Neal Whitman lives with
his wife, Elaine, in Pacific Grove, California, and in
nearby Carmel they both are docents at the Robinson
Jeffers Tor House. They both write haiku, but
particularly enjoy collaborating on haiga, combining his
haiku with her photography. Their haiga have been
published in several journals and, for each season of
the year, their haiga is published in their local
newspaper, The Cedar Street Times. They
teach gratis a haiga workshop to raise funds for
non-profit organizations, and likewise Neal goes solo in
his workshop, "Haiku for Everyone, for Anyone." Neal
also welcome opportunities to read his poetry in recital
which he believes is a public confirmation of a private
labor.
Neal Whitman writes both
Western and Eastern form poetry, so SKB is a perfect
journal for him to read and to submit his own work. He
says he does not "chase" contests, but has a pretty good
"winner's circle" record. With regard to Western form,
in 2009 his free verse won 1st place in the James
McIntyre Poetry and 3rd place in the Common Ground
Review contests. In 2011, he won 3rd place in the
Lincoln Library contest, the California Senior Poet
Honor Scroll Award, and the White Buffalo Chief's Choice
Award. With over 150 published poems, he feel particular
fondness for the first one published which appeared in
the Monterey Poetry Review in 2006:
Aware
On Monterey
Bay in California,
when the wave breaks
and the wind cuts
across the crest,
water droplets rise
to form a natural prism.
The morning sun exhales
rainbowed breath.
Across the Pacific in Japan,
mono no a-wa-re
means to fathom impermanent beauty.
There, as here, sea breath ascends–
light and graceful in movement–
aerial play to start the day.
Its spectral magic disappears
before the next wave arrives.
With regard to Eastern
form, in 2009 and again in 2011, haiku masters in Japan
awarded Neal honorable mention in the annual Yuki Teikei
Haiku Society contests. In 2010 and 2011, his haiku were
selected for honorable mention in the Vancouver Cherry
Blossom Festival haiku contest, and garnered an
honorable mention from the 2010 Haiku Society of America
annual contest. His chapbook, Blyth's Spirit,
won the Haiku Pix Review contest, and Neal is a
semi-finalist in the 2012 Haiku Grand Prix contest
sponsored by the Japanese newspaper, Shukan Seikatsu.
With over 300 published haiku, his favorite is carved on
a wooden plaque he keeps on his Poetry Wall in his home
office:
cold day at the
beach
a man casts his line
only twice
Simply
Haiku, summer 2009