Haiku Theory Podcast

16/05/2025

Is haiku bound by the rules of everyday grammar, or does it operate on its own terms? In this episode, we explore how haiku breaks away from the structures of normal sentence-based language. From notions of spontaneous grammars to the disruptive grammars of the "Cut" in haiku, we question why readers and editors often impose standard grammatical expectations on a poetic form that may not want them. Through examples and thought experiments, we ask: If a haiku isn’t a sentence, what is it—and what kind of grammar does it create?

24/01/2025

In a world that often feels disconnected, haiku offers a unique way to nurture our capacity for care. In this episode we read Ce Rosenow and Maurice Hamington’s 'A Careful Poetics: Caring Imagination, Caring Habits, and Haiku,' which explores the intersection of care ethics and aesthetic theory, focusing on how haiku can enhance our capacity for care. We discuss how haiku, with its emphasis on embodied experience and mindful attention, cultivates a caring imagination, deepens understanding, and may even inspire compassionate actions. Tune in for a thoughtful look at the potential of poetry to foster care in both personal and societal contexts.

08/06/2024

Final episodes of Season One have dropped! Check ‘em out!

16/05/2024

Something a little different.

11/04/2024

Are haiku actually wicked machines working to spread the exploitive tenets of Global Capitalism? In this episode we look at Dimitar Anakiev’s concept of “Capitalistic Haiku."

20/03/2024

NEW EPISODE! Episode 9: Karumi: Basho's Ultimate Poetical Value, or was it?

At the time of his death, the haiku master Basho was developing a new aesthetic he called Karumi. What exactly is it, and what does it have to do with haiku? In today’s episode we explore the concept of Karumi with Susumu Takiguchi’s essay, “Karumi: Matsuo Basho’s Ultimate Poetical Value, or Was It?” The essay can be read in its entirety

12/03/2024

Episode 8 - So:Ba
What exactly does Ba have to do with haiku? Join us for part two or our exploration of the concept of Ba and how it interacts with haiku, which includes a little history of how haiku emerged out of Japan and became an international form of poetry.

"Haiku Theory" can be found on Apple and Spotify podcasts.

12/03/2024

12/03/2024

Episode 7: Communicative Interactions in Terms of Ba Theory

It is argued that the concept of Ba, the Japanese word for ‘place,’ is essential to haiku, but what is Ba? In this episode we begin a two-part exploration of the concept of Ba.

Hold on tight as we delve into the fascinating realm of Ba as presented in the the article, “Communicative Interaction in Terms of Ba Theory: Towards an innovative approach to language practice,”

12/03/2024

Episode 6: Haiku Rhetorical Theories
How does a haiku function as a rhetorical act? Come along as we explore four different theories of Haiku Poetics from Randy Brooks’ essay “Haiku Poetics: Objective, Subjective, Transactional and Literary Theories.”

12/03/2024

Episode 5: Genesis of Haiku
It is assumed haiku originated in Japan, but....where does it really come from? Join us for an exploration of the multifaceted genesis of haiku.

In this episode we take a gander at the ideas of Randy Brooks from his essay Genesis of Haiku: Where Do Haiku Come From?