The Haiku Apprentice: Memoirs of Writing Poetry in Japan

Abigail Friedman
Stone Bridge Press (2006)
ISBN 193333004X
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (07/06)

Traditionally, haiku is Japanese poetry that is written on three lines.  The first line and the third line are composed of 5 syllables and the second line has seven.  “The Haiku Apprentice,” written by Abigail Friedman, takes us through her journey of discovering how to write Haiku well.  It is really more than just those three lines. 

The Haiku Society of America defines Haiku as, “A short poem that uses imagistic language to convey the essence of an experience of nature or the season intuitively linked to the human condition.”  Through Friedman’s experiences, she not only learns how to write haiku, but she also learns about the culture and the lives of other haiku writers in her group.  As you read her story, you also learn about the richness of the culture.  Friedman is able to convey how the Japanese people are able to connect their writings to their lives.  As a people they work hard on doing everything well.  When you are in their country, you really see this.  It doesn’t matter what their jobs are, or how menial a task might seem, they do it well.  From my personal experience, they are very gracious people.  Friedman conveys this in her writings.  It adds to the richness of her memoirs.  Just reading her story alone is enjoyable, especially when you are learning about her experiences as a diplomat in Japan.

I really think that a haiku writer who is not well versed in the Japanese culture will be able to write much better after reading “The Haiku Apprentice”.  I enjoyed learning about haiku by reading her story, rather than a textbook.  This is also a great book to read if you are interested in writing haiku or starting a haiku writer’s group. 

At the end of the book, she offers information and advice on how to start a group.  She also has a list of questions to stimulate discussions for a readers group.   

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