Nick Virgilio:A Life in Haiku

I love this book of new haiku by the great American haiku poet, Nick Virgilio, who was writing as American haiku was testing its wings. The older collections of Nick's haiku have been long out of print and command high prices, which are beyond most poets' range. This book is brimming with familiar classics as well as classics-to-be. But the reader is treated to way more than poetry; included here are down-to-earth essays by Nick, which are refreshing for the homespun way in which the humble haiku master encourages new writers. In one essay, he walks the reader through his own up-and-down writing process, which is a sort of intuitive brailling one's way to just the right imagery. There is a transcript of a touching radio interview Nick did not long before he died during which he got tearful at points talking about topics that moved him deeply. To round out the book, there are family photos that include his parents as well as Nick's beloved brother who died in the Vietnam War and who inspired some of the most poignant elegiac haiku poetry written to date; and shots of Nick at haiku readings, staring innocently into the eye of the camera. I especially appreciated the addition of two personal pieces by dear friends of Nick's--one a priest, the other a fellow poet--which complete the circle of love, celebration and admiration done up in true Jersey style. Even the back cover photo of Nick in a t-shirt banging away at his typewriter captures the unpretentious poet that he was, shedding light perhaps on why he is buried near Walt Whitman--a fellow Camden bard. Although those captivated by the current gendai (modern) experimentation in haiku may find themselves understimulated by Nick's haiku, grounded in everyday urban life, Raffael de Gruttola is to be commended for the fine job he has done in selecting haiku that reflect Nick's wide-ranging genius. Haiku poets inspired by Basho, Buson, Issa and Shiki will surely find a home in their hearts for Nick Virgilio.

I'd been looking for a collection of Virgilio's haiku for many years, perhaps two decades. Finally found it. Worth the look. Exquisite work from a man who is revered in Japan for his writing.

This is a must book for any American who is interested in Haiku poetry. It provides an extensive number of Virgilio's best known haiku .. plus it has invaluable essays of and interviews of Virgilio on national public radio. Most other haiku books I have only show tradition and acceptable formats mainly from the classic Japanese point of view. This book takes it into American haiku, which is what I like to write. I feel that finally a book was written for me.

Nick Virgilio was amongst the very best haiku poets writing in English even by today's standards.His feel for the precise word to convey the delicacy of his observation is present in most of what he wrote.He adapted the haiku to modern-day sensibilities. His poems celebrating his brother Larry's death (and therefore his brother's life) are amongst the really moving moments of haiku magic I have come across in my encounters with haiku to date.Western haiku should not want to be a reflection of Eastern haiku, but the adapted form, in the hands of someone as adept as Nick Virgilio was, provides us still with beautiful poems such as these:flag-covered coffin;the shadow of the buglerslips into the graveI would have been very proud to have written those lines. As I would had I written these:on the manuscriptthe shadow of a butterflyfinishes the poemHis haiku will live in the hearts of those who cherish the form.

It was after Nick Virgilio died that one of his poems turned me on to haiku. His:basspicking bugsoff the moonblew my mind. I searched out more of his work; and when I discovered that he'd already died, was disappointed to think I'd never read any more of his poems.This book was a pleasant surprise, and earns a permanent place on my shelf.

This slim volume is an excellent introduction to the poet, his art-form and his work. For anyone who wants to discover a fine artist, who, up until now, is not extremely well known outside of South Jersey, this book is a great place to start. Of course, and as the book itself points out, Virgilio has thousands of Haiku which as of yet, to my knowledge, have not been published so perhaps this book might have been filled out a bit more with more poems. That however, is a scant shortcoming to an important work, such as this is. Well worth purchasing. Martin Perrotta, Mt.Laurel, New Jersey.

A great book. Unfortunately it wasn't long enough and ended way too soon.

Nick Virgilio was a friend of mine. I am so glad that readers will have this book so they can appreciate him and his remarkable haiku. But you could never fully appreciate Nick unless you met him in person. This book is the next best thing.

This is a must have book as Nick Virgilio still stands as one of the finest writers of haiku not just in the USA but around the world.Alan SummersPresident, United Haiku and Tanka Societyco-founder, Call of the Page