The Brussels Sprout Legacy

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Brussels Sprout was one of the most respected haiku journals in the English language, along with Modern Haiku, Frogpond, Woodnotes, Wind Chimes, and one or two others. When Francine Porad took over the journal from Alexis Rotella in 1988, she transformed it by taking the distinctive stance of showcasing a featured artist in each issue. This balance of visual and written expression was an inevitable extension of Francine’s work as a painter and her newfound appreciation for poetry.

Additional distinctions in Brussels Sprout included experimentation with the title font and its placement on the cover, which sometimes differed from issue to issue, especially in the earlier issues. This variety might be attributed to experimenting with newly emerging desktop publishing software, or at least a willingness to try things out. The covers were always printed on gray paper, lending consistency to the journal’s appearance over Francine’s eight years of publishing the journal, during which time it always appeared regularly. All artwork appeared in black and white (color being particular expensive at the time, before digital printing), but Francine was unwavering in showcasing visual art in each issue. She proved herself well connected poetically, too, attracting haiku and related submissions from many of the leading haiku poets of the day.

Typesetting and design was done in the early days of computers, with refinements in typography and layout evolving quietly as the years went by. A unique practice in the journal was putting the poet’s name before rather than after each poem or set of poems. This choice demonstrated Francine’s emphasis on people and community at least slightly ahead of the poetry. Issues presented a range of haiku and senryu (unsegregated from each other), together with essays, book reviews, book listings, and occasional linked verse, haibun, tanka, and news items. Some essays provoked response essays, demonstrating the community’s thoughtfulness and engagement.

Nearly all featured artists in Brussels Sprout were women. This choice would seem to be a direct result of Francine’s involvement with the Women Painters of Washington (from which she received a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004) and the National League of American Pen Women. This and the sensibilities of the two female editors (Francine and her associate editor, Connie Hutchison) at times gave the journal a feminist outlook, especially with essays and other contributions from Marlene Mountain, anne mckay, and others. Males were entirely welcome, though, and the journal projected a sense of openness, respect, and diversity. As with the Haiku Northwest organization Francine started in 1988, Brussels Sprout was dedicated to community—more artistic than scholarly, emphasizing self-expression over analysis, and the sharedness of that expression. In looking back at the journal’s genesis and growth, many current members of Haiku Northwest can say that some of their poetic connections began through the journal’s pages decades ago and are still active today. The strength of this legacy testifies not just to Francine Porad’s artistic values but to her dedication, leadership, and community-building, preserved not just in her own haiku books and painting but especially in how all her passions came together in Brussels Sprout.