Winners of a Haiku Journalism Contest and My Editing Philosophy in Three Lines

By Jack Limpert

From a Poynter haiku journalism contest:

Here’s how they explained the contest and judging: Various traditions of haiku allow the poet to order the 17 syllables in a variety of ways. Our standard was the most common: three lines: 5 syllables, 7 syllables, 5 syllables. We gave points for interesting interactions of the lines: comparison, contrast, paradox,tension, resolution, epiphany.

The content had to be about journalism and the news media: its culture, mission, practice, frustrations.

The five winners:

By Gabriela Guedez

Seas of black coffee

Blank paper boats sink empty

Deadline is coming
—
By Smiley Anders

I miss typewriters

Only crashed when you dropped them

Holes in newsroom floor
—
By John Dillon

Ink-stained wretches learn

At fires on ice-cold nights that

Pencils never freeze
—
By Lillian Reed

Hands tapdance on keys

Clacks halt. You forgot to get

The name of the dog.
—
By Dan Gayle

Digital dimes cry

Web first binary teardrops

Pinkslips replace print
—
I entered one—an actual conversation with a writer—that got an honorable mention. (Counting style as two syllables probably should have disqualified it.)

You’re editing out

my style. Overwriting

is not a style.
—
Some of my other entries:

Many editors

have failed as writers. But so

have many writers.

(Adapted from a T.S. Eliot quote: “Some editors are failed writers, but so are most writers.”
—
Half the staff writers

disliked the editor; the

other half hated him.

(Adapted from a Billy Paultz quote about Rick Barry: “Half of the players disliked Rick Barry. The other half hated him.”
—
And my editing philosophy in three lines:

You never have to

apologize for showing

readers a good time.