Japanese American Gardeners: Their stories through "senryu"

Date: March 28, 2015

Time: 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

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Through the pre and post WWII periods, the Japanese American gardener was the ubiquitous figure greening the yards of thousands of homes in the tracts and upscale neighborhoods around the Southland. When the issei would gather after work, they enjoyed typical activities of their country such as senryu, a literary form similar to haiku. While haiku uses nature to express feelings, senryu expresses human experiences.

The Southern California Gardeners Federation published three books since 1960: "Gardeners' Essay," also called the "Gardeners' Bible;" "Green Makers" written by Naomi Hirahara in 2000 to mark the 45th anniversary of the Federation; and "Gardeners' Pioneer Story" in 2007 by Senkyaku Seki (aka Sunny Seki, a notable children's books author). These titles guide readers through one century of the history of the Nikkei gardener through senryu poetry.

Join authors Naomi Hirahara and Senkyaku Seki as they focus on "Green Makers" and "Gardeners' Pioneer Story" with selected senryu delivered by actor/singer Kurt Kuniyoshi. Ms. Hirahara will also lead the audience in experimenting with writing their own unique senryu.

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