May 10, 2011 For Immediate Release

Haiku Wisdom: Living the Principles and Philosophies of Kung Fu, Haiku and Nature, by Don Baird, Published by MET Press

Baltimore, Maryland – May 10, 2011 – Haiku Wisdom: Living the Principles and Philosophies of Kung Fu, Haiku and Nature by Don Baird, has been published as a trade paperback by MET Press of Baltimore, Maryland. Both born of ancient masters, the unique blending of Haiku and Kung Fu in Haiku Wisdom, gives us a seamless guide to exploring our human existence. With careful attention to the minute detail and beauty of nature, Don Baird brings us on a magical journey of perception, introducing us to the miracles of our souls, hearts, minds and world. By using the allure of haiku mixed with the elegance of martial arts philosophies, he allows us to open our eyes to our own journeys, where we may begin to revel in the grandeur that is our life

… "one of the few who understands the Japanese ways." —Dr. Gabi Greve, World Kigo Database, Japan

"Don Baird is a rare English language haiku poet. He views haiku as a Japanese genre that is event biased versus object biased. The decades he’s taught and studied martial arts influences his mind set. Recently someone wrote me asking me to name 10 American haiku poets who I feel are topnotch. I couldn’t think of ten, but Don Baird was one of the names I wrote down. His haiku breathe life and recognize the creative force of nature (zoka) as a haiku poet’s master sensei." —Robert Wilson, co-owner, co-managing editor of Simply Haiku

Don Baird, shortly after his birth, moved with his family to live on his Grandfather’s ranch in Wyoming. He lived in an old converted chicken coup building for some time. Eventually, he and his family moved to San Diego, California and remained there until he was 19. Since then, Don graduated from UCLA in music performance with an English minor. He began playing clarinet when he was age 8: followed by photography and martial arts. He played in several symphonies but eventually ended up being a studio musician recording for Warner Brothers, Disney, MGM, Paramount and others. He has produced and recorded seven cds during the last ten years.

At 15 he entered the world of Martial Arts of which remains his primary career today. He has been featured in most of the major magazines such as Inside Kung Fu, Black Belt, and Fighting Stars. In 2009 he was inducted into the Master’s Hall of Fame and was featured in two videos regarding police defensive tactics (Hands On – Police Defensive Tactics). He was badge 1 with a local police department. He owns, operates and teaches his schools today.

During his years of training kung fu, he became interested in Asian poetry; Chinese and Japanese poetry, both, attracted his eye. Haiku was his first serious endeavor as a poet. While he had written various freestyles of poetry over the years, it was haiku that raced his heart. From haiku, he included haiga (being a photographer), tanka and then haibun.

His haiku reached a wonderful point a few years back when he won 3^rd Place in the Kusamakura International Haiku Contest two years in a row, 2004 and 2005. Along with that, his poetry has been published in three books and many e-zines, including Ambrosia: Journal of Fine Haiku, World Haiku Review, Notes from the Gean, Simply Haiku, Haijinx and others. He is a Tanka Splendor Award recipient (2008) and a 1^st Place winner in the NHK Radio International Haiku Contest by Sokan Tadashi Kondo (2009). In 2011, April, he placed 1^st and 2^nd in two divisions of the Shiki Kukai contest.

When he has free time, he likes lounging on his big, fat green puffy chair and ponder this whole thing called life. For more information regarding Don, please visit his website:

http://www.kungfukarate.com

For media inquiries or to arrange an interview with the author, contact Don Baird by e-mail at kungfuinfo@aol.com. Publisher information at: www.themetpress.com.

This book is available from www.Lulu.com/modernenglishtanka. Information is available online at www.themetpress.com Price: $14.95 USD. ISBN 978-1-935398-25-7. Trade paperback. 136 pages, 6" x 9", perfect binding, 60# cream interior paper, black and white interior ink, 100# exterior paper, full-color exterior ink.

MET Press (Modern English Tanka Press) is a small independent publishing house in Baltimore, Maryland, dedicated to producing work of lasting literary value, especially fine verse. 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.

Contact: Denis M. Garrison, owner, MET Press / Modern English Tanka Press

Telephone: 443-559-2776 Email to dmg@themetpress.com Website: www.themetpress.com

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