"This book is welcome proof of the universality and the particularity of the human heart."—Jane Hirshfield
The ancient Japanese form of tanka has been used since literature was first recorded in the Kojiki in 712. By the 1600s, however, tanka had fallen out of favor. The form was revived in the early 1900s, and has grown steadily since. "I do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; I seek the things they sought," said Basho, and the same could be said by Chula. This collection blends Japanese tradition with an American sensibility to produce poems concise, moving, and filled with vivid perception of the range of human feeling.
Maggie Chula spent twelve years living and studying in Kyoto, Japan, and has published three collections of haiku. She lives in Portland, Oregon.
The ancient Japanese form of tanka has been used since literature was first recorded in the Kojiki in 712. By the 1600s, however, tanka had fallen out of favor. The form was revived in the early 1900s, and has grown steadily since. "I do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; I seek the things they sought," said Basho, and the same could be said by Chula. This collection blends Japanese tradition with an American sensibility to produce poems concise, moving, and filled with vivid perception of the range of human feeling.
Maggie Chula spent twelve years living and studying in Kyoto, Japan, and has published three collections of haiku. She lives in Portland, Oregon.