Open Letter to Ed-the-Editor
re: Blawg Review Awards 2005
Thanks for giving f/k/a your very first Creative Law Blog award.
But, frankly, if I had known that winning an award could cause so
much agita, I might not have spent as much time buttering you
up the past few months.
First, I’ve got Ms. Eversman over at AutoMuse sulking because
she didn’t win anything. She even called yours truly a “haiku
wonk.” Hey, not a-mused.
Horn’s Lady Justice
Worse, a lot of first-time visitors are stopping by, expecting
to be wowed. All they’ve seen is your cryptic words
“David Giacalone wins the award for Creative Law Blog for
f/k/a .” In a webworld that mistakes technoflash for imagination
and style, new readers come here assuming they’ll be overwhelmed.
Instead they find a rather humble-looking blawg that promises
genuine haiku and assorted punditry. As I wrote to you earlier
today, you could have said something like:
“What happens when a client/consumer advocate
who can’t quite control several of his alter egos,
becomes a haiku missionary.”
Add a warning: “No non-verbal bells & whistles.”
How can I possibly convey the notion that it is the mixture
of serious punditry on the legal profession and politics, and
silly social commentary, and personal pet peeves, with
genuine haiku by some of the best English-language haiku
writers, that gives f/k/a its uniqueness and its creative juices?
How can I explain (without a degree in psychotherapy) the
serendipitous collision of my various inner demons?
“blueRibbonN” Worst of all, however, is the wrangle you have
touched off within the f/k/a gang:
Our resident contrarian and agent of reality,
Prof. Yabut, is having a Brandoesque snoot,
wanting to return the award, with the Truman-
like assertion: “I just tell them the truth, and
they think I’m being creative.”
“NoyabutsSN”
The usually mild and humble haikuEsq is
certain the award is due to our haiku content
and resources, so he wants more acreage
on the home page. Resident haijin dagosan
wants some credit for improving his poetic
output and quality this year — or, at least,
for getting a few poems published elsewhere.
Founding editor emeritus ethicalEsq is back
on his preachy highhorse, and insists we
get back to our client-advocacy roots Big
Time [boring].
His cousin, skepticalEsq is certain almost
every visitor comes here by mistake, and
would focus on our Inadvertent Searchee
pages.
Advisor Jack Cliente points out that we
haven’t complained about standard contin-
gency fees in ages, nor written any good
senryu on the topic.
Meanwhile, yours truly, the proprietor of this
weblog, wishes he had something really fascinating to say
about lawyers & haiku and the pressing need for more
Haiku Police.
Compared to all this aggravation from being called
Creative, other winners have it easy: For example:
Bainbridge can just uncork another bottle
and start to ponder a post reviewing the wine.
Jeremy Richey can sit back and admire
his tagline, while Walter Olson protects the
trademark on his blawg name.
There are a dozen people at Volokh to spread
the work around.
SCOTUSblog gets to enjoy the Court’s vacation.
Lat and the Harriet Miers folk are retired. 
And Ernie doesn’t have to worry about any hurricanes
for a few months.
George Wallace only has to have a better person-
ality than a bunch of male lawyers (that’s real hard).
Everyone knows Bashman has an army of underlings
doing his aggregating.
And, if resting on one’s diva-ness and lifetime achievements
aren’t enough, nobody expects working mothers like Denise
and Carolyn to be posting much over the Holidays.
I don’t want to spoil your holiday egg nog, Ed, but
I’m starting to understand why you want to stay
anonymous. By scheduling your Awards announce-
ment in the middle of Christmas vacation, you have
made it almost impossible for the serious winners
(especially this tired old guy) to be at their best. I’m
supposed to be acting jolly and/or serene, plus penning
a haiku or two, not trying really hard to be creative.
So, I give up. Maybe someone else (besides AutoMuse)
will win the Creative Law Blog award next year and
have their Christmas/Holiday Season disrupted. Thanks
for reminding me that just being nominated may be the
best award of all.
with all due respect,
d.a.g.
a squabble of jays —
he shovels my bootprints
off the sidewalk
chilly evening –
the wine full of summer
in a far country
Billie Wilson
“chilly evening” - loose change: HSA Members’ Anthology 2005
“a squabble of jays” - The Heron’s Nest VII: 4 (Dec. 2005)
delta autumn
the storyteller cradles
his gun
lunch at the zoo
even among gorillas
some who sit apart
fast-breaking news
weight of the lead apron
in the dentist’s chair
he comes to bed
cleanshaven …
winter stars
Peggy Lyles from To Hear the Rain (2002)
except “he comes to bed” - - loose change: 2005
deep winter
I search the lease
for a loophole
high noon
the boys refill
their water pistols
Tom Painting
“high noon” - July Selection, Snapshot Press, 2005 Haiku Calendar
“deep winter” - loose change: HSA Members’ Anthology 2005
first date
she groans with pleasure
at my pun
dagosan
“snowflakeS” Here’s a bonus selection of haiku by
some of our Honored Guest Poets, from the brand
new volume loose change: HSA Members’ Anthology
2005:
first visit
seeing the colors
she lives with
Hilary Tann
migratory ducks
I have never
kept a diary
paul m.
just long enough
to leave an impression
dragonfly
yu chang
Dec. 28, 2005: Featured Haijin: Hilary Tann:
10:01 PM
the mall fountain
falls silent
daily commute
watching for
an odometer event
summit view
my friend
examines his shoes
family reunion
a circle of feet
around the youngest child
Hilary Tann from Upstate Dim Sum (2002/I)
first night at her place -
three-dog gal and
no-dog guy
dagosan
“spotlightS”
Dec. 29, 2005: Featured Haijin
Gary Hotham:
early in the night—
the stars we can see
the space for more
last night’s snow down river
shadow
among shadow__
the day begins cold
snow now rain–
your picture
by mine
I lean
into the soup’s steam…
snow flurries
waiting up–
one hand warms
the other
their last sound
before we move on–
the geese outdistance us
Gary Hotham from breathmarks: haiku to read in the dark
(Canon Press, 1999)
- don’t forget our Christmas Season Haiku Page - “spotlightN”
Dec. 30, 2005: Featured Haijin Kobayashi Issa —
translated by David G. Lanoue:
making the rounds
as a New Year’s gift…
paper fan
New Year’s gift of tea–
where did you go
on your jouney back to me?
a full round
of New Year’s greetings
at the inn
Issa, translated by David G. Lanoue
The Kobayashi Issa Website is now back on line,
including keyword search (by topic, season, year and more).
David Lanoue’s haiku novel Dewdrop World (2005) is
still available as a free download!
“Old&NewYearSF” A little help from our friends:
a red flush
on the amarylis bud
New Year’s Eve
Pamela Miller Ness - The Heron’s Nest
New Year’s Eve -
the lentil soup
again
Tom Clausen
from Homework (Snapshot Press 2000)
“MirrorG”
year’s end
the bartender
blocks my reflection
Tom Painting - The Heron’s Nest
Issa and the hermit
home alone again–
New Year’s eve
dagosan
“snowflakeS” Dec. 31, 2005: featured haijin:
Jim Kacian.
chopping wood
someone does the same
a moment later
morning thaw
deer tracks
full of sun
just the north face
of each fence post
painted white
dreaming
in the sleeping bag
of butterflies
Jim Kacian - Presents of Mind (1996)
“Old&NewYearSF”
