ONLINE HAIBUN CLASS
Taught by Pamelyn Casto
FAST FACTS
COURSE NAME: Haibun Writing (online class)
FACILITATOR: Pamelyn Casto
p.casto@worldnet.att.net
DURATION: Four-Week Course
PRICE: $100.00
COURSE BOOK (REQUIRED): Journey to the Interior: American Versions of Haibun, Edited by Dr. Bruce
Ross. Boston — Rutland, Vermont — Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc. 1998
START DATE: TBA
SIGN-UP DEADLINE: TBA
WORKSHOP SYLLABUS
Haibun writing is enjoying an astounding rise in popularity with writers and publishers alike. Briefly, haibun is a combination of vivid prose paragraphs, short poetry (haiku), and sometimes simple pen and ink art work (haiga — and the haiga portion of the haibun can be art work that's generated with photographs or computer graphics as well). Haibun can be as short as a paragraph or as long as a novella. This course will focus on the paragraph-length haibun.
Haibun is often referred to as a travel journal/diary or a type of nature writing. But it's actually much more than that. It's an old and honored literary form that makes use of various fine literary techniques. Haibun can record a journey to an actual far-off place, and/ or can record the journeys we make in our everyday lives or in our minds. It can be a multimedia type of work and with the Internet and new technologies it's rising in writer/reader popularity. Today there are several print and online journals that request haibun submissions. Course participants will study the art of haiku and the art of haibun as the two types of writing (poetry and prose paragraphs) intersect.
"Overall, I can't say enough good things about the course and I highly
recommend it to anyone who wants to be creatively challenged, to learn a
lot about haibun, and to have fun doing it!"
— Karla Dalley
This four-week course, limited to approximately fifteen students, will help aspiring writers understand some effective principles for writing haibun and participants will also learn about marketing their haibun work.
Facilitator: Pamelyn Casto
email: p.casto@worldnet.att.net
Week One: Introduction to Haiku Poetry & A Brief Look at Haibun and Haiga
The first week will include an overview article on some history of haibun and some of its characteristics. Participants will first explore the art of haiku, which look easy to write, but are definitely not. Then participants will explore how haiku fit with the prose paragraphs of haibun. There will be reading assignments and related exercises.
Week Two: The Reverse Haibun
Participants will study a variety of haibun with a special focus on the "reverse" haibun, and create haibun paragraphs from published haiku. There will be reading assignments and related exercises. Participants will also critique work of others in the course and will receive critiques for their own work as well.
Week Three: Writing Haibun
Participants will write full haibun pieces, creating their own prose paragraphs and haiku. There will be reading assignments, exercises, and critiques as well.
Week Four: Markets for Haibun
This final week will discuss marketing haibun and possibilities for the art form (as well as for finishing up any unfinished workshop business).
PREREQUISITE: None, other than a strong desire on the part of workshop participants to learn as much as possible about writing haibun.
REQUIRED COURSE BOOK: Journey to the Interior: American Versions of Haibun. Bruce Ross, Editor.
Boston — Rutland, Vermont — Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle Co., Inc., 1998.
NOTE: Dr. Ross's book is out of print, but Ms. Casto has made a special arrangement for workshop participants to buy a copy directly from the editor. See the link to the left.
OBJECTIVE: By the course's end, participants will have gained a greater understanding of some of the important principles of writing haiku and haibun and a greater awareness of markets for this type of writing. Participants will have created several haiku and haibun and will have a collection of ideas for future haibun pieces.
MORE COMMENTS FROM STUDENTS TAKING PAM'S HAIBUN CLASS:
"I needed something to jolt me back into my writing because the marketing phase of trying to get my book published has been very draining, creatively. Haibun did the trick though for me, I've been writing every day. I'm also looking forward to revitializing my visual art interests by incorporating some images into my work as well."
— Janet Paszkowski
"The level of participation of the students was very high, and everyone did a great job critiquing fellow students' work. The style of critiquing was friendly and constructive, and an important part of the process.
"Finally, I find that Pam herself gives very insightful feedback on student work. She is a very sophisticated reader with a finely tuned ear, and she is able to deliver her critiques in a way that provides a good model for the rest of us."
— Erica Fox
ABOUT THE FACILITATOR: Pamelyn Casto created and runs the Flash Fiction Writing Workshop (http://home.att.net/~p.casto), and is the editor of the online monthly Flash Fiction Flash: The Newsletter for Flash Literature Writers (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FlashFictionFlash). Pam's work — articles, stories, essays poems — has been published in both print and on the 'net, including in The Toastmaster Magazine, The Art of Haiku 2000, Potpourri, Perihelion, Ship of Fools, flashquake, Mindprints, Agrippina, Wild Strawberries, Riding the Meridian, Fiction Fix, Amaze: The Cinquain Journal, Suddenly Sudden Fiction and Prose Poetry (Vols III & V). Pam's articles on writing flash fiction have been published in various Writer's Digest publications and her article on flash fiction writing appears in the 7th Edition (2003) of Bridging The Gap: College Reading (Longman). For the last three years, several times each year, Pam has taught online courses on writing flash fiction.
WORKSHOP BEGINS: TBA
SIGNUP DEADLINE: TBA
DURATION:: Four weeks
TUITION:: $100 via PayPal, $105 via check or money order
TO PAY VIA CREDIT CARD THROUGH PAYPAL:
IMPORTANT: Make sure that you give us your name and the e-mail address
that you want us to use for the class!
Click the button below:
TO PAY BY CHECK OR MONEY ORDER: You may pay by check or money order for $105 ($100 plus $5 handling charge) made out to River Road Studios (flashquake.org's parent company) and mailed to:
flashquake,P.O. Box 2154, Albany NY 12220-0154
If you are planning to mail payment, please be sure to send an e-mail to dorton@flashquake.org to let us know your check is coming. Otherwise, we may close the class before receiving your check. Payment MUST be received and checks must CLEAR before the sign-up deadline in
order to participate in this class.
IMPORTANT: Make sure that you include your name and the e-mail address that you want to use for the class along with your check.
REFUND POLICY:
Students may request a full refund (less a $10 processing charge) up to three days after the class has begun. After that date, no refund will be given.