Francine Porad

Francine Porad has been a seminal influence for haiku poetry in Seattle and the surrounding area of Washington state with her supportive personal encouragement to others, her openness towards varities of voice, and particularly through her long-running publication of *Brussels Sprout* and her own numerous books of haiku and related poetry. She has set the tone for much haiku development in the Pacific Northwest in the past fifteen years, and it is a fitting tribute that in 2004 the Washington Poets Association has named its new annual haiku contest after Francine. Congratulations, Francine, and thank you for your loving, playful, and above all, singular voice in haiku.