Colouring In: The Four Seasons of Four Poets

This collection of linked tanka between two Australian and two American poets reminds us how exciting it is to colour outside the lines. Unexpected responses enliven the series as poets from different hemispheres move through the four seasons. For example Fieldens final lines in Hope Springs Eternal to swim without a wet suit / weightless meditation is countered with Whitmans startling a gap opens...rip tide/time to renew marriage vows. In Sunlight Between Dark Pools Jacobsons charming Bogong moth/fluttering on the floor/beside me... / we move together / when the music starts is rejoined by Nakanos humorous quite a plain girl / wearing muted colours / they dance all night / as I watch wondering / whats she got that I havent? Playful revelatory hopeful and nostalgic the tanka in Colouring In remind us of what it is like to be human. - Margaret Chula President Tanka Society of AmericaColouring In is a collection of responsive tanka that comes alive as we journey through the seasons in the hands of four accomplished poets: two from Australia Amelia Fielden and Gerry Jacobson; and two from the USA Genie Nakano and Neal Whitman. Their four voices remain distinct while these poets link and shift exploring spring summer autumn and winter in separate chapters. Each season is given a colour following the Japanese tradition as explained by Sonja Arntzen in her interesting introduction. This collection composed by international friends writing together is so much more than a series of responsive tanka on a theme. Reading through it we can share both glimpses of the authors lives and the rhythms of their changing inner and outer landscapes. They daub from a palette of unfolding emotions and experiences to paint superbly crafted and memorable canvases for us to enjoy. - Marilyn Humbert leader of the Bottlebrush Tanka Group Australia