{"id":4367,"date":"2006-02-08T16:45:27","date_gmt":"2006-02-08T20:45:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.law.harvard.edu\/formerlyknownas\/2006\/02\/08\/sought-haiku-sans-e\/"},"modified":"2011-08-05T14:54:11","modified_gmt":"2011-08-05T18:54:11","slug":"sought-haiku-sans-e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/2006\/02\/08\/sought-haiku-sans-e\/","title":{"rendered":"sought: haiku-sans-e"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Thanks to a <\/FONT>comment<\/FONT><\/A> at yesterday’s bummr<\/FONT><\/A> posting, <\/FONT>from Pat M.,<\/FONT> <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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I <\/FONT><\/SPAN>just learned about <\/FONT>Georges Perec<\/FONT><\/A>‘s 2005 novel <\/FONT>A Void<\/FONT><\/EM><\/A> (translated <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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from the French by Gilbert Adair):  As the New Yorker<\/EM> explains:<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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\"NoER\"  “Here is a true tour de force: a novel without <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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a <\/FONT><\/SPAN>single letter E. The translator’s dazzling re-creation <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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of the French original conveys the author’s near magical <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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cleverness while preserving an underlying seriousness <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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that makes this book much more than a curiosity.” <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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A Void<\/EM>‘s publisher says:<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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A Void<\/EM> is a metaphysical whodunit …<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN>. It is also an out-<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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rageous verbal stunt: a 300-page novel<\/EM> that never once <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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employs the letter E. Adair’s translation, too, is astounding; <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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Time<\/EM> called it “a daunting triumph of will pushing its way <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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through imposing roadblocks to a magical country, an <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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absurdist nirvana of humor, pathos, and loss.”<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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Not only has Perec saved a lot of e’s for us to send to Robert Soble’s   \"NoEN\"<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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Flickr trendoids<\/FONT><\/A>, he has also inspired me to attempt this game on <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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a very <\/FONT><\/SPAN>micrio scale — with my <\/FONT><\/SPAN>own haiku.  I quickly learned how <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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difficult <\/FONT><\/SPAN>eschewing that vowel can be.<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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Looking <\/FONT><\/SPAN>through the hundreds of haiku and senryu that dagosan<\/EM> <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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posted <\/FONT><\/SPAN>at f\/k\/a<\/EM> last year, it became clear that not using e’s does <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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not come naturally — none of my poems was e-less (even though <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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they are almost always shorter than 17 syllables).  Today, <\/FONT><\/SPAN>with a <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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little struggle, this paltry<\/FONT><\/SPAN> example arose from the depths of my <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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pysche:<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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our long <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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bathtub soak — <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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almost <\/FONT><\/SPAN>a full moon<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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    dagosan<\/FONT><\/EM><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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My Schenectady neighbor, Honored Guest Yu Chang has a <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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name that promises e-lessness.  Nonetheless, out of approx-<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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imately 50 of his poems that have appeared here, only one <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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has no <\/FONT><\/SPAN>e<\/EM>:<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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rough landing <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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the warmth <\/FONT><\/DIV>
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of your hand<\/FONT><\/DIV><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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  <\/FONT>Yu Chang<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/A>– <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/STRONG>Upstate Dim Sum<\/FONT><\/EM><\/A> <\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN>(<\/FONT>2004\/I<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/DIV><\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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\"NoEG\"<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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I’m going to search my Yu Chang collection to see if I can find <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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more.  Meanwhile, I’m asking all the haijin out there to submit, by <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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email <\/FONT><\/SPAN>or as a Comment, some haiku-sans-e<\/EM>.  Please don’t cheat by <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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resorting to extremely truncated poems.  Let’s make 9 or 10 <\/FONT><\/SPAN>syllables <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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(as in the dagosan example above) the minimum.   One tactic <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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might be taking one of your favorite haiku and re-writing it without <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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an e<\/EM>.<\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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Everyone is invited to join <\/FONT><\/SPAN>in this exercise, but if you don’t know what <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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we mean here by “real haiku,” <\/FONT><\/SPAN>please read “is it or ain’t it haiku?<\/FONT><\/A>” for <\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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a quick lesson. (Yes, the Haiku Police are on patrol.)<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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If the book is as good as the critics have suggested, Georges Perec \"hat<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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deserves a hat-tip for his achievement in A Void<\/EM>.  I’ve got about <\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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299 pages to go to catch up.   Now, it’s your turn.<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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update<\/FONT><\/STRONG><\/EM> (Feb. 8, 8 P.M.):  For a brief glimpse of the wit and erudition <\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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that <\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN>won George Wallace, and his Fool in the Forest<\/EM><\/A> weblog the <\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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Blawg Review Award 2005<\/FONT><\/A> for “<\/FONT>Best Personal Blog by a Legally-<\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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Oriented Male Blogger,” see his Comment<\/A> to this post, which <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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is a pithy, positive review of A Void<\/EM>, with special emphasis on the <\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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excellent <\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN>and most difficult translation performed by Gilbert Adair.<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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haiku-sans-e updates<\/FONT><\/STRONG><\/EM>:<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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\"tiny – previously published:<\/EM> <\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN>sting <\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN>of the old man’s <\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN>fastball<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/FONT> <\/DIV>
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John Stevenson<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/A> – <\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/SPAN>    <\/FONT>Upstate Dim Sum<\/FONT><\/EM><\/A> (2005\/II<\/FONT><\/A>) <\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/SPAN><\/DIV><\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/BLOCKQUOTE>
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<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV>
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                                                                                     A Void<\/STRONG><\/FONT><\/EM><\/A>, by Georges Perec –<\/FONT> \"NoER\"<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN><\/DIV>
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<\/SPAN><\/FONT><\/FONT><\/SPAN> <\/DIV><\/BLOCKQUOTE><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thanks to a comment at yesterday’s bummr posting, from Pat M., I just learned about Georges Perec‘s 2005 novel A Void (translated from the French by Gilbert Adair):  As the New Yorker explains:   “Here is a true tour de force: a novel without a single letter E. The translator’s dazzling re-creation of the French original conveys […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[2926],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pre-06-2006"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p6kP1R-18r","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4367"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4367\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12789,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4367\/revisions\/12789"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.blogs.harvard.edu\/ethicalesq\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}