Susan Antolin of Acorn
As the editor of Acorn, a specialty journal that publishes only haiku and recently celebrated twenty-five years in print, the range of things I look for in submissions is both specific to haiku and universal to what makes great literature in any genre. Shorter than any other form of poetry, haiku often appear effortless, as if they were dashed off in a moment of sudden inspiration. In reality, evocative and understated haiku are harder to write than you might think. With so few words to work with, attention to nuanced connotations, sound, and syntax are especially important.