Jun Fujita, Tanka Pioneer

Jun Fujita, Tanka Pioneer is edited by Denis M. Garrison, with an Introduction by M. Kei. Jun Fujita (1888-1963) is perhaps the first master of tanka poetry in English. He certainly was a master of the rhetoric of omission or, as he put it, 'that fine and illusive mood, big enough to illuminate the infinity of the universe,' which is a defining characteristic of tanka, specifically, and of Japanese poetry, in general. His work is an important and foundational aspect of the English tanka heritage. Modern English Tanka Press was pleased to make this fine poet’s work once again accessible to the reading public. • Back to the Selected Books page.