NEW HOPE INTERNATIONAL REVIEW

Haiku is often used within writing courses as an exercise in close observation and as poetic training of the eye and mind. I've enjoyed finding there is much more to it than that.

Haiku Canada was founded in 1977 and is still going strong although changes to the content of the magazine have taken place this year. Those changes have brought about this first edition of the new Haiku Canada Review, which now contains the purely creative content, keeping the membership news in a separate e-newsletter. This recently revised review is published in February and October, alongside a SELECTED ANTHOLOGY which is published in May.

The discreet A5 booklet has a good quality soft-cover and holds some lovely haiku between its sheets. The poems are presented spaciously on the pages, which makes each poem stand out. Not being an expert on all forms of haiku, tanka, haibun, renku and tan-renga, I initially had some difficulty in following the presented forms and felt like an outsider in the wrong club. When is a haiku not a haiku? Well when its one of these others it seems. For those interested in these various forms there is plenty in this review to keep you busy for a month or two.

The editor, LeRoy Gorman welcomes contributions in all forms of this Japanese art — from members of HAIKU CANADA and non-members. In addition, you will find a couple of HAIKU CANADA REVIEW SHEETS; loose inserts containing poems of featured haikuists, with Alice Frampton and Barry Weiler featured in this first issue.

To add to the professional nature of the publication there is a four page interview by Janick Belleau with Penny Harter. Penny, the American poet and haikuist explains how the art

opens my mind, my senses, and my spirit.

	migrating butterflies
	cover the names —
	the war memorial 

		beekeeper
		humming
		back 

	a spiral of gnats
	from branch to branch —
	rain-wet pine

	the train extinct
	the prairie birds
	bison

	Barry Weiler

		my new rig outside —
		three waitresses
		at my table
		
		Tim Jamieson

	like a white rat
	follow icon images —
	with my mouse

	Sterling Haynes