ETERNAL

<p class=ql-align-justify><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>Deborah P Kolodji </strong><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>was the Moderator of the Southern California Haiku Study Group the California Regional Coordinator for the Haiku Society of America and a member of the board of directors for Haiku North America. Deborah was the honorary president of the Tan-Ku Association (which she co-founded). With over 1000 published haiku to her name her first full-length book of haiku and senryu </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>highway of sleeping towns</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> from Shabda Press was awarded a Touchstone Distinguished Book Award from The Haiku Foundation. In 2023 she published the first Tan-Ku collection with Mariko Kitakubo titled </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>DISTANCE </em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>from Shabda Press. Her newest book </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>Vital Signs</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> featuring haiku glimpses of moments in her cancer journey was published in 2024 by Cuttlefish Books. In </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>Vital Signs</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> Deborah saw the condor come back from extinction as a metaphor for the cancer patient fighting for one's own survival.</span></p><p class=ql-align-justify></p><p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>Deborah P Kolodji passed away peacefully in her sleep on July 21 2024 after a long struggle with cancer. </span></p><p class=ql-align-justify><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> </span></p><p class=ql-align-justify><strong style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>Mariko Kitakubo</strong><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> was born in Tokyo and she lives in Mitaka-city Tokyo. Mariko is the president of the Tan-Ku Association (which she co-founded). She is a member of the Japan Writers' Association Japan PEN Club Association of Contemporary Tanka Poets Japan Tanka Poets' Society Kokoro-No-Hana and the Tanka Society of America. Mariko has published six books of tanka including three bilingual ones </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>On This Same Star</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>Cicada Forest</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)> and </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>INDIGO</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>. In 2023 she published the first Tan-Ku collection with Deborah P Kolodji titled </span><em style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>DISTANCE</em><span style=color: rgba(0 0 0 1); background-color: rgba(0 0 0 0)>. Mariko is an experienced performer who has presented her poetry on at least 260 occasions 203 of which occurred during overseas and international events (July 2024).</span></p>