American Haiku Archives

If you’re interested in haiku, you may already know about the American Haiku Archives. Housed at the California State Library in Sacramento, the AHA collects, preserves and promotes haiku and related poetry, maintaining an accessible archive of books, magazines, pamphlets, recordings, artwork, photographs, letters, papers, and ephemera.

Each year, the AHA advisory board appoints an honorary curator to serve a one-year term. This position recognizes “prominent poets, scholars, and translators who have had a significant impact on haiku in North America.” In July 2015, AHA announced the appointment of longtime Haiku Northwest member Ruth Yarrow as the 2015–2016 honorary curator, saying, “This honor recognizes Ruth’s four decades of devotion to haiku poetry and its innate environmental concerns, together with her surefooted work in teaching haiku in classrooms, workshops, and essays. It also honors the example of her poetry, which excels in both domestic and nature-focused subjects. She does not write of idealized nature, but nature as it is.”

For more information about Ruth Yarrow, including sample poems, a biography and additional web links, visit the American Haiku Archives website. For more on Haiku Northwest, including information about the Seabeck Haiku Getaway (October 1-4, 2015), visit the Haiku Northwest website.
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Special thanks to Michael Dylan Welch, who serves on the American Haiku Archives Advisory Board