CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Haiku expert Lee Gurga will lead a workshop on the art of writing haiku, a form of Japanese verse, on April 7 at Japan House on the University of Illinois campus.
Haiku consists of non-rhyming verses that frequently use nature themes and aim to evoke vivid mental pictures and stir strong emotions in readers.
Gurga is the editor of Modern Haiku Press, a leading English language magazine devoted to haiku and related verse forms. A 1998 Poetry Fellow of the Illinois Arts Council, Gurga has written several books about haiku, including “Haiku: A Poet’s Guide” (Modern Haiku Press, 2003). His works were anthologized in “Fresh Scent: Selected Haiku of Lee Gurga” (Brooks Books, 1998), which garnered the 1998 Merit Book Award from the Haiku Society of America, a nonprofit organization that promotes writing and appreciation of haiku in English. Gurga served as HSA’s president during 1997.
The workshop is being offered through Japan House’s Cultural Enrichment Group, which meets several times each semester for presentations on Japanese cultural traditions.
The workshop, which will begin at 7 p.m., is free and open to the public.
Pre-registration is not required, but only 20 writing desks will be available. Additional space will be available for listeners.
Japan House is located at 2000 S. Lincoln Ave., Urbana.
