About

About Yay Words!

The phrase “yay words” is taken from the Millikin Literary Festival in 2009. At the end of the poetry craft lecture (after a day of workshops and a fiction craft lecture), dead silence fell upon the room. From the back, Dutch poet Lucas Hirsch abruptly stood up, threw his arms into the air and shouted, “Yay words!” Considering it was a day of festivity and celebration of writing, everyone in the chapel followed suit. It seemed like the right thing to do. After all, words are exciting.

This blog aims to embrace that same enthusiasm in celebration of language and the written word. With a little art along the way.

About Aubrie

I went to university to write a novel; I came out writing haiku. It’s worked out pretty well so far.

I graduated from Millikin University with a B.A. in English literature and writing in 2011, and recently completed my M.A. in English creative writing at Ball State University. I’ve taught first year composition, and edited for a student-run press and a couple magazines.

Currently, I serve as the haiga editor for the online haikai journal A Hundred Gourds, and edit a section in Ripples, Haiku Society of America’s newsletter. I’m also an adjunct professor at Millikin University.

My poetry has appeared in a variety of journals such as Modern Haiku, bottle rockets, Acorn, Eucalypt, and Mayfly. I have been a featured haiga artist on HaigaOnline, and have had work in the Red Moon Anthology of English-Language Haiku and Take Five: Best Contemporary Tanka annual anthologies. My first chapbook collection tea’s aftertaste was published by Bronze Man Books in 2011. Awards include: Haiku Society of America’s Museum of Haiku Literature Award for the best published haiku in Frogpond 35.1, The Distinctive Scribblings Award for my tanka in Eucalypt issue 12, and a Touchstone Award from The Haiku Foundation for individual poem published in 2012. Most recently, I was included in A New Resonance 8: Emerging Voices in English-Language Haiku (Red Moon Press, 2013).

In my free time I enjoy photography, doodling, bookbinding, and jewelry making. I am a sucker for chocolate covered orange peels, gourmet sodas, and blending genres.

You can also always email me with questions, thoughts, complaints, desire for further correspondence, or all the above. While you’re at it, check out my other blog.