Pandemic Haiku book

Spotlight Pandemic Haiku book details Story County, countrywide accounts of pandemic

By David Mullen

Gannett

Ahaiku written by an Ames resident has united writers county- and countrywide in documenting their pandemic experiences and now is part of a book of their work, “Pandemic Haiku: Volume One.”

Robin Schinnow, an Ames resident and licensed therapist, thought of the haiku, a traditional Japanese 17-syllable poem, at the end of March during the beginning of the statewide period of social distancing and felt an urge to write more and share them with others.

“I thought I’d share it on Facebook, but then I decided to start a group and connect some of my friends,” Schinnow said.

Friends of Schinnow’s began joining the group and inviting others, and the number of posts each day grew dramatically.

Today, the group has more than 800 members, including in Story County and across the country.

“I didn’t realize it would blow up like it has,” Schinnow said.

Tracey Stoll, an Ames resident, said that on some days during the COVID-19 pandemic, she has felt sluggish and lacked motivation. But she said she always has found serenity in writing, whether it was a journalism assignment, a poem or even a haiku.

“I had a lot of anxiety the first few weeks being stuck at home … and I’m an extrovert, so not having the ability to get a lot of human contact other than with my neighbors was tough,” Stoll said.

At the beginning of April, Stoll stumbled across the newly formed Facebook group Pandemic Haiku, created by her neighbor, Schinnow, and decided to join. She said that besides gardening as much as possible, and between FaceTime sessions with her family, Stoll has been using Pandemic Haiku as a way to escape reality.

“For me (the group) is a way of connecting with people, and a lot of people like what I write, which has made me feel validated,” she said.

Like Stoll, other Ames residents found the Facebook group. They included Tim Gosset, who asked Schinnow if she would be interested in turning the haikus into a book.

“The haikus just seemed to tap into kind of a different way of exploring what was happening in people’s lives,” Gossett said. “That was different from what we would normally be reading, especially at the start of a pandemic. There were just a lot more emotion and real life experiences represented there, and it wasn’t just about you.”

Schinnow was enthusiastic about the idea and reached out to her friend, Cathie Gebhart, editorial coordinator and writer for Dan the Fish Publishing in Boone. The company

“PANDEMIC HAIKU: VOLUME ONE” IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON.COM. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

was instantly on board.

“I think this pandemic is a historically significant event, and we are living through it. People’s feelings, questions, and support are an important part of recording this event,” Gebhart said in an emailed statement to the Tribune. “Firsthand accounts are the best way to get an emotional feel for what is happening.”

The first official copy of the book “Pandemic Haiku: Volume One” became available on Amazon on April 18 and contains over 100 haikus written by members of the group, totaling 55 pages. All proceeds from the book will be donated to the Outreach Program in Des Moines, which provides food to people in need.

“So many people, especially with kids, are struggling to make ends meet and feed their families [right now] so we thought (this is) a great way to help and provide some meals,” Schinnow said.

As of Friday, the book was ranked as the 20th best seller in the Japanese Poetry and Haiku category, according to Amazon. Because of that success, a second book is in the works.

Schinnow said she is still surprised by what has sprung

from the simple act of posting a haiku online.

“I never would have expected any of this to happen when I first started the group,” Schinnow said. “People use this platform, however they chose to, whether it’s posting a haiku every day, or commenting and reading others’ haiku. It’s nice to have this sense of a community during these times.”

And to members like Stoll, the group’s sense of community is noteworthy.

“I love this (community) and it’s become a very supportive community for many of us, and a lot of us have become friends,” Stoll said. “It’s just a great thing to have during the current times.”

A haiku by Robin Schinnow: This brain child of mine Birthed from a need to connect Has eased so much pain — from “Pandemic Haiku: Volume One”