe you would like to do something similar at the end of this February.”
“Here are a few of my haiku. I think my favorite year was in 2012 when we went through an alphabet of prompts, one day for each letter of the alphabet, with a couple of surprises at the end. Thanks for all the great prompts over the years.”
sweet-grass
the banjo player’s
moon shadow
wood thrush
its song draws me
to the mountain
buckwheat flowers
her fertile days
feel numbered
our canoe rides low
on the wind-blown lake
a raft of loons
“This photo shows all five of the books I've made so far, including my 2015 and 2016 books. Other NaHaiWriMo participants could collect their haiku into handmade books like this too!”
the compass
keeps pointing
to spring
“I now have seven NaHaiWriMo books, from 2012 through 2018, and I use these books regularly as teaching tools and for inspiration with my creative writing students.”
Nine years of NaHaiWriMo books by Anne Burgevin.
Ten years of NaHaiWriMo books by Anne Burgevin.
Twelve years of NaHaiWriMo books by Anne Burgevin.
Twelve years of NaHaiWriMo books by Anne Burgevin.
“My NaHaiWriMo listserv is 220 email addresses long! It has grown over the years. Friends tell their friends, family encourages the younger generation to sign up for the daily emails. So many folks tell me how much they look forward to this month. I always review a history of how this wonderful tradition began with my readers, and pay tribute to NaHaiWriMo’s efforts to keep it going year after year.”
“My private NaHaiWriMo listserv now has close to 300 readers. Many of them express to me how much they look forward to February because of the daily haiku I send. Fifteen years and counting, and NaHaiWriMo never gets old. In fact, it gets more exciting and more greatly anticipated as each February arrives. Since 2021, I’ve offered to send a handwritten card of any reader’s favorite haiku if they ask for one. It is informative to learn which of my haiku have been favorites. As the author, I value this kind of feedback. I also enjoy giving back to my readers by sharing something I’ve made by hand.”
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