Dear Reader,

I stare longingly

out at my panicked city

assured, and ready.

We thank you for reading Corona-ku: A Quarantined Conversation in Haiku. We believe the response to coronavirus had challenged us all in different ways. We also believe this collection is a slice of ordinary people navigating extraordinary times and experiences. We also believe this voice here has tremendous potential since this experience was so global in nature. This is also a call to action for all artists to share their art as part of the human experience, even in the face of challenge because the world needs strong art, culture, and voice.

We are two everyday Americans. Eric is a disaster coordinator and entrepreneur consulting for New York City and various governmental disaster relief teams throughout the United States and John is a high school English teacher in an inner-city school in Reno, Nevada. We used haiku as a coping strategy to get through the struggle of the quarantine. It is at once a relief and outlet but also an inspiration and a work of encouragement.

Transitions are hard;

change forces growing pains here.

There. Seeds split to expand.

We hope you find a connection to the conversation. We hope it sparks a little creativity in you. We look forward to the art that advances the world, our experience, our development.

Cheers,

Eric and John