marlene mountain
letter essay
february 1990

a big generic

dear alexis 2/16/90

TERRIFIC to get your announcement that you're getting out a new haiku 'magazine'!! Not only do we need another one, but we truly need one with your viewpoint. (At least as I interpret it.)

Personally, I just call everything I write a big generic/umbrella: haiku. Lots of 'attitudes' toward life within. It's awfully complicated to label many expressions--maybe more trouble than it's worth. But I've sure played around with 'labels': untamed haiku, beyond untamed haiku, unaloud, dadaku, women's haiku (different from haiku by women), political haiku, talking haiku, cluster haiku, punk haiku, women's punk haiku, etc.

Here are some things to consider. They've not been sent out--didn't know where they could belong. Perhaps they can find a place with PT. If they can, you could keep any on file for later issues. Could you mark the enclosed list of any you want, any you might want later, and return it?

Cor says you've approached a publisher with some of your senryu. Any luck? Hope so--I love your 'haiku.'

I've been spending (too much) time lately trying to find, collect, date sequences since 1969, with emphasis since 1978/79 to further expand 'tonight i am mountain.' I found several written when I was ill (under some sort of influence including pain) that I don't even remember writing. They are rather raw. It's all pretty raw. Anger, sex/love, love/hate of haiku, etc. Also including POP, and 'found sequences/gatherings' since 1981. The 'unbook' is over 200 pages (of course only a few lines on some pages).

Since January have been trying to find and date haiku since 1969. What a job. But found lots of minimal, some one line, picture-poems, a few 'romantic,' and lots of bad stuff--and a visual and unaloud or two (69/70 ?). Also a few beginnings of the old tin roof. Haven't begun to see any order of presenting it

. A couple of years I collected most of my essays, haibun, reviews since 1970. (Over 60 pages single-spaced.) I can see 3 volumes in all this: the early, the essays, the sequences. But I don't know if it is something to get into print. Who would want to plod through it all, and who would want to publish it? Just sort of gathering it in spurts.

[What I really liked was finding old writings/journal about my art ideas when a 'kid' of 18, 22-25, etc. Don't even remember writing them.]

The best of energy and luck with the new publication. I hope it stimulates a good response and good sHeAnIrKyUu.

 

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