Haiku Articles
Written for Haiku Society of America Newsletter, XVII, No. 2 - Spring 2002
Robert Spiess, 16 October 1921 – 13 March 2002
Robert Spiess, who adeptly nurtured and shaped English-language haiku for over a half century, passed away quietly on 13 March 2002.
Bob’s passion for haiku was sparked in the late 1930’s by the discovery of Harold Henderson’s “The Bamboo Room.” Drawn to the economy of words and style found in haiku, he was further influenced in those early years by Asataro Miyamori’s “An Anthology Of Haiku Ancient And Modern.”
“American Poetry Magazine” first published Bob’s haiku in 1949. By 1965 Bob had become the Poetry Editor of “American Haiku,” the first magazine devoted solely to English-language haiku. Following the demise of “American Haiku” in 1968, Bob assumed the role of Associate Editor of “Modern Haiku” in 1971. Bob became the Editor-Publisher of “Modern Haiku” in 1979, a position he held until early 2002.
Under the auspices of Robert Spiess, Modern Haiku became the foremost English-language haiku magazine. Modern Haiku received multiple awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, and was recognized as the best haiku magazine in North America, by the Museum of Haiku Literature in Tokyo. As the Editor-Publisher of “Modern Haiku” for over 20 years, many aspiring haiku poets knew Bob as their teacher, mentor and friend. Over time, Bob earned the respect of thousands by thoughtfully responding to every submission and note he received with hand-written or typed words of wisdom and encouragement.
Drawing inspiration from the writing
of Henry David Thoreau, love of the natural world became a cornerstone
of Bob’s haiku and short poetry. He immersed himself in the solitude of
nature, by canoeing and kayaking thousands of miles of midwestern streams
and rivers. Numerous trips to the Caribbean and South Pacific filled notebooks
for his poetic endeavors.
Although Bob’s work is based predominately in haiku, he was also well known
for his humorous senryu, and for his short, often rhythmic poetry. Over
the years, his work has appeared regularly in every reputable English-language
haiku magazine. In addition, Bob’s haiku, short poetry and essays can be
found in virtually every haiku anthology or scholarly haiku work published
since the 1950’s.
Bob’s career is marked by the publication of the following books: The Heron’s Legs (1966); The Turtle’s Ears (1971); Five Caribbean Haibun (1972); A Haiku Poet’s Thoreau (1974); The Shape of Water (1982); The Bold Silverfish and Tall River Junction (1986); New and Selected Speculations on Haiku (1988); The Cottage of Wild Plum (1991); A Year’s Speculations on Haiku (1995); Noddy (1997); Noddy and the Halfwit (1999) and Sticks and Pebbles (2001).
On 10 September 2000 in Matsuyama, Japan, Robert Spiess was awarded the prestigious Masaoka Shiki International Haiku Prize to honor his outstanding contributions to the development of haiku. This honor, and his trip to Japan, proved to be the pinnacle of Bob’s half-century involvement with haiku.
Bob’s kindness, patience, knowledge, insight, wisdom, humor and most of all his friendship will be deeply missed by those he touched.
Mark Alan Osterhaus, 31 March 2002
Selected Haiku by Robert Spiess
a child bends
and touches the moss
and nowhere a flake
that fell astray
a man throwing stones at coots
quickly turns away
the catfish on the stringer
swims up and down
a boy in muddy knee-highs
flies a crimson kite
the simpleton laughs
at the summer moon
a noddy
in tumbly digs
trying words
mumble mumble
thirty faces
minus or plus
a few places
no longer ride
will any say
where is that guy
i sat beside
the other day