Scifaiku part 2
So here's the cover shown on the web for the special edition CD ("Kuanta"). It doesn't strike me as all the haiku-ish. And it's also not the cover that's on the one I received, which is of a more clothed woman in a sci-fi looking outfit with a sci-fi-ish, transparent shield in one hand and a typically fantasy-looking sword in the other. No castle either, more of a desert landscape, or perhaps rocky, barren hills. Not terribly haiku-ish either, but oh well.
The important thing is the poems inside.
Track 1 is the scifaiku, including the two I wrote. Ethereal, atmospheric music swells and fades in the background as Jeffrey Breslauer reads them. I enjoy the very different experience compared to reading poetry...but my initial reaction was that I wished I had them printed out as well. At times the music overpowers his voice just enough to make it challenging to catch the words. But then I think about the idea behind haiku in general, to push you beyond the words and images themselves, to trip into a sort of meditative state. And then perhaps the music, the voice, the lack of words to read supports that. And now that I've listened a handful of times, I'm catching more of the words, and there are beautiful haiku in there--I think the more you listen, the more the different pieces all work together.
I haven't listened to the other tracks as often as the first so far. The second is a series of joined haiku by a single poet. It's backed by similarly atmospheric music, and at one point the voice goes too quiet even for multiple listens, but in all I enjoy it. It'll definitely be worth some more listens.
The third is horrorku with eerie, Halloween-ish music. This is the one I've seen especially praised elsewhere, though it doesn't do a lot me. Horror's never been my favorite though. There seems to be a range from cheesy to intriguing.
Four is the tanka (a 5-line poem similar to haiku). The music is a little less ambient than on the first two tracks with some wind sounds added. It's a nice shift. By this time I find I'm paying less attention to the individual words and simply letting the general sense and flow affect me.
Five is haibun, which is a combination of a haiku with a bit of prose in juxtaposition. This seems a fascinating form, ripe for a lot of interesting connections. The background music is more understated here, which works well. Two of the three haibun struck me as a good use of the form.
And that's it. It's an enjoyable experiment. I look forward to getting my November print issue with a couple more of my poems to see how that experience compares. Until then, I will continue listening to this occasionally--not as background while I write, but perhaps for other things. Reading. Excercise. Bopping around online.
So here's the cover shown on the web for the special edition CD ("Kuanta"). It doesn't strike me as all the haiku-ish. And it's also not the cover that's on the one I received, which is of a more clothed woman in a sci-fi looking outfit with a sci-fi-ish, transparent shield in one hand and a typically fantasy-looking sword in the other. No castle either, more of a desert landscape, or perhaps rocky, barren hills. Not terribly haiku-ish either, but oh well.
The important thing is the poems inside.
Track 1 is the scifaiku, including the two I wrote. Ethereal, atmospheric music swells and fades in the background as Jeffrey Breslauer reads them. I enjoy the very different experience compared to reading poetry...but my initial reaction was that I wished I had them printed out as well. At times the music overpowers his voice just enough to make it challenging to catch the words. But then I think about the idea behind haiku in general, to push you beyond the words and images themselves, to trip into a sort of meditative state. And then perhaps the music, the voice, the lack of words to read supports that. And now that I've listened a handful of times, I'm catching more of the words, and there are beautiful haiku in there--I think the more you listen, the more the different pieces all work together.
I haven't listened to the other tracks as often as the first so far. The second is a series of joined haiku by a single poet. It's backed by similarly atmospheric music, and at one point the voice goes too quiet even for multiple listens, but in all I enjoy it. It'll definitely be worth some more listens.
The third is horrorku with eerie, Halloween-ish music. This is the one I've seen especially praised elsewhere, though it doesn't do a lot me. Horror's never been my favorite though. There seems to be a range from cheesy to intriguing.
Four is the tanka (a 5-line poem similar to haiku). The music is a little less ambient than on the first two tracks with some wind sounds added. It's a nice shift. By this time I find I'm paying less attention to the individual words and simply letting the general sense and flow affect me.
Five is haibun, which is a combination of a haiku with a bit of prose in juxtaposition. This seems a fascinating form, ripe for a lot of interesting connections. The background music is more understated here, which works well. Two of the three haibun struck me as a good use of the form.
And that's it. It's an enjoyable experiment. I look forward to getting my November print issue with a couple more of my poems to see how that experience compares. Until then, I will continue listening to this occasionally--not as background while I write, but perhaps for other things. Reading. Excercise. Bopping around online.
Comments
But seriously, that's gotta be an interesting experience hearing someone read your stuff, complete with background music.