Curt Linderman

NaHaiWriMo daily writing prompter for September 2024

1. How did you get started with haiku?

I’ve been interested in poetry ever since I was a young child. Haiku was on my radar, but I didn’t really dabble in it until college. I was into the Beats and contemporary Zen poets. John Cage’s “Indeterminacy” poems also affected me. I viewed haiku then as an impermanent mandala, if you will, and would hand out these “things” that I had written onto pieces of colored scrap paper. It was literally sophomoric. Eventually it took a worldwide pandemic for me to return to haiku and take the deeper dive. The kicker was discovering Michael Dylan Welch’s rock music prompts for the February 2021 edition of NaHaiWriMo. I’ve been a big gooey hot mess ever since.

2. Tell us more about yourself.

The first thing I did in college was flee the honors humanities program and write an interdisciplinary BA in arts management. I eventually discovered that I did not enjoy the constant hustle and worked as a record-store clerk and part-time jazz announcer for a few years after school. Like many arts majors of my generation, I took a soul-sucking civil service gig to make ends meet. It allowed for an earlier than expected retirement during lockdown. For the past four years or so I’ve basically been staying up night listening to music while reading “just a few more” pages. It’s been absolute heaven.

3. What does NaHaiWriMo mean to you?

NaHaiWriMo is much more than an accountability group or opportunity for daily practice. It’s a safe and supportive community that fosters an environment of learning and trust for haiku poets of all levels. I’m hoping that it continues to serve as a welcoming gateway for all those interested in taking their first few steps into the fun as well.

4. What one piece of advice would you offer to those who are new to writing haiku?

READ. Everything and everyone. And then keep on READING. Return to the classics for context but venture out into new and challenging takes on the form. As you continue to READ, don’t be shy to reach out to people whose work you enjoy and then READ what they say in response. Did I mention the importance of READING?

5. Please share three of your favourite or best haiku.

folding one thousand

uniforms into monks robes

never again war

         Asahi Haikuist Network, August 19, 2022

barefoot

on dew-covered grass

the stars, brighter

         Zen Peacemakers Haiku, July, 2024

31 Flavors

all proudly adorning

my apron

         Haiku in Action, May 8, 2024