A very elaborate and meticulous biography of the haiku master and wandering monk Santoki Taneda, written by his friend Sumita Oyama and translated by William Scott Wilson.
Reading this book positively surprised me for many reasons – I don’t often read poetry, even haiku, which is popular in Poland. Biographies are also not my first choice either. Here, however, one complements the other – the story of Santoka, an otherwise extremely interesting individual, is written with literary verve, and the poetry woven into the story have been dressed in a context that will allow you to appreciate their precision and punch line.
If you want to get acquainted with Taneda’s poetry and the circumstances of its creation, but also learn more about the lives of simple people at the turn of the Taishō and Shōwa eras, you will not be disappointed.
The Life and Zen Haiku Poetry of Santoka Taneda is charmingly illustrated by Gary Miller Haskins, and knowledge seekers will certainly enjoy the very extensive footnotes.
