Japanese poet Bashō composed the following haiku in the summer of 1688 and later published it in Backpack Notes. The “octopus traps” are jars that would be lowered into the water by fishermen in the afternoon and then raised the next morning. The creatures that had slipped inside what appeared…
Japanese poet Bashō composed the following haiku in the fall of 1694, just months before his death. A jag of lightning— Then, flitting toward the darkness, A night heron’s scream. —Translated by David Bowles, July 2013 Original Japanese inazuma ya yami no kata yuku goi no koe
Japanese poet Bashō composed the following haiku during the fall of 1694, not long before his death. Alone on this road, Not a single passerby— Autumn night descends. —Translated by David Bowles, July 2013 Original Japanese kono michi ya yuku hito nashi ni aki no kure
The following haiku is from Bashō’s famous haibun (blended prose-verse travelogue) Narrow Road to the Deep North, which describes his 1689 journey into the less populated wilderness of northern Japan in search of famous utamakaru or sites that inspired great poetry. At one point he visits the ruins of the…
The following haiku is from Bashō’s famous haibun (blended prose-verse travelogue) Narrow Road to the Deep North, which describes his 1689 journey into the less populated wilderness of northern Japan in search of famous utamakaru or sites that inspired great poetry. At one point he visits a mountain temple high…
I’ll be presenting and reading from Flower, Song, Dance: Aztec and Mayan Poetry this September 5, 2013, at the Langdon Review Weekend. Langdon Review of the Arts in Texas is an annual publication of Tarleton State University providing an overview of the year’s most exciting cultural accomplishments in Texas. The…
My translation of “The Song of Moquihuitzin” from the Aztec codex Songs of Mexico (Cantares Mexicanos) will be published in issue 19 of BorderSenses, a great literary journal.
December 27, 2012: Classical Recommendations for 2013 December 20, 2012: Some Teen Christmas Picks December 13, 2012: Powerful Poems and Purple Days November 29, 2012: The Consequences of Playing God November 22, 2012: Exploration of Indigenous Literature November 8, 2012: Instructional Strategies from a Samurai November 1, 2012: Two Timeless…
Lamar University Press has unveiled the cover for my upcoming volume of Mesoamerican verse, which is titled Flower, Song, Dance: Aztec and Mayan Poetry. Details can be found at http://www.lamaruniversitypress.org/coming-soon.php
On May 8th, 9th and 10th I presented, accompanied by artist Noé Vela, to six different middle schools in the Brownsville Independent School District. Focusing on Mexican Bestiary, our presentations consisted of readings, live art, signings and discussions. Here are images courtesy BISD’s library services department:
