For the December issue of Ripples in the Sand, Sangita sits with one of Drifting Sands’ repeat editors and award-winning poet, Keith Polette for a cozy winter chat. Join them as Keith reads from his books “Pilgrimage” and “Soundings,” and shares insights into his personal perspectives on writing in the haibun form.
Keith Polette
El Paso, Texas, USA
Keith Polette is a Professor of English at the University of Texas at El Paso. He has published hiabun, haiku, senryu, and tanshi in both print and online journals. His first book of haibun, pilgrimage, received the Haiku Society of America’s Merit Book Award in 2020, and his book of haiku, the new world, was on the short list for the Haiku Foundation’s Touchstone Award in 2017. He has been a guest editor for Drifting Sands Haibun Journal, a judge for the first San Francisco International Haibun Contest, and is currently a judge for the Touchstone Awards with the Haiku Foundation. He has also published four children’s books and numerous articles and books on Language Arts pedagogy, literary criticism, and Jungian studies. His latest book of haibun, Soundings, is published by Alba Publishing (2023).
Episode 03 with Keith and Sangita is here:
What an enjoyable and learning experience this was! Spirituality in the whitewashed chapel of Galileo, personification of the trees in Gossip, and the new perspective of human psyche in Red Riding Hood. I especially loved the similes ‘long handled feather duster’ and more. Looking forward to reading more.
Thank you so much Swagata! Do have a look at his poems on Drifting Sands.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to the haibun an d th he conversation. Thank you.
Thank you, Harvey Harvey! Appreciate your taking time to comment as well!
What a talent! I enjoyed every moment of Keith’s interview. The imagery in his work is stunning and the work itself exquisite-creative, insightful and even a bit mystical. I will definitely be buying his books.
I also enjoyed Sangita’s skillfull and gently probing questions that exposed the man and his work with grace and light.