DailyHaiku - A Daily Shot Of Zen

Paula Kirman

Paula Kirman has been writing songs and poetry her entire life, but became more prolific during her angst-ridden teenage years and subsequent adulthood, which has been equally laden with angst. She is a freelance writer, editor, photographer, activist, music lover, guitarist, bicycle commuter, and occasionally a juggler.

Patrick M. Pilarski

Patrick M. Pilarski is a writer, actor, and purveyor of rambunctious philosophical thought. He is currently pursing a Ph.D. in computer engineering at the University of Alberta, and is the managing producer of Edmonton's Basic Acid Theatre. Patrick's poetry has appeared in various physical and digital locations, including a recent broadcast on CBC Radio One. His first book of poetry The Day the Traffic Lights Went Dead is off to seek its fortune in the world, and he is editing his first two novels: MEMEory and Climbing Dennett's Tower.

Rebecca Traquair

Rebecca Traquair lives and writes in Edmonton, as she has for most of her life. She possesses an unquiet mind, which is not unlike a telltale heart. Sometimes, she gets so excited about an idea that she falls down, and non-ironically calls people "Dude." She has been told she'll accomplish great things one day, but her supporters at the time were probably not counting on the overwhelming forces of personal inertia. Rebecca is currently hard at work defying the laws of physics. If all goes well, gravity is next.

Frutiger Black

Frutiger Black is an unpublished writer of poetry and prose, frequent defiler of nunt.com, lover, dancer, and kick-boxing mo-fo. Frutiger claims to have co-authored The Rim-Job of the Ancient Mariner with John Keats, at the bequest of Samuel Coleridge: "… in order to set the record straight." Neither dead poet was available for comment, before completion of this bio. The manuscript has become a most sought-after underground publication. Frutiger Black lives in Edmonton.

Jocelyne Verret

Jocelyne Verret has published two bilingual books of poetry (Of Trees and Sea/Forêts et Océans and People from Here and Afar/Gens d'ici, gens d'ailleurs), the novel J'attendrai, and several children's books. She is President of the Stroll of Poets Society and of Verret Enterprises Ltd., the writing and translation company she founded in 1988. Born in Québec City and raised in New Brunswick, Jocelyne has studied in both French and English. She holds a Masters Degree in French Studies from the University of Sherbrooke. Jocelyne lived in Africa for three years before settling in Alberta in 1976.

Bryak Webster

Bryak Webster is a purebred haiku master trained by the late great Scottish poet Ivor Harrier, and has been writing haiku since the tender age of 19. He was born and raised in the frigid wasteland of Edmonton, Canada, and currently resides in the suburbs of Moscow, Russia, where he doesn't speak the language and lives in a near constant state of confusion. He finds writing about himself in the third person extremely awkward and shall stop presently.

Nicole Pakan is an active member of the Edmonton literary community. She is the co-editor of DailyHaiku, associate art editor for DailyHaiga, and has served on the board of directors of the Edmonton Poetry Festival. Nicole's first single-author chapbook Driftworks was released in 2012 from Leaf Press. Her work has also recently appeared in: Carousel, CV2, filling Station, The Prairie Journal, and Other Voices. She was the winner of the 2009 Edmonton CBC Poetry Faceoff, placing third nationally. Nicole lives with her literary co-conspirator Patrick M. Pilarski, a dozen fish and far too many plants. She may be contacted online at DailyHaiku; you can find more information on Nicole's recent work at: www.nicolepakan.ca.

Patrick M. Pilarski is the co-editor of DailyHaiku and associate poetry editor for DailyHaiga. His collection of haiku, tanka, haibun, and related forms, Huge Blue, was released in 2009 by Leaf Press, and he is the author of two chapbooks. Patrick's writing has appeared in journals and anthologies across North America, Europe, Australia, and Japan. Recent credits include The Fiddlehead, Modern Haiku, The Heron's Nest, Frogpond, contemporary haibun, and Take Five: Best Contemporary Tanka. He has served as Vice President for the League of Canadian Poets, and is a professor at the University of Alberta. Patrick may be contacted at DailyHaiku; more information on Patrick's work can be found online at www.pilarski.ca.

Editor photos by r. edwards photography.

Finley J. McDoggerson is the newest member of DailyHaiku's editorial team. When not eating socks and running in the ravine, he enjoys games of chase-me, playing with his ball, and chewing modern literature.

Michael Gravel, Past-Editor and Founder, DailyHaiku, is a writer based in Edmonton, Alberta. He's a founder and the frontman of Edmonton’s Raving Poets, and co-founder of The Roar Spoken Word Festival. He is a freelance writer, web designer, and professional presenter. In December 2007, his life was nearly ended by a pulmonary embolism. In response he authored the chapbook, The Fast Places (Red Nettle, 2008). He lives in a wee house with his wife, stepdaughter, and two incorrigible hounds. He lives to write, code, and spend time with his family.