marlene mountain
essay
june 1991

 

contemplating the haiku naval

Many 'critics' and poets seem to continue the legacy of suppression/control inherent in the Japanese haiku philosophy and its brother arts (painting, tea, flower). It's long overdue: lots of real contemplation of the haiku navel. What role did/does art play in societal oppression? How do artists and community get talked into suppressing creativity? How does adherence to the seemingly innocuous season word become a form of self-policing? Does 'self'-discipline equal 'outside' control? How is art related to the misogynistic takeover and revision of the origin of Japan and its culture? How did all this get so lost that another culture writes nature poems and calls them haiku when that's not what it's about in Japan? Let's gaze.

 

Lynx autumn 1991 America

 

 

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