The Red Moon Anthology of English Language Haiku (RMA), the most honored series in the history of English-language haiku, was founded in 1996 by Jim Kacian, owner of Red Moon Press and Editor-in-Chief of the RMA. Volume 30 will be released early next year, likely in February or March.

As will Volume 21 of the Contemporary Haibun anthology, also published by Red Moon Press. The Contemporary Haibun Series is edited by Rich Youmans (editor-in-chief of the journal contemporary haibun online) with assistance from a team of six editors, and is dedicated to presenting “a ‘state of the art’ overview of the haibun, tanka prose, and haiga published in the preceding year” from around the world. The series focuses on how these centuries-old forms are developing.

With heartfelt gratitude to the poets listed below for publishing with MacQ, I’m pleased to announce my nomination lists for the Red Moon Anthologies. Drawn from the six issues of MacQueen’s Quinterly published this year (Numbers 26 thru 30, plus special issue 30X), these nominations are listed below in alphabetical order by author’s last name.

My profound appreciation for Jim Kacian, Rich Youmans, Ron C. Moss, and the six editors of the RMA editorial team for their time and efforts in considering thousands of pieces each year—and for creating such lovely books to showcase their selections.

Best of luck to all of the nominees!

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First, the nominations of haiku and senryu:

• (“into the light”) and (“spring desolation”) by Deborah A. Bennett
  
  
• (“chopping onions”) and (“in my pocket”) by Melissa Dennison
  
  
• (“uncommon / kNOWledge”) and (“NEE / D    ing”) [ransom notes, aka experimental senryu] by Peter Jastermsky
  
  
• (“ghost bike”) by Ron Scully
  
  
• (“butterfly afternoon”) and (“wrens reconsidered”) by Thomas Smith
  
  

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Next, the nominations of haibun, essays, a shahai, and a tanka prose (please scroll down for the updates):

1. Fade to Black by Cynthia Anderson
   
   
2. Tangle and Split [haibun story] by Mikki Aronoff
   
   
3. Minutes from the PTA Meeting by Shawn Aveningo-Sanders
   
   
4. Tiny Love Story by Roberta Beary
   
   
5. Shimmer by Kevin Browne
   
   
6. Diary by Eugene Datta
   
   
7. The Color We Come From by Cherie Hunter Day
   
   
8. Silver Linings by Margaret Dornaus
   
   
9. Staking His Claim by Margaret Dornaus
   
   
10. Rediscovery of America [haibun story] by Keith Evetts
    
    
11. Today, Tomorrow, Always [haibun story] by Jennifer L. Freed
    
    
12. Effervescent [braided haibun] by Nikki Fryer
    
    
13. Magic and Stealth: The Joy of Ransom Notes [informal essay re experimental senryu] by Peter Jastermsky
    
    
14. Turning by David J Kelly
    
    
15. The Invented Hours by Kat Lehmann
    
    
16. Adam offers apples to tempt the Land Girls as told to me by the London-born one. [ekphrastic haibun story] by Joan Leotta
    
    
17. Coming of Age by Clare Martin
    
    
18. A Burrito with Bashō [haibun story] by Keith Polette
    
    
19. Fire Stealers by Keith Polette
    
    
20. The Cadence by Kala Ramesh
    
    
21. During Your Shower Break by Gary S. Rosin
    
    
22. Returning to the Oncologist After the Mask Mandate Is Dropped [braided haibun] by Tracy Royce
    
    
23. Morning Ritual by Daryl Scroggins
    
    
24. Missing █ [vispo haibun] by Lew Watts
    
    
25. All That Shines [haibun story] by Mary White
    
    

    *Update:

    On 11 November 2025, I nominated the following pieces that were subsequently published in MacQ-30X in December:

26. From a Poet to a Painter [ekphrastic haibun sequence] by
    E. L. Blizzard
    
    
27. The Haibun Zoo: A Guide to Rare Haibun Forms [essay] by Colleen M. Farrelly
    
    
28. Fast Forward [drabblebun] by Colleen M. Farrelly
    
    
29. Scar Wars [zipbun] by Colleen M. Farrelly
    
    
30. (fiesta colors) [shahai] by Mark Meyer
    
    

    *Update:

    On 15 December 2025, I nominated the following 25 works, after an invitation to nominate additional pieces for Contemporary Haibun 21:

31. A Little Dream by Cynthia Anderson
    
    
32. Don’t Say We Didn’t Warn You by Cynthia Anderson
    
    
33. Online Shopping by Deb Baker
    
    
34. Control [braided haibun] by Kevin Browne
    
    
35. Excerpt from a Sydney weekend [ekphrastic multi-haikai haibun] by Owen Bullock
    
    
36. Steady State by Eugene Datta
    
    
37. Tracking Future Jerry in the Atlantic by Cherie Hunter Day
    
    
38. Sprung by Claire Everett
    
    
39. Counting Degrees [sudo-ku-bun] by Colleen M. Farrelly
    
    
40. Georgia Nocturne [embedded haibun] by Colleen M. Farrelly
    
    
41. An Interview for Floor Manager at the Haiku Factory by Kat Lehmann
    
    
42. Two Days Before She Dies [ekphrastic haibun] by Kat Lehmann
    
    
43. Godfrey [haibun story] by Bob Lucky
    
    
44. The Sting by Bob Lucky
    
    
45. In substance [tanka prose] by Kate MacQueen
    
    
46. Frostbite by Darlene O’Dell
    
    
47. Artificial Intelligence by Maeve O’Sullivan
    
    
48. Keep It Simple by Kala Ramesh
    
    
49. Deep Roots by Alexis Rotella
    
    
50. Feeling Used [experimental micro-haibun] by Carla Schwartz
    
    
51. Kintsugi by Carla Schwartz
    
    
52. On Repeat: June 21, 2025 [formal-verse embedded haibun] by Joshua St. Claire
    
    
53. Varzuga by Lew Watts
    
    
54. Stripping Beyond Birthday Suits by Scott Wiggerman
    
    
55. Woolworth’s by Rich Youmans
    
    

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Links to MacQ’s nominations for the Red Moon Anthologies in previous years:

RMA 2024

RMA 2023

RMA 2022

RMA 2021