With Cherries on Top

Free download of the August 2012 NaHaiWriMo haiku book

In August of 2012, the NaHaiWriMo page on Facebook featured daily writing prompts from 31 different prompters. Each prompter selected at least five of his or her favourite poems written in response. Michael Dylan Welch selected from these poems to produce the online PDF book, With Cherries on Top: 31 Flavors from NaHaiWriMo, published by Press Here. This book is available here for free download, which you can view with a PDF file reader (you can download the free reader from Adobe if needed). This collection features 190 haiku and senryu by 81 contributors from around the world.

• View or download With Cherries on Top

• Read the introduction, “Better than Ice Cream”

• View the list of daily prompters and their prompts

• View the list of contributors

• View selected photo-haiga

• Comments on With Cherries on Top

The photographs in With Cherries on Top are by Michael Dylan Welch. They are all handheld photos of fireworks, using a Nikon D90 on the bulb setting (the lens remains open for as long as the button is held down). The camera is deliberately zoomed, swiped, or jiggled, or moved in various combinations.

• “Haiku fireworks! A must see/read, spectacular book! Most pleased to be included in this book, and be part of the NaHaiWriMo community.” —Stella Pierides

• “Exploding with flavour!” —Pamela Cooper

• “I am extremely impressed. I think it might be the best laid out e-book I have encountered.” —Violette Rose-Jones

• “The photographs are just perfect to go with the mood of each prompt. I love the book.” —Jayashree Maniyil

• “Fantastic! This is really beautiful!” —Daphne Purpus

• “Very cool! I’m blown away by this.” —Terry Ó Ku

The following brief review of With Cherries on Top appeared in Frogpond 36:2, Spring/Summer 2013, page 151. +

NaHaiWriMo (National Haiku Writing Month) is a Facebook page [and website—see www.nahaiwrimo.com] that promotes daily writing through haiku prompts. In August 2012, a different prompter each day suggested themes such as star myths, birth, grass, and forgotten things. Thousands of writers responded, and from the selection, 190 haiku and senryu were chose and gathered in this “first of its kind ebook anthology.” Stunning photographs introduce each prompt and give the collection an electric charge. One of my favorite prompts was “Beatles song,” which inspired haiku and senryu such as: here comes the sun . . . / a list of seeds / to plant (Dawn Apanius); spider / in the kitchen / let it be (Terri L. French); and too tight the last dance his hey jude off key (Sheila Windsor). Don’t miss this free collection, along with inspiration to jump-start your writing practice. —Francine Banwarth