The WESTERN HAIKU series of writings
Haiku are a very traditional form of poetry coming from Japan. Always comprising three lines and a fixed amount of syllables, five for the first line, seven for the second and five again for the third, Haiku were a challenge to write. Typical subjects included observations about animals, plants, insects and other aspects of nature. Modern writers soon discovered Haiku, usually keeping the three line format but ignoring the amount of syllables. This form of modern Haiku was dubbed Western Haiku by Jack Kerouac, who wrote many such pieces. Joseph B. Raimond also discovered the freedom of Western Haiku, considering them a sort of punk rock version of poetry: fast, to the point, aggressive and without a lot of fluff and clutter.
Artist: Joseph B. Raimond
Title: Laughing At Nudity (Western Haiku Vol. 1)
Label: Mirran Thought Format: Book Catalog #: Read Four (MT-375) Release Date: November 1st, 2011
The first in a series of little pocket books by Joseph B. Raimond featuring Western Haiku. One hundred and twenty pages of insight, philosophy, and sometimes even humour, all enclosed within three little lines! Written while traveling through Europe in 2008, these pieces can also be seen as a sort of travel diary of his experiences.
Artist: Joseph B. Raimond
Title: Eat Your Art Out (Western Haiku Vol. 2)
Label: Mirran Thought Format: Book Catalog #: Read Six (MT-554) Release Date: January 21st, 2012
The second in the series, right on the heels of the first. One hundred and ten pages this time, these were written in Fürth, Germany in the fall of 2008.
Artist: Joseph B. Raimond
Title: Sonically Speaking (Western Haiku Vol. 3)
Label: Mirran Thought Format: Book Catalog #: Read Seven (MT-566) Release Date: May 30th, 2013
The third in the series, and like the first, written in Fürth, Germany. One hundred and twenty pages, from 2008 and 2009.
Artist: Joseph B. Raimond
Title: A Kiss, Outlined (Western Haiku Vol. 4)
Label: Mirran Thought Format: Book Catalog #: Read Eight (MT-462) Release Date: February 1st, 2014
The fourth in the series, written at home in Germany in Darmstadt, Fürth and Nuernberg, as well as while traveling in Paris France, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Big Sur and San Diego California, Tecate Mexico, Dresden and Obertsdorf Germany, Breda Holland and Antwerpen Belgium. Written from January 2012 until September 2013. One hundred and forty-eight pages.
Artist: Joseph B. Raimond
Title: Life Cafe (Western Haiku Vol. 5)
Label: Mirran Thought Format: Book Catalog #: Read Nine (MT-577) Release Date: April 1st, 2014
Book number five in the series, written at home in Fuerth in Germany in 2009 and 2010, and reflecting a particularly dark time for the author. One hundred and twenty pages. Cover painted in New York City, 1985.
Artist: Joseph B. Raimond
Title: Blood Portraits (Western Haiku Vol. 6)
Label: Mirran Thought Format: Book Catalog #: Read Ten (MT-578) Release Date: August 1st, 2015
Book number six in the series, written at home in Fuerth in Germany in 2010 and 2011. Yet more dark haikus inspired by dark times and a very dark mood. One hundred and twenty pages. Cover from a series of self portraits painted in the blood of the author.
Artist: Joseph B. Raimond
Title: The Grateful Dad (Western Haiku Vol. 7)
Label: Mirran Thought Format: Book Catalog #: Read Twelve (MT-584) Release Date: August 7th, 2017
The fourth in the series, written at home in Germany in Darmstadt, Fürth and Nuernberg, as well as while traveling in Paris France, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Big Sur and San Diego California, Tecate Mexico, Dresden and Obertsdorf Germany, Breda Holland and Antwerpen Belgium. Written from January 2012 until September 2013. One hundred and forty-eight pages.
Artist: Joseph B. Raimond
Title: The Cunnilinguist (Western Haiku Vol. 8)
Label: Mirran Thought Format: Book Catalog #: Read Eighteen (MT-609) Release Date: July 1st, 2018
The eighth in the series, written while travelling extensively in Germany in Regensburg, Harz, Hamburg and Munich, as well as in Adine, Sterzing and Florence Italy, Basel Switzerland, Swinemünde Poland and Vienna Austria, in 2010 and 2011. One hundred and twenty four pages of humour, wit and gloom.
Artist: Joseph B. Raimond
Title: Human Being Horny (Western Haiku Vol. 9)
Label: Mirran Thought Format: Book Catalog #: Read Twenty (MT-619) Release Date: October 18th, 2019
This time 116 pages, these haikus were written exclusively in Fürth, Germany, and although not as much influenced by extensive travelling, they still feature Raimond's typical mixture of wit, humour and depth.
Artist: Joseph B. Raimond
Title: The Ghost Of Empathy (Western Haiku Vol. 10)
Label: Mirran Thought Format: Book Catalog #: Read Twentyone (MT-620) Release Date: March 23nd, 2020
Written while traveling extensively through Europe between 2014 and 2016, this book is a reflection of mankind's selfishness, the brainless ME generation that does nothing but consume and wants to be entertained. Released in the midst of the conona virus crisis in March 2020, this 170 page book is the tenth and last volume in the Western Haiku series of books by Joseph B. Raimond.