New to Haiku: An Introduction to THF’s Haiku Dialogue with kjmunro

When you are new to haiku, it can be a bit overwhelming: so many poets to meet, places to publish, things to read. We offer several on-ramps here at The Haiku Foundation. One of these, New to Haiku, you have already found! Two other places at THF that are especially welcoming for new poets are these interactive features: the THF Monthly Kukai and Haiku Dialogue.

Today at New to Haiku, we welcome kjmunro, Managing Editor of THF’s Haiku Dialogue, so that we can learn a little more about this well-loved feature. Thanks for sharing your time with us, kj!

Thanks for inviting me, Julie! For anyone who doesn’t know me, my name is Katherine Munro, & I publish under the name kjmunro. I live in northern Canada in the Yukon Territory, on the traditional territories of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation & the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council, & I’m thrilled to be here!

I’ve heard that Haiku Dialogue is a great place for new haiku poets to jump in and join the writing community here at THF. Some have had their first haiku publications in Haiku Dialogue. Can you explain what Haiku Dialogue is, how it works, and how one can join in?

Haiku Dialogue is a tri-weekly, prompt-based column, open to anyone & everyone interested in practicing the writing of haiku. On week one, a prompt is provided with a submission form. There is a four-day window to submit: Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday. On the following Wednesday, a selection of poems is presented. The next Wednesday a few more poems are posted, along with a little commentary by the Guest Editor. This is followed by another prompt, & so on… I should also mention that we are always happy to welcome poets who would like to volunteer as Guest Editors for the column!

How is Haiku Dialogue different from a kukai? 

My understanding of a kukai is that it involves voting of some kind… in the case of Haiku Dialogue, all selections & commentary are made by the Guest Editor––poets submit poems created to the prompt, but no voting takes place. [Note from Julie: You can learn more about and participate in THF’s Monthly Kukai here.]

Haiku Dialogue is consistently one of the most popular features here at THF. What makes it so popular?

I’m not sure! I think it’s a credit to the people behind The Haiku Foundation, & the reputation that it has garnered––poets around the world know they can trust the offerings here.

How did Haiku Dialogue get started? Where can I go to find and read old topics?

I was invited to offer a column (based on Jim Kacian’s Haiku in the Workplace), & I created this feature back in 2018. Actually, the first 6-month column is called Haiku Windows, followed by A Sense of Place. Haiku Dialogue officially began in 2019 & has been going strong since then. All the previous posts (18 pages!) are archived & can be found here.

Wow, I didn’t know that background! What do you wish more people knew about Haiku Dialogue?

I wish more people knew how wonderful & unexpected the results can be when we open up to a prompt to inspire our writing.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I would like to thank you, Julie, for this opportunity, & all the folks at The Haiku Foundation for the support & encouragement over the years. Also––the team of volunteers who help behind the scenes––Post Manager Lori Zajkowski, & two new Assistant Editors––Lafcadio & Vandana Parashar. Of course, I would also like to thank all the poets around the world who have contributed to Haiku Dialogue & all the volunteer Guest Editors who have helped to make it such a success. As I have said many times, I couldn’t do this without you!

Originally from Vancouver, Canada, kjmunro moved to the Yukon Territory in 1991 & now lives on the traditional territories of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation & the Ta’an Kwäch’än Council. She served for 10 years as Membership Secretary for Haiku Canada, & is also a member of The League of Canadian Poets, The Federation of BC Writers, & The Haiku Society of America. In 2014, she founded ‘solstice haiku’, a monthly haiku discussion group in Whitehorse that she continues to facilitate. Since 2018, she has curated a weekly blog feature for The Haiku Foundation, Haiku Dialogue, now managed with guest editors. She is the recipient of the 2023 Borealis Prize – The Commissioner of Yukon Award for Literary Contribution, her work has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize, & her debut poetry collection is contractions (Red Moon Press, 2019). kjmunro1560.wordpress.com

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