Nathan Nicolau's Blog, page 3

Addressing Criticisms of "So Quiet This Wind"

Haiku has been taught only one way in America for so long that it has caused people to get up in arms when one deviates from the "norm." I wrote my 3rd chapbook of poetry, So Quiet This Wind: Haiku, to explore the true "rules" of Haiku outside the draconian 5-7-5 syllable restriction only found in the Japanese language and not in English. These were rules that were set by the masters of haiku and even before. This is why I had to include a preface in the book explaining that my throwing out of the syllable count was not an attempt at being an edgy trendsetter. Modern haiku publications eschew the 5-7-5. Look no further than Failed Haiku, a magazine where my haiku have been featured.

Despite this, I still receive less-than-positive responses to So Quiet This Wind, and I would like to address the most common criticisms to offer a respectful rebuttal.

Ignoring the 5-7-5 rule gives your haiku too much freedom. Thus, they cannot be called “haiku.”

I cannot disagree with that statement, but I must again remind audiences that I was not doing a haiku free-for-all. I was still following rigorous haiku conventions as detailed in the A Note on the Form chapter of the book. These conventions have been around since the times of Bashō, Issa, and other haiku pioneers. What I wanted to emphasize most is that a haiku is not just a poem in 5-7-5 syllables. If that were the case, having only that rule should be considered more of a free-for-all. The truth is that haiku is steeped in Japanese culture with the form’s use of natural images and wordplay, not arbitrary syllable use.

There are no visual components to your haikus, leaving much to be desired.

While it is true that many of the haiku masters were fantastic painters as they were poets, I made the deliberate decision to have my words front and center. Many haiku books today incorporate photographs or paintings, which, in my opinion, give an objective view of how a person should read a haiku. I made my haikus as subjective as possible for this reason, to give audiences an emotional experience rather than a cute observation. Furthermore, I wished to have the visuals conveyed through the haiku’s conventions: the observations, the juxtaposition, the cutting word, etc. Haikus were initially written with an ink brush in beautiful Japanese script, lending the words themselves to be an art. I wanted to do that, but without the brush.

Your haikus are too surface-level and straightforward.

While this is a matter of taste that I certainly respect, I must point out that the powerful nature behind haiku is through simplicity not in terms of the format but also the subject matters. The most famous haikus are the ones that cover a small scope rather than something abstract. This goes into another ancient haiku convention that we can also debate: haikus should not contain metaphors. One could undoubtedly impose their own metaphors into a haiku, but haikus themselves are deliberately written outside any kind of objectivity—observing things for what they are rather than how we want them to be. With such a small form comes small topics. One cannot successfully write a haiku about the complex pains of war with only three lines. They could, however, write one on the distinction between a veteran’s facial scars and his teary-eyed smile.

However, I want to make it clear that I have also received wonderful responses with my haikus on top of the above criticisms. And as long as I keep receiving both, I will keep writing them.

(NOTE: This article was initially published in the 2nd edition of So Quiet This Wind: Haiku. Reprinted here with permission.)

A Night at Middle C Jazz

I had to thank fate for bringing me here. That and my two passions: poetry and jazz.

In 2020, I released Nights at the Turntable to great acclaim. The chapbook was my love letter to jazz music, its people, and its art form. Lizzie Taylor, the marketing lead from Middle C Jazz in Charlotte, came across the book at Park Road Books and reached out to me with high praises. She then gifted me one could the best gifts a stranger can give me: free tickets to a jazz club. I snatched that up right away.

Despite loving the music for a long time, I had never been to a jazz club, where all the action happens. I can say that Middle C Jazz was the best introduction I could have. Jazz was born in live settings, going back to New Orleans funeral processions and late-night romps. Middle C Jazz understands this by having an intimate, low-key atmosphere filled with low blue lights, cocktails, and enough mood to keep one up at night. While the atmosphere harks back to the famous jazz clubs of the 50s (namely Birdland or Mintons), the programming shows jazz at the cutting edge even when referencing jazz's yesteryears.

Enter Jason Marsalis, the vibraphonist who, like his late father, Ellis, wasn't afraid to branch out beyond the traditional American Songbook or the New Orleans fare his family is associated with. He drew from standards from the likes of Lionel Hampton and his fat post-bop material while maintaining a humble, soft-spoken stage presence. He apologized before playing the Lionel Hampton numbers, saying he wasn't going to play them like the old RCA-Victor Benny Goodman recordings before launching into "Sweet Sue, Just You" as a sparse bossa-nova, once again highlighting Middle C Jazz's preference to have one foot in the past and another in the future.

I ordered "The Dizzy Date," one of their signature cocktails named after the jazz clubs they pay homage to (Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola). I looked around and wondered if I was the youngest in the room. At heart? No. In spirit? Debatable. The small venue was full of spirits as Maraslis's quartet blazes through Charlie Christian's "Seven Come Eleven." My date with Dizzy arrived. Sweet notes with attacks of bitter fire. Worthy of the name.

"Taking notes?" a man in a tan suit asked me. I joked about how it's all I do anymore.

"Whatever inspires you," he said, "That and a good martini." He eyed Dizzy before walking away. As if on cue, Marsalis quoted "The Girl from Ipanema" and "So Nice (Summer Samba)" in his solo, which got a few good chuckles out of me. Every jazz lover knows that jazz has a sense of humor, and Middle C Jazz made me feel more than welcome to let my guard down.

I learned from Monk to leave your body to the music. I foot-patted and wiggled my shoulders the entire night, shaking off that day's worries. Marsalis' band was tight with synergy, the likes you won't find in Charlotte, NC. Dizzy agreed. I finished talking to him before the next song: John Scofield's "Hold that Thought," with its visceral moodiness. Two ladies walked in and sat down as the opening notes sizzled—a perfect set-up for a movie. Jazz truly is life's soundtrack. "You, the night, and the music," as the song goes. Middle C Jazz truly is the perfect date-night spot if you don't mind a little adventure with your date.

Marsalis and his band deconstructed songs only to rebuild them into vehicles for expression. The last songs in the set were all compositions by Jason's father, whom he called the interruption of the New Orleans music canon. "Magnolia Triangle" ringed of Duke Ellington's "Caravan" with its driving, eastern-inspired bass rhythm and thunder drums. The band sparsed "Orchid Blue" so much that I didn't even know they were playing it. Anything can happen with jazz, especially in a live setting. I kept my eyes glued to the interplay happening in front of me.

And before I realized it, the set was over. As Marsalis signed off with the blues (Jazz's father), I'm reminded of one of the poems in Nights at the Turntable that fitted the night perfectly:

Behind the market

across from the voodoo shop

selling oddities and feathery masks

on the French Quarter

were a group of young boys

playing "St. Louis Blues" on their horns.

I took a peek around the corner

through the crowded streets

just to get a look.

No hats out for money,

no dollars or cents thrown at them,

just a bunch of kids

beaming

and

snapping

and

shouting

and

spinning

around like they were showing

it for Jesus on the judgment day.

And here were these people

walking past the joyful spirits

without a second glance.

It made me mad

(and it really shouldn't have).

That's when I turned

to someone next to me and said,

"That's the most beautiful thing I ever saw..."

then he said,

"Yeah, we see that every day!"

The fact that Middle C Jazz gets to see such talent and energy every night is nothing short of brilliant, and I am honored to be personally invited to see it. I look forward to my next visit. Who knows, maybe fate will invite me one more time.

A Night At Middle C Jazz

I had to thank fate for bringing me here. That and my two passions: poetry and jazz.

In 2020, I released Nights at the Turntable to great acclaim. The chapbook was my love letter to jazz music, its people, and its art form. Lizzie Taylor, the marketing lead from Middle C Jazz in Charlotte, came across the book at Park Road Books and reached out to me with high praises. She then gifted me one could the best gifts a stranger can give me: free tickets to a jazz club. I snatched that up right away.

Despite loving the music for a long time, I had never been to a jazz club, where all the action happens. I can say that Middle C Jazz was the best introduction I could have. Jazz was born in live settings, going back to New Orleans funeral processions and late-night romps. Middle C Jazz understands this by having an intimate, low-key atmosphere filled with low blue lights, cocktails, and enough mood to keep one up at night. While the atmosphere harks back to the famous jazz clubs of the 50s (namely Birdland or Mintons), the programming shows jazz at the cutting edge even when referencing jazz's yesteryears.

Enter Jason Marsalis, the vibraphonist who, like his late father, Ellis, wasn't afraid to branch out beyond traditional American Songbook or the New Orleans fare his family is associated with. He drew from standards from the likes of Lionel Hampton and his fat post-bop material while maintaining a humble, soft-spoken stage presence. He apologized before playing the Lionel Hampton numbers, saying he wasn't going to play them like the old RCA-Victor Benny Goodman recordings before launching into "Sweet Sue, Just You" as a sparse bossa-nova, once again highlighting Middle C Jazz's preference to have one foot in the past and another in the future.

I ordered "The Dizzy Date," one of their signature cocktails named after the jazz clubs they pay homage to (Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola). I looked around and wondered if I was the youngest in the room. At heart? No. In spirit? Debatable. The small venue was full of spirits as Maraslis's quartet blazes through Charlie Christian's "Seven Come Eleven." My date with Dizzy arrived. Sweet notes with attacks of bitter fire. Worthy of the name.

"Taking notes?" a man in a tan suit asked me. I joked about how it's all I do anymore.

"Whatever inspires you," he said, "That and a good martini." He eyed Dizzy before walking away. As if on cue, Marsalis quoted "The Girl from Ipanema" and "So Nice (Summer Samba)" in his solo, which got a few good chuckles out of me. Every jazz lover knows that jazz has a sense of humor, and Middle C Jazz made me feel more than welcome to let my guard down.

I learned from Monk to leave your body to the music. I foot-patted and wiggled my shoulders the entire night, shaking off that day's worries. Marsalis' band was tight with synergy, the likes you won't find in Charlotte, NC. Dizzy agreed. I finished talking to him before the next song: John Scofield's "Hold that Thought," with its visceral moodiness. Two ladies walked in and sat down as the opening notes sizzled—a perfect set-up for a movie. Jazz truly is life's soundtrack. "You, the night, and the music," as the song goes. Middle C Jazz truly is the perfect date-night spot if you don't mind a little adventure with your date.

Marsalis and his band deconstructed songs only to rebuild them into vehicles for expression. The last songs in the set were all compositions by Jason's father, whom he called the interruption of the New Orleans music canon. "Magnolia Triangle" ringed of Duke Ellington's "Caravan" with its driving, eastern-inspired bass rhythm and thunder drums. The band sparsed "Orchid Blue" so much that I didn't even know they were playing it. Anything can happen with jazz, especially in a live setting. I kept my eyes glued to the interplay happening in front of me.

And before I realized it, the set was over. As Marsalis signed off with the blues (Jazz's father), I'm reminded of one of the poems in Night's at the Turntable that fitted the night perfectly:

Behind the market

across from the voodoo shop

selling oddities and feathery masks

on the French Quarter

were a group of young boys

playing "St. Louis Blues" on their horns.

I took a peek around the corner

through the crowded streets

just to get a look.

No hats out for money,

no dollars or cents thrown at them,

just a bunch of kids

beaming

and

snapping

and

shouting

and

spinning

around like they were showing

it for Jesus on the judgment day.

And here were these people

walking past the joyful spirits

without a second glance.

It made me mad

(and it really shouldn't have).

That's when I turned

to someone next to me and said,

"That's the most beautiful thing I ever saw..."

then he said,

"Yeah, we see that every day!"

The fact that Middle C Jazz gets to see such talent and energy every night is nothing short of brilliant, and I am honored to be a part of its brilliance. I look forward to my next visit. Who knows, maybe fate will invite me one more time.

In Red Ogre Review's Print Anthology

My most experimental and transgressive poem, “Starring Scarlett Johansson as The Major in 2017’s Ghost in the Shell,” found its home with Red Ogre Review. I’m happy to announce the poem is in Red Ogre’s first-ever print anthology: At the Ogre’s Table.

I am honored to be in Red Ogre's first (of hopefully many) print anthology. Please consider purchasing the collection to support a fantastic selection of poets and a great literary magazine.

Featured in North Carolina Bards Poetry 2022 Anthology

I have been featured in Local Gem Press's yearly North Carolina Bards Poetry Anthology for the second year in a row, My first appearance was in 2021's anthology with "Mindfulness." I am now in 2022's anthology with "A Saga of Wood," a tribute and confession to "America's poet," Walt Whitman. You can find me on page 136.

I am once again honored to have my poem in Local Gem Press's North Carolina Bards anthology series. It is uplifting to see current poetry scene in North Carolina.

Featured in Poetry Non-Stop podcast

I had a great time talking with Patrick Widdess for his podcast Poetry Non-Stop. In it, I talk about poetry, Buddhism, mental health, and my wicked witch of 4th-grade teachers. I also read some of my poems, offer a writing exercise, and speak about the poetry magazine I run, New Note Poetry.

https://soundcloud.com/user-821268013/nathan-nicolau-mindfulness-for-poets

I thank Patrick for this great opportunity!

New Poem in Red Ogre Review

I am proud to have a new poem published in Red Ogre Review, a great literary magazine I've been keeping an eye on. Red Ogre clearly appreciates the esoteric, and it's only fitting that they accepted my most experimental poem to date, "Starring Scarlett Johansson as The Major in 2017's Ghost in the Shell."

Please give the poem a read and support the great people over at" Red Ogre.

2nd Place winner in 2022 CWC Poetry contest!

On April 19th, I was ecstatic to learn that I won 2nd place in Charlotte Writers Club's 2022 Poetry Contest judged by noted poet David Radavich.

The winning poem, Touching Coltrane's Tenor Sax, is my loving tribute to NC-born jazz musicians and their work inspired by a trip to the NC Music Hall of Fame, where John Coltrane's tenor sax is on display.

I thank the CWC and judges for this incredible honor. This was my first contest win, and it is reassuring that my work resonates with people.

Two Haiku in FailedHaiku

FailedHaiku has published two haiku written by me in their 76th issue. As a longtime haiku lover and haiku poet, I am beyond honored to be included in the publication.

Read the issue here. Be sure to read the whole issue. There is some phenomenal work in there that really reaffirms my love for the form.

All my poetry ebooks FREE this week!

To celebrate World Poetry Day and my birthday the same week, all of my poetry ebooks will be FREE on Amazon from March 20th to 25th.

Click here to see my Amazon Author page!