If you’ve been following any of my social media this month, you know that I’m thrilled to be in the company of Lenard D. Moore as part of the Cuttlefish Books 2023 Summer Book Launch. Lenard is a military veteran, executive chair of the North Carolina Haiku Society, founder and executive chair of the Carolina African American Writers Collective, and the author of several books.
Although Lenard and I only had the chance to meet briefly at HNA, I have long admired the depth, breadth, and skill of his haiku. His attention not just to the details of the present, but also to the stories of the past, reflects a sense of artistic discipline that’s worth emulating. In celebration of his forthcoming chapbook, A Million Shadows at Noon, I wanted to feature him here to learn more about his process with this new collection. Read on for the full interview.
Cuttlefish Books is currently in the preorder period for the summer 2023 chapbook series. You can reserve your copy of Lenard’s book, A Million Shadows at Noon, or buy the whole bundle of three!
AW: What is the thematic focus of A Million Shadows at Noon? What compelled you to create this chapbook?
The thematic focus of A Million Shadows at Noon is brotherhood, family, love and unity. I was compelled to create this project, because I drew inspiration from such a significant historical event. It was so powerful to see so many Black men come together and march for important issues. By now, I hope you know that I am referring to the Million Man March, which will celebrate its thirtieth anniversary in 2025. I wanted to do something innovative with the haiku form or a haiku sequence, an extensive of my poetic risks with my book, Desert Storm. Perhaps, I need to write one more book-length poem, employing the haiku form. To that end, maybe there is a trilogy in the making. Let’s see what happens with my future work.
AW: What are the particular challenges of writing a haiku sequence? On the flip side, what is it about writing sequences that you find inspiring?
The challenges of writing a haiku sequence are varied. Firstly, I had to ensure that all of the haiku resonate as individual poems. Secondly, I had to ensure that I was writing the same poem again and again, if you will, or similar poems. Thirdly, I had to ensure that all of the haiku linked some kind of way. Fourthly, I had to ensure that the poems worked in chronological order. At least, that is the way I saw the sequence developing. Fifthly, I had to ensure that the natural world played a major role in the sequence. Sixthly, I had to ensure that I infused rhythm or musical elements throughout A Million Shadows at Noon. Seventhly, I had to ensure that I employed strong verbs in the haiku sequence. Eighthly, I had to ensure that the contrasts were effective throughout the sequence. Ninthly, I had to ensure that the symbolism worked well. Tenthly, I had to ensure that the poems told a story. Tenthly, I had to ensure that the haiku sequence was original. Eleventhly, I had to ensure that the poems did not reveal everything. Twelfthly, I had to ensure that I employed vivid imagery. Of course, there are other elements and characteristics that I strove to employ in the sequence.
AW: How do you perceive the difference between a structured haiku sequence versus a less structured collection of haiku addressing common themes?
The difference between a structured haiku sequence and a less structured collection of haiku addressing common themes is that the structured haiku sequence unfolds like a novel. It must work as a whole work, reeling in readers and closing with a surprise ending. The sequence should address the five who, what, where, when and why. The less structured collection of haiku does its own thing.
AW: Was this chapbook one you worked on over a period of months or years? Or did it come to you fairly quickly?
A Million Shadows at Noon came to me quite quickly. I think I wrote the poems over a weekend. Of course, I worked on ordering the poem. I am sure I tweaked some of them. Many of the poems originally work, because I felt like I was in a writing zone.
AW: What was your editing process like? If you decided to cut poems, how did you make that choice?
My editing process was to cut out or delete any poems that I was might be weak or did not work with the sequence. I also take a close look at the musical elements and how the poems might do something new.
AW: In the English-language haiku world, we are often taught that haiku should come from a moment in daily life. The emphasis on the haiku moment is often overemphasized, even though both the classical and contemporary editions are filled with counterexamples. I imagine that when working on a narrative sequence, many of these haiku did not come from a specific moment. To what extent was your direct experience relevant to this collection? How did history, or the lives of other people, factor into your writing?
History certainly plays a role. Interviews play a role. What I see plays a role. For my book, Desert Storm, all of those factors played a role. With Desert Storm, photographs also played a role, though interviews mostly worked. Of course, I am a Veteran. To that end, I have had training, too.
AW: What went into the design process for the cover art? How did you use color and shadow to reinforce the thematic focus of the poetry?
The publisher did an excellent job with the design process for the cover art. I thoroughly like the colors red, black and green and what they symbolize. In the 1960s and 1970s, those colors were very important in the Black community. I do not go into what each color symbolizes. Maybe my readers, students and scholars will be inspired to do research. I hope so.
AW: Is there anything I haven’t asked that you would like to say about this book?
I hope the book will garner reviews and trigger discussions of it. I also hope the book sells well. In addition, I hope the book will be taught in classrooms and considered for book clubs and libraries.
More from Lenard D. Moore
Listen to Lenard’s interview as part of Grace Cavalieri’s The Poet and the Poem series: link to mp3.
Listen to “Gardening with Poet Lenard Moore” on the 27 Views podcast: episode link.
Read Crystal Simone Smith’s “Mentoring a New Generation of African American Haiku Writers: In Conversation with Lenard D. Moore”: Project MUSE link.
Lenard is the featured guest poet in Upstate Dim Sum Fall 2022. Read more here: issue link.
Read the news article about Lenard’s 1996 collection Forever Home: read here.
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