For Immediate Release

The Tanka Prose Anthology, edited by Jeffrey Woodward, Published by Modern English Tanka Press

The Tanka Prose Anthology, edited with an superb Introduction by Jeffrey Woodward, includes cutting-edge tanka prose by an international coterie of writers. Represented in this ground-breaking anthology are: Hortensia Anderson, Marjorie Buettner, Sanford Goldstein, Larry Kimmel, Gary LeBel, Bob Lucky, Terra Martin, Giselle Maya, Linda Papanicolaou, Stanley Pelter, Patricia Prime, Jane Reichhold, Werner Reichhold, Miriam Sagan, Katherine Samuelowicz, Karma Tenzing Wangchuk, Linda Jeannette Ward, Michael Dylan Welch, and Jeffrey Woodward.

Baltimore, Maryland – September 5, 2008 – The Tanka Prose Anthology, edited with an Introduction by Jeffrey Woodward, has been published in trade paperback by Modern English Tanka Press. The Tanka Prose Anthology is vital evidence of the first flowering in English of an ancient Japanese genre—tanka prose, the wedding of prose and tanka in one unified composition. The great diversity in subject and style of the individual writings in this volume testifies to the versatility of this new medium in the hands of skilled practitioners. Whether the setting is urban or pastoral, an elegant interior or a rustic retreat, whether the time is contemporary and presently unfolding or archaic and retrospective, the revival of the ancient medium of tanka prose has proven equal to the immediate task. This first-of-its-kind collection draws upon the work of nineteen poets from eight different countries. The introduction offers a detailed survey of the genre’s history and of its evolving forms while an annotated bibliography directs the reader to related literature. Why is tanka prose so novel? Because it is so old. The present anthology announces that it is here to stay.

Jeffrey Woodward resides in Detroit. His poems and articles appear widely in periodicals in North America, Europe and Asia. He currently edits Haibun Today and acts in the capacity of Associate Editor for The Hypertexts. A collection of his Eastern and Western writings, In Passing: Selected Poems, 1974–2007, was recently published.

For media inquiries or to arrange an interview with the editor, contact Jeffrey Woodward by e-mail at j_l_woodward@yahoo.com. Publisher information at: www.modernenglishtankapress.com 

This book is available from www.Lulu.com/modernenglishtanka, from major booksellers, and from the publisher. Complete information and a mail or email order form are available online at www.modernenglishtankapress.com  Price: $12.95 USD. ISBN 978-0-9817691-3-4. Trade paperback. 176 pages, 6.00" x 9.00", perfect binding, 60# cream interior paper, black and white interior ink, 100# exterior paper, full-color exterior ink.

Modern English Tanka Press is an independent equity publishing house in Baltimore, Maryland, dedicated to producing books and periodicals of lasting literary value, especially poetry. A family business, we treat our customers and partners in publishing like family. We use modern print-on-demand production and distribution methods. Our special mission is to promote the tanka form of poetry and to educate newcomers about this most ancient poetic form. We operate www.TankaCentral.com, the internet megasite for tanka, with its popular "Tanka News" blog, and the poetry web hub, www.ShortVerse.com.

Contact:

Denis M. Garrison, owner
Modern English Tanka Press
443-802-1249
Email to dmg@themetpress.com.
www.modernenglishtankapress.com www.modernenglishtanka.com  www.atlaspoetica.com
www.shortverse.com www.tankacentral.com  www.tankanews.com  www.modernhaiga.com  

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