New to Haiku: Advice for Beginners–Roberta Beach Jacobson
Today at New to Haiku, let’s welcome Roberta Beach Jacobson. Roberta is the founding editor of both Cold Moon Journal and Five Fleas Itchy Poetry. Her creative nonfiction has been published widely, and her haiku have appeared in journals such as Acorn, Kingfisher Journal, Modern Haiku, and The Heron’s Nest, among many others. Thank you for sharing your haiku journey with us, Roberta!
In Advice for Beginners posts, we ask established haiku poets to share a bit about themselves so that you can meet them and learn more about their writing journeys. We, too, wanted to learn what advice they would give to beginning haiku poets. You can read posts from previous Advice for Beginners interviewees here.
Welcome to New to Haiku, Roberta! How do you approach reading haiku?
To me, reading haiku is just as important, if not more important, than writing haiku. Haiku books are placed all around my house. One bookcase (which is getting pretty packed) contains anthologies and journals. In another room I keep my prized haiku reference books, mostly by the masters. I also have a shelf of modern haiku books by friends, the books I tend to read over and over. Every few days I make a point of enjoying online journals, often focusing on favorite ones no longer being published. Rarely do I miss a day of reading various haiku posted around Facebook. Although I no longer have an X account, I used to enjoy those verses as well.
You are the founding editor of both Cold Moon Journal and Five Fleas Itchy Poetry. What prompted you to start your own journals? What do you wish more haiku poets knew about your journals?
Editing is a role I’ve truly enjoyed. For years I edited European travel journals. These days, I appreciate the chance to read the verses of so many poets! I founded Cold Moon Journal in late 2020 and Five Fleas Itchy Poetry at the end of 2022. I prefer a blogging format, so everybody doesn’t have to wait for a monthly or quarterly issue to be featured. At the outset, I received a ton of 5-7-5 [syllable] haiku for Cold Moon Journal. Now it’s rare to see any. Timothy Daly and Oana Cercel are the new co-editors of Cold Moon Journal, so I’ve handed editing over to them. (Their email is journalcoldmoon[at]gmail[dot]com.) I continue to edit Five Fleas Itchy Poetry.
I want to add I hope poets aren’t too disappointed with rejections, as they are an inevitable part of the process. It’s so important to keep trying.
For nearly 40 years, you lived abroad in Germany and Greece before returning to the United States in 2012. During your time abroad, you had a wide range of work experiences including soldier, freelance travel writer, obituary writer, guidance counselor, and Rhine River tour guide. How does your time living abroad inform your poetry today? Is there one job you’ve held that has inspired more haiku than the others?
Yes, most of my adult life was spent in Europe. I loved my years abroad (both in Germany and Greece). Even now, I can’t separate myself from those experiences. They have become part of me, of who I am. Last year, a haiku about pomegranates on whitewashed steps of a far-flung Greek island got published. Additionally, every weird job along my career path has likely had some sort of impact on what I write.
What are some of the fun ways that you have used or experienced haiku?
It’s been exciting to see my own haiku displayed in unusual ways: printed on signs, on tea bags, or ornately framed under glass. Three different times I have dreamed new haiku. Vividly. Luckily, I remembered fragments of them in the morning. Immediately I patched them up and submitted. All three were published.
This tea bag with a haiku by Roberta Beach Jacobson was created by Denise Fontaine-Pincince of Haiku Gifts in Belchertown, MAWhat advice do you have for new haiku poets just starting out?
My advice to new poets would be to enjoy the process of creating haiku as you build your skills. Some poets prefer to work solo, while others need to workshop lines or verses. What works best for you? Regardless of how you write, have fun playing around with your words. Read your haiku out loud. Might your haiku be improved if you rotated your lines? If you don’t like the results, no problem, just go back. If your haiku feels weak, you might be in need of an action verb. Would your haiku work better as a monoku (one-liner)? There are countless ways to say the same thing, but if you’re not satisfied with the results just set the ku aside for a few days and move on to your next one.
Roberta Beach Jacobson (she/her) is drawn to the magic of words–-poetry, song lyrics, flash fiction, puzzles, and stand-up comedy. Her latest book is Demitasse Fiction: One-Minute Reads for Busy People (Alien Buddha Press, 2023). She lives in Indianola, Iowa, USA with her husband and three cats.
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Robin (Roberta) is a great inspiration for writers and especially for a novice like me. She has always been supportive across platforms, at her publications, sharing information and encouraging writers to write. It’s because of her I was able to get into flash fictions. As to her writing I have always loved humour and hers have them quite a lot.
It’s nice know about her background through this feature.
Robin, thank you for your engagement and responsiveness as an editor, a joy; your open mind, your sense of humour, and your encouragement! Also for your many verses and other writing. I am deeply grateful.
Whenever I read about tornados I can’t help thinking of you, for some reason!
I can truly say that without the inspiration and shared knowledge I received on Twitter from Robin, I would never have gone down the path that lead me to where I am now as a short form poet. I am eternally grateful, and it was a delight to read this interview!