This haiku project began as part of the Rensselaervile Festival of Writers, an annual live celebration of writers, books, and events in upstate New York. All proceeds went to support the perennially underfunded Rensselaerville Library. Originally conceived as one-off works for the event’s silent auctions, the project soon expanded into limited edition chapbooks, objects, and bandannas.
The first piece was a green cardboard filing box containing 5 notebooks made from former library catalog cards. Five writers—-Patrick So, Michael Stipe, Jim McKay, Shin Yu Pai and myself—-wrote a haiku everyday in April, National Poetry Month. Michael included an audio cassette of himself reading his haiku as well. The notebooks were wrapped in flannel and bound together by plastic baling cord, an ubiquitous local material.
Design Credits: Johnny Brewton and Xray Press designed the FOW cards. I designed the bandanna and towel with Hoseok Lee.