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9/19/2021

Intro to short form poetry

4 Comments

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Hello BIBA readers!

The second part of our MINIATURE FESTIVAL (ironically in caps) features not one, not five, but 43 Black poets who submitted haiku and tanka to our call! Castle of our Skins will be sharing these poems with you over the course of nine weeks in different combinations, and we are super excited about this project, curated by our own Shirley Graham Du Bois Creative in Residence, Marlanda Dekine (who also participated)! The list of poets are below:

  1. FreeQuency
  2. Liseli Fitzpatrick
  3. Yolande Clark-Jackson
  4. Nailah Nombeko - who is also a fantastic composer and pianist!
  5. norm mattox
  6. Tara Betts - a friend of COOS
  7. Francis W. Alexander
  8. Eric Jackson
  9. Aliyah Muhammad
  10. L. Marie Wood
  11. Rahsaan "Wordslave" Eldridge
  12. Karen Hays
  13. Davelyn Hill
  14. Len Lawson
  15. DeAndrea Johnson
  16. C. Thomas
  17. Jennifer Oladipo
  18. Joanne Godley
  19. Chauncey Beaty
  20. Michael A. Murray
  21. Danie Etienne
  22. Marcus Turner
  23. Brittanei Wayne
  24. Gavin Matthew
  25. L'Merchie Frazier - a frequent COOS collaborator, historian, quilter, extraordinaire
  26. Aaron Emmanuel
  27. Zorina Frey
  28. Ce Scott-Fitts
  29. Regina Baiocchi - also a fantastic composer and tireless advocate/writer of Haiku!
  30. Maya Simone
  31. Eden Royce
  32. Shemuel Namaste
  33. B. Sharise Moore
  34. lakeisha frith
  35. Linda Addison
  36. Michael Divine
  37. Regina Jamison
  38. Cassandra Byrd
  39. Traci Neal
  40. Kela Portee
  41. Jacquese Armstrong
  42. Erika DeShay
  43. Marlanda Dekine - our current Shirley Graham Du Bois Creative in Residence

We couldn't be happier with the wonderful submissions, representing a range of people and subjects! What is even more special is that these incredible Black poets are extending a tradition of Black haiku and short form poets that often goes unrecognized. 

In the Winter 2016 issue of Modern Haiku, Charles Trumbull contributed part one of a fascinating two part essay about Black writers of Haiku, which you can begin reading HERE. In the essay are some fantastic examples by diverse poets (including one by Tara Betts, mentioned above!). Additionally, Richard Wright, during his final years, devoted his craft to Haiku, writing around 4000 of them! A collection of 815 can be purchased in THIS wonderful collection (not an amazon link). 

Many are familiar with Haiku as a three-lined poem following a 5-7-5 syllabic structure. Not many, however, are aware of its older cousin, the Tanka! This is a five-lined poem following a 5-7-5-7-7 line structure, for a total of 31 syllables as opposed to Haiku's 17. Both forms offer extremely rich possibilities and variations, and composers and visual artists are more often inspired by these short forms than what is usually known. 

COOS hopes that you are inspired to research more into Black poets working with short form poetry, especially Haiku and Tanka! And hopefully your research will inspire you to write your own mini poems! Additionally, please check our social media for the musical and poetic content we will bring to you throughout the entire fall!!!! We leave you with a Haiku by Richard Wright:

“Keep straight down this block
Then turn right where you will find
A peach tree blooming.”
​

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4 Comments
Linda D. Addison link
9/24/2021 02:50:11 pm

I'm so excited to be in this lineup, more than anything, super hyped to read all the contributions!

Reply
Traci Neal link
9/24/2021 05:45:53 pm

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of this. I do not take it lightly!

Reply
norm mattox link
9/25/2021 11:29:19 am

im honored to be on this list of Black creatives. im looking forward to seeing and hearing all the arts (the tip of an iceberg?) that stepped up to the challenge. until now, i had never written a tanka! 10Q for this!! npaZ

Reply
Anthony link
9/26/2021 02:14:58 pm

We at Castle of our Skins are so thankful for your contributions, and excited to share your excellence with the world!

Reply



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  • ABOUT
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