The Illustrated Book of Japanese Haiku

About the Author

William Scott Wilson was raised in Ft. Lauderdale, FL; he holds BAs from Dartmouth College and The Monterey Institute of Foreign Studies, and an MA from the University of Washington. He has worked as a translator and advisor on cultural affairs for the Japanese Consulate-General in Seattle, Washington; a teacher of Japanese language; and a guide for Japanese tourists in South Florida. He has had 20 books published, variously translated into 21 foreign languages, including The Lone Samurai: The Life of Miyamoto Musashi. His translation of Hagakure, an 18th century treatise on samurai philosophy, was featured in the film Ghost Dog by the director Jim Jarmusch. Wilson was awarded a Commendation from the Foreign Ministry of Japan and inducted into the Order of the Rising Sun by the Japanese emperor. Around thirty years ago, Manda felt the need to free herself from the academic art world, and distance herself from Western culture. She decided to travel to Japan. Frequent stays there gave her the opportunity to adopt new perspectives. She learned from Japanese masters the "art of the line" as well as the mysteries of haiga, compositions where painted images and calligraphy comes from the same brush, forming an integrated whole. She has published many books of haiga illustrations and poems in her native