On Friday, January 22, at 1:00 pm, the Camden Public Library will host local poet Kristen Lindquist for a 90-minute Haiku Writing Workshop. This free online program is part of the library’s Jumpstart January series aimed at inspiring people to try something new in 2021. Email jpierce@librarycamden.org to request a Zoom link to participate.

Originating in Japan over 500 years ago, the haiku is now the world’s most popular poetic form, written in many languages and shared internationally in journals, books, and online forums.

“Anyone can learn to write this deceptively simple poem,” says Lindquist. “It’s just three short, unrhymed lines—but it can take a lifetime to master.”

In this introductory workshop participants will learn a brief history of this intriguing form, as well as what makes a haiku poem (spoiler alert: it’s not syllables!), and how to start writing their own.

Kristen Lindquist, of Camden, has three published books of poetry. Her poems—including dozens of haiku—have been featured in many literary anthologies and journals. She has taught a number of haiku workshops around the state. 

For more information on this and other Camden Public Library programs, visit librarycamden.org.