Sonja Arntzen

Sonja Arntzen taught classical Japanese poetry and literature for twenty-five years. Currently professor emerita of the University of Toronto, she continues to research and translate works of classical literature, particularly Japanese women’s poetic diaries of the 10th to 11th century. Her most recent translation is The Sarashina Diary (2014). Since 2005, she has been publishing her own English-language tanka and haiku in journals such as Gusts, Eucalypt, Kokako, Skylark, and Red Lights. With Naomi Beth Wakan she has also produced two books of “response tanka,” Double Talk (2010) and Reflections (2011). She enjoys facilitating renku writing sessions for large and small groups.

radiant clouds my cheeks dark cedars

a whisper of a rainbow one sun-warmed, one wind-chilled quiet with snow . . .

on still water early autumn the mountain’s weight

元旦の sparkling

霜でぴかぴか in the frost of New Year’s Day

庭の松 our garden pine

See a selection of Sonja’s books on Amazon.