Seventeen Syllables in English: An American Haiku Workshop

Originating as a traditional artform in Japan, the haiku has also become a staple of American poetry, especially in the Beat Generation and the Black Arts Movement.

Deceptively complex in its simplicity, haiku are often presented as an accessible, introductory form for young and beginner poets. Beneath the surface, however, these short three-line poems contain shades of nuance and hidden meanings.

This session will cover how the traditional Japanese poetry form was translated and adapted into the American literary tradition, highlighting examples from Jack Kerouac, Richard Wright, Etheridge Knight, Leonard Cohen, Marlene Mountain, and more. Participants with have the chance to draft their own haiku.

*If you'd like to participate in the Haiku Battle on Saturday night at Good Cause Brewing, this workshop can help you hone your haiku skills before the competition!

Hosted by Quinn Carver Johnson

Quinn Carver Johnson (they/them) is graduate of Hendrix College with a degree in English: Creative Writing and Performance Studies. Their work has appeared in Rappahannock Review, Right Hand Pointing, Flint Hills Review, Cimarron Review, Red Earth Review, and elsewhere. Their forthcoming debut poetry collection, The Perfect Bastard, explores the intersections of class, gender, and sexuality in the worlds of professional wrestling and the midwest. Johnson currently lives and works in Tulsa, Oklahoma where they host the People's Poetry reading series at the Woody Guthrie Center.

Tulsa LitFest is brought to you by The Center for Poets and Writers, Tri City Collective, and Magic City Books.

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