News from SUNY Plattsburgh

For more information contact: Michelle Marasch Ouellette, 518-564-2090

Media Advisory: International Haiku Conference and Festival Comes to Plattsburgh

PLATTSBURGH, NY (07/25/2008; 1628)(readMedia)-- The International Haiku Conference and Festival at SUNY Plattsburgh is set to take place Tuesday, July 29 through Saturday, Aug. 2.

Sponsored by SUNY Plattsburgh, the Lake Champlain-Adirondack Haiku Society, the World Haiku Club and the North Country Cultural Center for the Arts, the event will feature poets from all over the globe, reading, writing, speaking, showing art and teaching the region's children.

Below you will find a schedule of events. Any member of the media interested in covering an event is encouraged to call Michelle Ouellette at 518-564-3095.

Conference Schedule

Tuesday, July 29, 2008 - Lake Champlain Youth Poetry Day with Internationally Known Poets - Cardinal Lounge, Second Floor, Angell College Center, SUNY Plattsburgh

8:00 - 9:00 a.m.: Registration and continental breakfast.

9:00 - 9:15 a.m.: ~ "Welcome and Youth Poetry Day Program Overview," by Rich Schnell (N.Y.), university distinguished service professor and festival organizer.

9:15 - 9:45 a.m.: How to write haiku.

9:45 a.m. - Noon: Individual and small group mentoring and practice with world-renowned poets.

Noon - 12:45 p.m.: Lunch ~ College Center, rear courtyard.

Noon - 3:15 p.m.: Book exhibits and sales, 2nd floor, Angell College Center

12:45 - 1:30 p.m.: ~"A Sense of Place: The Joy of Children's Haiku," by Angelee Deodhar (India), international haiku poet and author of "Children's Haiku from Around the World."

1:30 - 3:00 p.m.: Individual and group mentoring and practice with poets.

3:00 - 3:15 p.m.: Break.

3:15 - 3:30 p.m.: Prepare for student haiku presentations.

3:30 - 4:00 p.m.: Student haiku poetry presentations (open to the community).

4:00 - 4:15 p.m.: Closing comments.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008 - Second Floor, Angell College Center

8:00 - 9:00 a.m.: Registration and continental breakfast.

9:00 - 9:15 a.m.: Welcome to International Poets, by SUNY Plattsburgh President John President Ettling. Welcome and Program Overview by Rich Schnell, university distinguished service professor and conference organizer.

9:15 - 10:15 a.m.: ~ Keynote address: "Chinese Nature-Based Poetry, Haiku, and the Poetry of Arthur Sze" by Arthur Sze (N.M.), Poet Laureate of Santa Fe, internationally acclaimed poet, author of nine books of poetry, celebrated translator of T'ang Dynasty poets, professor emeritus of creative writing, Institute of American Indian Arts, Santa Fe.

10:15 - 10:30 a.m: Break.

10:30 - 11:30 a.m.: ~ "Haiku and the Poetry of Place" by Jim Kacian (Va.), internationally known poet, theorist, motivator, former editor of HSA's Frogpond and publisher, Red Moon Press.

11:30 - 12:45 p.m.: Leave in vans for early lunch, trip to Miner Farm and exhibit.

12:45 - 2:00 p.m.: "Warriors & Entertainers," Japanese woodblock print exhibit, Alice T. Miner Museum, Amanda Palmer, curator and host.

11:30 - 2:00 p.m.: Or lunch on your own. (Clinton Dining Hall available.)

2:30 - 2:55 p.m.: ~ "The Haikuist Population of Japan" by Takashi Ikari (Japan).

3:00 - 4:00 p.m.: ~ "Publishing in Haiku Journals," a panel discussion led by George Swede (Ontario), editor of HSA's Frogpond, and Anita Krumins (Ontario), associate editor, and including several current and past haiku journal editors.

3:00 - 4:00 p.m.: Specialized form group meetings. (Locations may change.)

• Haiku (Alumni Conference Room)
• Senryu (Warren Ballroom)
• Renku (Cardinal Lounge)
• Haibun (Flynt Commons)
• Haiga (Meeting Room 1)

4:15 - 6:00 p.m.: Poets and Haiga Artists Reception, and International Haiga Exhibit, North Country Cultural Center for the Arts, 30 Brinkerhoff St., Plattsburgh. Conference haiga exhibit featuring the photographs of four Adirondack (N.Y.) photographers from the North Country in a haiga collaboration with four international haiku poets.

7:30 - 9:30 p.m.: Pentimento Playback Theater with John Stevenson ~ Hartman Theatre, Myers Fine Arts Building, SUNY Plattsburgh. Playback Theater is a unique form of theater involving the audience in identifying human situations to be enacted live by the theater ensemble.

9:30 p.m.: Macdonough Residence Hall Lounge - available for renku and readings.

Thursday, July 31, 2008 - Second floor, Angell College Center

8:00 - 9:00 a.m.: Continental breakfast.

8:15 - 8:55 a.m.: "Anonymous Haiku" facilitated by experienced poets.

9:00 - 9:05 a.m.: Overview of day's activities.

9:05 - 10:00 a.m.: "Using Poetry to Preserve One's Native Language and Grow One's Culture." (tentative)

• Gabriel Rosenstock (Ireland), native Irish speaker/poet and translator.
• James Thomas Stevens (N.Y.), native Mohawk speaker/poet.
• Arthur Sze (N.M.), Chinese language speaker/poet and translator.

10:00 - 10:15 a.m.: Break.

10:15 - Noon: Haiku in Ireland.

10:15 - 11:15 a.m.: ~ "Living with Issa" by Gabriel Rosenstock (Dublin, Ireland), Irish language poet, author of more than 100 books of poetry, member of the Aosdána, Irish Academy of Arts and Letters.

11:15 - 12:15 p.m. ~ "A Reading of Haiku" by John W. Sexton (Kenmare, Ireland), Irish poet and haijin, children's novelist, radio scriptwriter (Irish children's radio show "The Ivory Tower") and broadcaster.

12:15 - 1:30 p.m.: Lunch on your own. (Clinton Dining Hall available.)

1:30 - 2:30 p.m.: ~ "The Poetry of James Thomas Stevens" by James Thomas Stevens (N.Y.), Mohawk poet, associate professor and director of American Indian studies, State University of New York at Fredonia.

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.: ~ "Writing Haibun," by Roberta Beary (D.C.) and Jim Kacian (Va.) (Cardinal Lounge)

2:30 - 3:30 p.m.: ~ "The Haiku Game," a modern variation on a traditional haiku form of entertainment by Claudia Coutu Radmore (Ontario) (Alumni Room)

3:40 - 4:30 p.m.: Specialized Form Group Meetings.

• Haiku (Alumni Conference Room)
• Senryu (Warren Ballroom)
• Renku (Cardinal)
• Haibun (Warren Ballroom)
• Haiga (Meeting 1)

5:30 - 7:15 p.m.: Dinner on your own. (Cookout at Dr. David Stone's on Prospect St.)

7:30 - 9:00 p.m.: Multimedia Haiga Presentation, Krinovitz Hall, Hawkins Hall, SUNY Plattsburgh. Presentation of four haiga teams of Adirondack photographers and international poets from India, Ireland, Japan, Canada and United States Followed by individual readings of festival haiku poets.

9:00 - 10:00 p.m.: Opportunities to give poetry readings in downtown Plattsburgh.

Friday, Aug. 1, 2008 - Second Floor, Angell College Center

8:00 - 8:45 a.m.: Continental breakfast.

8:45 - 8:50 a.m.: Overview of day's activities.

8:50 - 9:40 a.m.: ~ "The Poetry of Carol Moldaw" by Carol Moldaw (N.M.), poet of Santa Fe, widely published poet in Antioch Review,Chicago Review, FIELD, The New Republic, The New Yorker, The Paris Review and Parnassus.

9:40 - 10:30 a.m.: ~ "The Ginkgo Light: Poetry of Arthur Sze" by Arthur Sze

10:35 - 10:45 a.m.: Vans depart for Port Kent Ferry, Lake Champlain Ferries

11:45 a.m.: Ferry leaves Port Kent dock bound for Burlington, Vt. Your trip will be aboard the Adirondack, a double-decker ferry that is the oldest continuously operating ferry in the United States.

12:45 p.m.: Arrival at the ferry dock in Burlington, Vt.

1:30 - 6:00 p.m.: Explore the marketplace and scenic Burlington waterfront. Museums, train excursions, walks, bike rentals all available.

6:30 - 9:00 p.m.: Lake Champlain "Sunset Cruise" aboard the Ethan Allen III. Boards at 6:00 sharp, and departs at 6:30 for lake cruise.

9:00 p.m.: Vans depart from Burlington Waterfront Boathouse for Plattsburgh, N.Y. via Grand Isle, Vt. ferry to Cumberland Head, N.Y., and on to Plattsburgh.

10:00 p.m.: Free time to visit downtown coffee shops and pubs.

Macdonough Hall area available for renku groups.

Saturday, Aug. 2, 2008 - Second Floor, Angell College Center

8:00 - 9:00 a.m.: Continental breakfast.

8:45 - 8:55 a.m.: Overview of day's Ginko activities.

8:55 - 9:00 a.m.: Board vans for Montreal, Quebec. (IDs, passports needed.)

10:20 -10:30 a.m.: Arrive at Montreal's Jardin Botanique.

10:30 - 2:00 p.m.: Special tour of Jardin Botanique.

11:00 a.m. - Noon: Ginko Walk through Japanese Gardens. Two small group tours (12 each) of garden teahouse.

Noon - 1:00 p.m.: Lunch on your own. (Gardens Cafeteria available.)

1:15 - 2:00 p.m.: Ginko Walk through Chinese Gardens.

2:00 - 2:45 p.m.: Enjoy the outstanding bonsai and penjing exhibits.

3:00 - 3:15 p.m.: Vans depart Montreal for SUNY Plattsburgh.

4:30 - 5:00 p.m.: Vans arrive at SUNY Plattsburgh.