For Immediate Release

Jack Fruit Moon, haiku and tanka by Robert D. Wilson, Published by Modern English Tanka Press

Jack Fruit Moon by Robert D. Wilson, his long-awaited new collection of haiku and tanka strings, is a captivating read, not to be missed. The book includes a Preface by Steven D. Carter and a Foreword by Sanford Goldstein.

Baltimore, Maryland – January 8, 2009 – Jack Fruit Moon, the newest collection of poems by beloved poet Robert D. Wilson, has been published in trade paperback by Modern English Tanka Press. This captivating collection of haiku and tanka, which includes a Preface by Steven D. Carter and a Foreword by Sanford Goldstein, is already being widely praised by poets and critics alike:

Renowned poet and translator Sanford Goldstein describes Robert Wilson’s Jack Fruit Moon as "... the creation of a remarkable world unlike anything seen in tanka and haiku all these centuries. The book is filled with unusual images that make us feel we are experiencing a surrealist world. ... What seems to have happened in this amazing book filled with images never seen on sea or land is that the rationalism of the world is turned upside down or is sent whirling as on an endless merry-go-round."    (From the Foreword.)

"As exotic as its title, JACK FRUIT MOON is an intriguing document, a lyrical stream of consciousness in the shape of alternating haiku and tanka style poems. It is rich with fantastical language and mysterious images. We can smell the tropics in Wilson's poetry :

sundown
the old woman
scooping
fish paste
into recycled bottles

and we can feel the heat of love there :

dancing with
lights, your nipples
lead me to
the bed we broke last
night in a haiku

An excitingly different poetic world to read and absorb."

"The well-known poet and founder of the online literary journal, Simply Haiku, Robert Wilson, has written an epoch-making work of vivid tanka-haiku entitled JACK FRUIT MOON. His web haiku, Vietnam Ruminations, which I used in my college textbook, The Internationalization of Japanese Poetry, gave us a strong punch, challenging our lukewarm living. Through JACK FRUIT MOON, he shows us his way of living in the southeast Asian nation, the Philippines, where he lives with his new wife and family. His poetry emotes vivid images of life in the Philippines. When I was younger, I recall the time when my Filipino friend recommended I try ‘balut’ saying that if I did, I would better understand the Filipino mind and spirit. Enjoy this innovative new tanka and haiku collection. Please taste Robert’s cooking in the Philippines!"

Robert D. Wilson lives in the Republic of the Philippines with his wife, Jinky. He’s a retired educator, newspaper staff writer, magazine columnist, and Southern Baptist minister. Wilson’s the co-founder and owner/managing editor of Simply Haiku. For years Wilson served as the master of ceremonies for monthly open mike poetry readings in Sonora, California. He’s performed his poetry on radio, television, and in a variety of public venues. Wilson’s poetry and haiga have been widely published throughout the English speaking world. His haiku and tanka have been translated in the Japanese, Romanian, Serbian, Italian, French, and Tagalog languages. Robert D. Wilson is the father of six children. Not bad for a 59 year old, hard to figure out, and definitely unpredictable "kano."

For media inquiries or to arrange an interview with the author, contact Robert D. Wilson by e-mail at foamfish@gmail.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. Trade paperback price: $16.95 USD. ISBN 978-0-9817691-4-1. 204 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.