Dear Leavenworth Librophiles--
Thanks to the good and patient folks at ABFAS, I will be coming to visit in a couple of months! I'll be talking about and signing copies of the Haiku for Life® series of Humorous gift books. Witty, insightful, inspiring, and sometimes just plain weird, each book has one hundred seventeen-syllable gifts plus room to add a few of your own!
The eighth book of the collection, Haiku for Christmas, makes a funny and affordable stocking stuffer for lots of folks on your holiday shopping list. And if you want to be a little less generic, you can target your recipient even better with choices like Haiku for Coffee Lovers, Haiku for Chocolate Lovers, Haiku for Dog Lovers, and more! Here's the link to the very nice web page that Lilly-Anne built for me:
http://abookforallseasons.com/local_authors/local_authors_DavidAsh.shtml
So come to ABFAS on Saturday, December 13 and Sunday, December 14 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm either day. There may even be a chance for you to write some 5-7-5 yourself!
See you soon,
--David Ash
Basho Press
www.BashoPress.com

OK, it's not haiku, and it's not related.  I just felt like sharing this Pablo Neruda poem.

Verb

I am going to crumple up this word,
I am going to twist it,
yes,
it is too flat,
it is as though a big dog or a great river
had run it over with a tongue or water
for many years.

In the word I want
roughness to be witnessed,
the salt of iron rust,
the toothless power
of the earth,
the blood
of those who spoke and those who did not speak.

I want to witness the thirst
inside the syllables:
I want to touch the fire
within the sound:
I want to feel the darkness
of the shout.  I want
words rough
as virgin stones.

Pablo Neruda  (trans William O'Daly)

...and this one is a haiku, at least in my mind:

the sound of her words--
twisted origami cranes
fall upon my ears

Thanks, biscuit!

© 2008 David Ash

Dear ABFAS Lovers--

in 48 hours
unless the snow prevents me,
I'll see your faces

Looking forward to it!

--David Ash

These Haiku books sound like great Christmas presents! This is the year to give books. Of course, every year is the year to give books, but especially now as so many of us are concerned about our economic welfare. A book is one of the wisest investments a person can make. It's the kind of present a person will enjoy for hours, days even. If it's a favorite novel it will get read more than once. If it's non-fiction it will be visited often. I know I've got several waiting under my tree. Merry Christmas everyone, and a special merry Christmas to our friends at ABFAS, who keep us well supplied with these timeless treasures!
Sheila Roberts

Hey Sheila,

Check out my new topic Giving Books as Christmas Presents for my response to your question.

LA

Dear ABFAS fans--

By the end of the year, the following new titles in the humorous Haiku for Life® series of gift books:

978-0-9793993-0-5 Haiku for Cat Lovers 09/2009 2009934394
978-0-9825055-1-9 Haiku for Wine Lovers 10/2009 2009934457
978-0-9825055-2-6 Haiku for Tea Lovers 10/2009 2009934458
978-0-9825055-3-3 Haiku for Romantics 11/2009 2009934456

...will join the following ones already available:

978-0-9793993-1-2 Haiku for Catholics 2007901733
978-0-9793993-2-9 Haiku for Baseball Lovers 2007903401
978-0-9793993-3-6 Haiku for Poker Players 2007903402
978-0-9793993-4-3 Haiku for Coffee Lovers 2007905402
978-0-9793993-5-0 Haiku for Chocolate Lovers 2007905403
978-0-9793993-6-7 Haiku for Dog Lovers 2008900198
978-0-9793993-7-4 Haiku for Office Workers 008906524
978-0-9793993-8-1 Haiku for Christmas 2008906525
978-0-9793993-9-8 Haiku for Sociologists 2009932075

Haiku for Sociologists, by the way, was written by 100 Oregon State University undergrads!

Haiku for Christmas - what a great idea. I'm thinking Haiku for chocolate lovers would make a nice gift for some of my writing students!