*LETTERS FROM SIDDIQUI
1.
Saturday, September 19, 1998
Dear Dr. Singh:
Thanks for your letter of September
7, 1998 which I received today. I was
very glad to read that you are publishing a book in concert with two fellow
haikuist from New Zealand.
Here in u.s.a. it has become a very
common practice to put out small books (popularly known as chap books). All this been made possible due to computers.
One even do not need computers. All one need is a typewriter and an excellent
Xerox copying machine. This is how AZAMI is put out.
This suggestion would like to
proffer, please send a complimentary copy to the editors of MODERN HAIKU,
FROGPOND, LYNX, HAIKU HEADLINES and KŌ
in Japan. Be sure to mention how one can get a copy and how much it would cost
in terms of dollars and how the money should be sent. All over Europe cashing a check is extremely
expensive, as such all the subscription amount has to be sent in bills along
with your letter and hope for the best.
Getting printed in India would be far
cheaper than here. Once I thought of
putting out the work of Mujeeb Yar Jung. Gave it up. It was going to cost more than $500.00 . in
the future put out your own chap book periodically.
When MODERN HAIKU gets a book, if the
editor likes it, he would pass it on to one of the readers who enjoys reviewing
the books.
Have completed my upcoming Season’s
Greetings letter. Gave the copy to the
printer. Please find enclosed a
printer’s copy, perhaps you would be interested to read it even before its
publication. Now we are hunting for the
right paper that would give the effect of the theme: appreciation of SNOW.
Now that this is completed I am
concentrating for the 1999 mailing and the theme is going to be GEESE. Yes, migrating geese.
I trust this letter finds you in the
spirit of the fall season and would be looking forward to the pleasure of
reading your work.
With all the cordiality:
Cordially,
Sid
2.
Thursday, January 20, 2000.
Dear Dr Singh:
Thanks for your letter of January 4,
2000 which I received today and I better respond to it right away otherwise I
may not do it.
May not do it? Well, here the life is
getting busier and busier. Paucity of time for lots of things to do. I invest in the stock market, thus in order
to keep in touch with the financial markets I read The Wall Street Journal and
Investors Business Daily, two daily
financial newspapers. Then I go to the
public library to read other financial publications.
Seems you have not received my letter
which I wrote right after receiving your gracious gift of your book Creative Forum. Let me rewrite what I wrote in that letter.
The world seems to be divided in two
distinct parts: one part of the world is where Victorian or British English is
spoken and written…. The other part is American English. This difference becomes quite obvious when
you read the works, either verse or prose, belonging to each part. It seems the whole environment of daily life,
schools and traditions handed over, specially this becomes very obvious when
the work is being translated by the person belonging to either of the
group. The work done by the British part
leaves you with an uneasy weirdo-use of words.
Whereas American version is just plain wholesome.
This is the main reason Dr. Glazier
has made the comments on your and your friends work from Australia. It is akin to glass is full or the glass is
half empty.
Authors from India have achieved
international recognition. More of their
work is being read here in the USA. A
friend of mine who is an English major made the same observation like me.
There is nothing wrong with the work.
One can easily see the difference
of using words, how it is phrased.
If you enjoy writing haiku, why do
you have to stop writing just because of one opinion. As you know, one write 100 poems and out of
this 100, only a few would be gems.
For my Season’s Greetings Letter, in
my collection I would have several hundreds.
By the process of elimination, done several times, the best comes
out. Sometimes you have to NOT to choose
the best one because of paucity of space.
All of them are from the written material that gives me the chance to
read them over and over, again over a period of time.
One Mr Dion O’Donnel from Oregon, who
has a printing business, he publishes his own diary of haiku for every day of
the year. A very fascinating
reading. Sending you this year’s copy.
Please make your own conclusions as to the quality. I stopped reading his
diary, he sends this free at the request.
Coming to your question of getting
your work published. Most of the haiku
poets have the same dilemma all over the world.
Publishers say, yes your work makes excellent reading, very high quality work. Yes we can publish it. The big question is: would it sell. The answer is: no it would not sell. It would sit the warehouse at a huge loss.
With the advent of Xerox machines you
can publish your own book, available directly from the writer. Lots of
Chap books are being published this way.
Along with the Haiku diary would be
sending you few other publications, you might enjoy reading it. Right now the linked haiku, tanka and free
verse is the rage and every day one sees a new way of doing it and poets seem
to have the time and are getting published.
The response to Canada geese has been
very good, one of the top notch writer even wrote me: my complaint with you is
that I am not in your letter….
The reason of her not being in it was
I could not find her work on this theme.
Here today we had the first snow of
the season, just 4 to 6 inches. Whole
landscape is a sight to behold. Looks
very pretty. Feel like walking in it.
With all the cordiality of the Winter Season:
Cordially:
Sid
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