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The publishing house “Mali Nemo” gladly accepted to publish the translation of Prof. Lanoue’s “haiku novel” I have entitled “Haidjin,” which was ready to be exhibited at the International Book Fair. From October 26 to 28, David Lanoue stayed in Belgrade, attended the annual meeting of the Haiku Association of Serbia and Montenegro (HASM), presented, together with the translator, the Serbian version of his “haiku novel,” visited the International Book Fair, did an interview for Serbian national radio program (RTS)...

It’s interesting to hear what he has to say about Balkan literature...

How much is known about Balkan literature in your country?

The average American knows little or nothing about Balkan literature, but it is also true that the average American knows practically nothing about American literature, with the exception of some popular best sellers. This is the sad truth about my country, where people have more knowledge about movie stars and pop singers than they do about books. As a writer, I feel this truth every time I send a book manuscript to a publisher and receive a rejection note that states, “We don’t see a market for this type of writing.” As an English teacher, I feel this truth every time I ask my university students, “What are you reading for fun?”—and get blank stares.

Balkan literature is known in some university settings, especially those universities that have departments of Slavic languages and literatures. Northwestern University Press offers a fine collection of literature and criticism from the Balkans. And I know of two professor/writers from Serbia who live in the United States and present their work in translation: fiction writer Tomislav Longinović and poet Biljana Obradović. Biljana is my colleague in the English Department of Xavier University in New Orleans.

Are you informed about our (Serbian and Balkan) literature and, if yes, what can you tell us about it?

Because of my involvement in the “haiku world,” I know something about the haiku movement in the Balkans. I know that Japanese haiku was introduced in Europe by Vladamir Devidé, the great Croatian interpreter and teacher. The seeds that he planted grew into a flourishing haiku community in the Balkans. I witnessed this first-hand, attending a meeting of the Haiku Society of Serbia and Montenegro in Belgrade (October 2007) and two meetings of Bulgarian haiku poets in Sofia (July 2005 and May 2007). Thanks to these meetings and the generous sharing of books that seems to be always part of such events, I’ve become familiar with the work of several wonderful poets in Serbia—like Dimitar Anakiev, Dragan J. Ristić, and Saša Važić—and in Bulgaria, poets like Petar Tchouhov and Ludmila Balabanova. At my university, I teach a senior seminar on “World Haiku,” in which I include books written by several Balkan poets. My students are impressed by the imagination and vigor of these poets. The Balkan contribution to the world haiku movement is a great one.

I fell in love with Belgrade

Upon his return to New Orleans, we asked Prof. Lanoue to tell us about his impressions about Belgrade...

What are your impression about Belgrade and our people?

I fell in love with Belgrade in the short time I was there. The timing of the HASM meeting and the International Book Fair forced me to limit my stay to a brief three days, because I needed to get back to New Orleans to teach my classes. However, in those three days my kind hostess Saša, along with her daughter Ana and other friends and neighbors, showed me much of the city, leaving me with a feeling of wanting more. We ate fantastic food in Dva Jelena, where we were serenaded by a wonderful musical group; we wandered through the old Turkish battlements overlooking the river under a shimmering full moon; we drank and danced in one of the houseboats until the wee hours. Belgrade is definitely a place I want to visit again, but for three weeks, not days!

What can you tell us about your attending the HASM’ s annual meeting and the presentation of your book in Serbian translation there?

The poets I met at the HASM meetings welcomed me with warmth and haiku solidarity. Though I don’t speak Serbian, I was able to share a section of my novel with them, with Saša’s help, reading from her Serbian translation. I was happy to see the appreciative looks on the faces of audience members as Saša read my words, transformed into a musical and flowing Serbian. We didn’t have books to sell at the meeting, but several poets in attendance made a special trip to the Book Fair later that afternoon to buy copies, which I gladly signed.

Are you satisfied with how you were accepted as a “haiku guy,” author and person by the members of the HASM and other Serbs you met?

The HASM poets greeted me warmly, as I’ve mentioned, and made me feel welcome and at home. At the end of the meeting, I told them (through Saša’s translation) that I’ve attended haiku meetings in America, Japan and other countries, and always I have been impressed by the way that haiku poets, around the world, form a single family. The Serbian poets that I met definitely reinforced this feeling of closeness and shared purpose. Other Serbs whom I met made me feel welcome, too. At the Book Fair I drank whiskey with writers at one of the publisher’s booths, lifting many happy toasts and communicating as best we could—sometimes in English, sometimes in French. At the Book Fair, I met Bratislav Milanović (“Bata”), the cousin of my colleague Biljana Obradović, who interviewed me for the radio. After our interview, we drank beer together and had dinner with Serbian friends at “Restoran Gospodarska Mexana”—a great place that has served traditional Serbian food since 1820. My new friend Bata insisted on treating us, but I hope to return the favor one day, if he ever visits New Orleans. The people I met in Belgrade couldn’t have been friendlier. I would love to show all of them a good time on Bourbon Street, if the winds of fate happen to blow them to my city.

What are your impressions regarding the International Book Fair?

I was amazed at the size and the crowd. There was a sense of vibrant excitement that reminded me more of a sporting event than a book fair. This convinced me that Serbia has a spirited and healthy “book culture.” In all honesty, I was envious; I’ve never seen anything like it in the U.S.A. Personally, the Book Fair was the highlight of my brief trip to Serbia. I was able to sign my books for people until my publisher at Mali Nemo, Milan Orlic, ran out of copies.

Was the Serbian translation of your novel “Haiku Guy” well accepted in the Serbian book market?

My publisher told me that he sold all fifty copies that he brought for the day that I was there, so I take this to be a good sign. I don’t know how the book has sold since the day of the Book Fair; I’ll need to ask Milan.

Is there anything new/special regarding your visit to Belgrade you’d like to tell us about?

I felt honored that my translator, Saša, allowed me to stay in her house in the Zemun area. She not only extended friendly hospitality, she treated me to some delectable home-cooked sarma, which instantly became one of my favorite foods in the world. On a more serious side, she and her daughter told me about the NATO bombing. One night, on the way back to her house, she pointed out to me a flowery memorial for a little girl who was killed. This moved me to write a haiku:

cold mist—
the five year old girl’s
war memorial

The reality of war and its human cost sank deeply into my consciousness. This isn’t the happiest memory of my trip to Belgrade, but it is an important one.

Can we hope to see you in Serbia again? If yes, why and when?

I would love to return to Serbia. Since my university will provide travel for professionally-related events, such as book-signings, I hope that one day my second novel, “Laughing Buddha”, will be translated into Serbian and published—giving me the chance to return. I only hope that next time I can stay for longer than three days!

Some haiku by David G Lanoue:

pizza parlor
after the murders
help wanted

old stone bridge
whether I cross it
or not

my ferret 's memorial
musk-scented
pillow

sunny sidewalk
three beer guts in a row
refilling

ten seconds
after the alarm clock
thunder

chewing their gum
in rhythm
old couple

eating his profits
with mustard
hotdog man

taming the roaring lions
little red-haired
barmaid

March sidewalk
don’t smoke forever
little girl

waddling into
the bridal portrait
duck

beer bottles
on the table
a chess problem