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getting by

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I’m trying something new this month — posting photos of haiku. It started on a whim yesterday, but a couple favorable responses had me thinking I might keep it up for a little while.

Today’s haiku, “getting by,” is written on my favorite cotton letter-writing paper from Crane & Co (as you may be able to tell if you see the watermark in the lower left corner of the image). Yesterday’s was on a page from a Moleskine cahier. I don’t know which I prefer for this venue, but I’d love to hear an opinion or two on the matter.

I’m torn on whether or not to make this photo thing a permanent practice, so any readers looking to wield a bit of undue influence over me, this is your chance. Also, in case you don’t like the photo, or you can’t make out my chicken scratch, the word-processed version is below.

Comments

by howard

April 2nd, 2009

Posted in handwritten haiku

Tagged with ambivalence, change, crane & co, cursive, dysfunction, escape, handwriting, separation, spectral

Colin Devroe

I'm with PJ. Doesn't matter what you write it on, in fact variety may make it interesting. I love it!

Anthony

I'm thirding it (can you third something?)

The handwritten version lends a personality to it that the Internet (in all its God-given glory) cannot.

If I can read it, it's not chicken scratch.

howard

You can most definitely third something (at least in this case). Thanks for chiming in, Anthony.

howard

Thanks to you both. I can see now that there might be a little fun in showing some variety as far as media goes.

To your assessment of my handwriting, Frank, the scrawl shown here may be the result of a tiny bit of self-consciousness -- it can get a whole lot sloppier if I really let loose ;)

Frank

Howard, I second what PJ says, I think it's cool to show your process. Sometimes you write in a notebook, sometimes on gorgeous paper with a watermark, sometimes on the back of a napkin or scratched into the margins of a newspaper. I do like (and so does Google) that you print the haiku, too. This is exciting...again, I like the art of your handwriting. It's elegant and clear and the opposite of chicken scratch.

PJ

I like the haiku, and I really like the idea of seeing the handwritten versions of them. I don't know if you should worry about writing them all on one type of paper, or even with one type of pen. It might be better to change it up a little, maybe even form the haikus on the refrigerator with those magnetice letters, or any other variations on media?