…what was I saying? Oh, right. Happy National Haiku Poetry Day. You all bought your greeting cards to send your friends, right? (Maybe next year I’ll produce my own greeting card line. I’m sick of Hallmark hogging all the National Haiku Day action.)
The Haiku Foundation likes to celebrate this little holiday by announcing the results of every single contest it runs. Like the Haiku Now contest. And the Touchstone Awards, for individual poems and for books. Wait…hey! I’m on that Touchstone Award list! They liked my poem!
Yeah, I really haven’t come up yet with a plausibly modest-sounding way of announcing that I’ve won an award. If you have, feel free to share.
Um, and also? There’s this anthology.
A New Resonance 8: Emerging Voices in English-Language Haiku
The main reason to purchase this anthology, of course, is for the gorgeous pictures of poppies on the cover. It will look fantastic on your coffee table. Secondarily, however, there’s poetry by me. And sixteen other poets whose company I’m kind of awestruck to be in.
Yes, those poets. You’ll hear our names often in the coming years, apparently. No mention of what context you’ll hear them in, of course. Hopefully not the crime blotter.
Anyway, as I was saying, happy Haiku Day.
Oh yeah…if you’re interested in buying the book, email me. Sob. I knew this blog would end up as a shameless commercial enterprise someday….
Red Dragonfly 
My dear, you did quite well. I’m certain I couldn’t manage nearly as much humility or subdued joy. Congratulations. I expect to see much more of you and the others I know of on the list.
Big congratulations, Melissa! People love your work so get used to it. “Sob. I knew this blog would end up as a shameless commercial enterprise someday….” Very funny, very, as if it really good and yet, why not go the way of the world, lol. much best, Donna
COULD!
Congrats to you Melissa. Well deserved. Glad, by the way, to be in the same pages as you and so many other poet friends. A lot of quality poems in New Res 8. I’ve already tucked my own copy on the bookshelf as a kind of scrapbook of favorite poems.
Congratulations! Very cool! And Happy National Haiku Poetry Day . . . whew, that’s a mouthful. I’ll just say, Happy Haiku Day!
I suppose we’ll hear your name in the context of comments like,
“How immodest of her!”
“really, I never!”
“hmph.”
“Don’t give her the satisfaction.”
“You don’t suppose…”
“Yes, yes I do.”
Melissa, hi, Congratulations on New Resonance 8, I shall have to get a copy. Also, on the Touchstone Award (and, hey, they liked one of mine too!) 🙂
Belated thanks to all the good friends who congratulated me and then were shamelessly ignored while I indulged in a lengthy writer’s block. Apparently I was so blocked I couldn’t even say “thanks.” You’re all awesome.