Recommended Reading for Tanka in English

Those who are new to the field of tanka, or who are interested in deepening their knowledge and appreciation of tanka naturally want to know which books are recommended. Here then is a list of several recommended reading lists, along with my own suggestions.

Recommended Readings in Tanka Studies, Tanka Round Table (2007): http://www.themetpress.com/tankacentral/library/research/recommendedreadings.html

A Few Good Books on Tanka Literature, TankaOnline.com: http://www.tankaonline.com/Selected%20Reading.htm


My suggested readings for tanka in English:

Anthologies
Garrison, Denis M., ed. Five Lines Down : A Landmark in English Tanka. Baltimore, MD: MET Press, 2007.

Kei, M., ed. Catzilla! Tanka, Kyoka, and Gogyohka About Cats. Perryville, MD: Keibooks, 2010.

Kei, M., ed. Firepearls: Short Masterpieces of the Human Heart. Perryville, MD: Keibooks, 2006. Order through Lulu enterprises: www.lulu.com/Keibooks

Kei, M., Sanford Goldstein, Pamela A. Babusci, Patricia Prime, Bob Lucky, Kala Ramesh, eds. Take Five : Best Contemporary Tanka, Vol. 1. Baltimore, MD: MET Press, 2009.

Kei, M., Sanford Goldstein, Patricia Prime, Kala Ramesh, Alexis Rotella, Angela Leuck, eds. ake Five : Best Contemporary Tanka, Vol. 1. Baltimore, MD: MET Press, 2010.

McClintock, Michael, Pamela Miller Ness, and Jim Kacian, eds. The Tanka Anthology. Winchester, Virginia: Red Moon Press, 2003.

Rotella, Alexis, and Denis M. Garrison, eds. Ash Moon Anthology: Poems on Aging in Modern English Tanka. Baltimore, MD: MET Press, 2008.

St. Maur, Gerald, ed. Countless Leaves. Edmonton, Alberta: Inkling Press and Magpie Productions, 2001.

Tasker, Brian, ed. In the Ship's Wake: An Anthology of Tanka. North Shields, England: Iron Press, 2001.

Ward, Linda Jeannette, ed. Full Moon Tide: The Best of Tanka Splendor 1990-1999. Coinjock, North Carolina: Clinging Vine Press, 2000.

Woodward, Jeffrey, ed. The Tanka Prose Anthology. Baltimore, MD: MET Press, 2008.


Books and Chapbooks
Garrison, Denis M. First Winter Rain : Selected Tanka from 2006 - 2010. Baltimore, MD: MET Press, 2010.

Garrison, Denis M., ed. Jun Fujita : Tanka Pioneer. Baltimore, MD: MET Press, 2007.

Goldstein, Sanford. Four Decades on My Tanka Road. Baltimore, MD: MET Press, 2007.

Karkow, Kirsty. water poems: Haiku, Tanka, and Sijo. Eldersburg, MD: Black Cat Books, 2005.

Kei, M. Slow Motion : The Log of a Chesapeake Bay Skipjack. Baltimore, MD: MET Press, 2008.

Lebel, Gary. Abacus : Prose Poems, Short Poems, and Haibun. Baltimore, MD: MET Press, 2008.

Mineo, Annette. six sunflowers and an inchworm: tanka by Annette Mineo. n.l.: Annette Mineo, 2007.

Riutta, Andrew. Cigarette Butts and Lilacs. Baltimore, MD: MET Press, 2008.

Rotella, Alexis. Lip Prints : Tanka and Other Short Poems 1979 - 2007. Baltimore, MD: MET Press, 2007.

Tanaka, Noriko. Breast Clouds. Amelia Fielden and Saeko Ogi, trans. Tokyo, Japan: Tankakenkyu-sha, 2010.

Fire Pearls for Weddings

I stopped by my local library yesterday and chatted with the librarians. It turns out that Fire Pearls is often checked out of the library for weddings! I presume people are looking for poetry suitable to read at weddings. I'm very charmed at this unexpected development, and I wish all engaged people happily ever after. Especially so now that Proposition 8 has been overturned in California, and gay marriage is legal again in that state. Here's hoping my home state of Maryland will soon follow.

~K~