If the last time you felt like an accomplished
poet was when you learned to write haiku in elementary school,
fret not, because you can recapture that feeling at Southpaw
on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
Breeding Ground Productions, an arts and theater group based
in Park Slope, is incorporating a haiku competition into the
release party for the third issue of its magazine, Reading Ground.
At stake are prizes from Beacon’s Closet, Something Else Records
and Union Street burger haven, Schnack.
Haiku is a centuries-old Japanese form of poetry, usually addressing
nature or the seasons. Its basic form, three-line stanzas with
five, seven and five syllables per line, lends itself to expression
of a single image or idea.
Haiku appealed to Breeding Ground for the simple reason that
it’s user-friendly and non-threatening. Sharon Eisman, one of
the group’s founders, said the idea of a haiku competition sprang
from the competitive rapping in Curtis Hanson’s 2002 movie featuring
Eminem, "8 Mile." For the first issue of the magazine
last year, she and other Breeding Ground members and friends
made haikus using words cut out of magazines (which sounded to
GO Brooklyn like the love child of a ransom note and a box of
refrigerator poetry).
"It’s an interesting art form, and it’s very creative,"
Eisman said. "It’s something people can get into, and it’s
easy. We try to make sure everyone can take part."
There’s no complicated rhyming involved, no rhythm to get right
or wrong, just 17 syllables in which to express a thought or
idea. And, therefore, plenty of space for humor, beauty, inspiration,
irreverence and diversion.
Haiku appears to be gaining popularity among non-academic and
non-literary audiences and writers. Long known for his fiction,
Beat Generation writer Jack Kerouac’s haikus were published this
year by Penguin U.S.A. In June, Villard Books published "Honku,"
Park Slope poet Aaron Naparstek’s volume of 100 road rage-inspired
haikus. Just since 1999, haiku books dealing with nontraditional
subjects have quietly proliferated: "Haikus for Jews"
by David M. Bader (Harmony Books, 1999), "Cat Haiku"
by Deborah Coates (Warner Books, 2001), and "Redneck Haiku"
by Mary K. Witte (Santa Monica Press, 2003), among others.
Once a lofty pursuit for serene masters, the simplicity of haiku
could make it the next "Chicken Soup for the [fill in the
blank]."
Eisman said the haiku concept has been well received among Breeding
Ground Productions’ friends and admirers.
"People have been very excited about the idea. They’ve been
working on haikus at home" in preparation for the event,
Eisman said.
Stage fright is no obstacle: Breeding Ground has recruited "readers"
to perform the haikus of the bashful. (In addition to the haiku
competition the party will feature live performances, music by
DJ Nigel and a "white trash wedding cake.")
Since there’s no need to be a poet, or even highbrow, to compete
in Breeding Ground’s haiku competition, start brainstorming now.
There are plenty of opportunities to work on your "flow,"
your technique, your syllable count, but only one night to show
how good you really are – kind of like how, as a kid, you’d spend
364 days talking about your next Halloween costume, but only
had one night to wear it.
Breeding Ground Productions’ Reading
Ground release party will be held Nov. 19 at 7 pm at Southpaw,
125 Fifth Ave. between St. John’s Place and Sterling Place in
Park Slope. For more information about Southpaw, call (718) 230-0236
or visit the Web site at www.spsounds.com.
Admission is free, and the haikus start flowing like sake at
7 pm. For more information about the event, contact Breeding
Ground Productions at (347) 683-7698 or visit www.breedingground.com.
