Made possible by a grant from past Haiku Society of America president Virginia Brady Young, the Gerald M. Brady Award for best unpublished senryu was inaugurated in 1988 in hopes of stimulating interest in this genre. The annual contest is open to all poets, who may submit up to five senryu at a time. Judges selected by the HSA Contest Coordinator award cash prizes for three top-ranked senryu and designate a number of honorable mentions.
Table of Contents
- Background
- Regulations and Procedures
- Annual Haiku Society of America Senryu Award
- 2023 HSA Senryu Award in Memorial of Gerald Brady
- 2022 HSA Senryu Awards
- 2021 HSA Senryu Awards
- Gerald M. Brady Senryu Awards, 2020
- 2019 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest
- 2018 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest
- 2017* Gerald Brady Senryu Awards
- 2016 Gerald Brady Senryu Awards
- 2015 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest
- 2014 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest
- 2013 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest
- 2012 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest
- Gerald Brady Memorial Contest for 2011
- Gerald Brady Senryu Contest for 2010
- Gerald Brady Memorial Contest for 2009
- Gerald Brady Memorial Contest for 2008
- 2007 Gerald Brady Memorial Contest
- 2006 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest
- 2005 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest
- The Gerald Brady Memorial Senryu Competition 2004
- The Gerald Brady Memorial Senryu Competition 2003
- The Gerald R. Brady Senryu Contest Awards 2002
- The Gerald Brady Memorial Senryu Competition 2001
- Gerald Brady Contest 2000 for Best Unpublished Senryu
- 1999 Gerald Brady Memorial Awards
- 1998 HSA Brady Awards
- Gerald Brady Awards for Senryu [1997]
- Gerald Brady Awards for Senryu 1996
- Gerald Brady Memorial Senryu Awards 1995
- 1994 Gerald M. Brady Memorial Senryu Awards
- 1993 Brady Memorial Awards
- 1992 Brady Senryu Contest
- 1991 Gerald Brady Memorial Senryu Contest
- 1990 Gerald Brady Memorial Awards for Senryu
- 1989 Gerald Brady Senryu Awards
- Gerald P. Brady Memorial Senryu Contest, 1988
- Sources / Further Reading
- Compiled by the Frogpond and Haikupedia Editors
Background
Beginning in 1976, the Haiku Society of America has sponsored a variety of contests for haiku and related forms. The HSA Gerald Brady Senryu Awards evolved from the older Harold G. Henderson Memorial Haiku Awards. In the 1988 running of the Henderson contest, judges Alan Pizzarelli and Anita Virgil identified three submissions they deemed to be senryu rather than haiku and awarded them special citations in lieu of honorable mentions:
| Harold G. Henderson Memorial Haiku Awards, 1988, Special Citation (3) | Carolyn Talmadge | taking time … listening to the grocery clerk |
| Elizabeth St Jacques | in the Yukon sleeping with one eye shut the summer night | |
| Bill Pauly | in soap bubbles again and again his face is broken |
In the same year, the Gerald M. Brady Award for best unpublished senryu was inaugurated. It was made possible by a grant from poet and past HSA president Virginia Brady Young in memory of her brother, who had died in World War I.
Because the general rules of the contest have been determined by the various contest coordinators (since 1994 this has been the responsibility of the HSA Second Vice President) and the judges they recruit, matters such as the definition of “senryu” and the number of awards and honorable mentions have varied from year to year. Indeed, as shown in the table of contents below, the title of this contest has varied a great deal from year to year. From 2023 the contest has been called HSA Senryu Award In Memorial of Gerald M. Brady [sic] or the Annual Haiku Society of America Senryu Award. For convenience and indexing purposes, Haikupedia refers to the contest simply as the Gerald Brady Senryu Award. There are also discrepancies between the contest results as published in the HSA journal Frogpond and those archived on the HSA website, especially in the formatting of the senryu. For Haikupedia we have generally favored the Frogpond version.
The Gerald Brady Senryu Award should not be confused with the one-off P.F.C. Gerald Brady Memorial Haiku Contest in Modern Haiku in 1970.
Regulations and Procedures
Procedures for entering the Gerald Brady Senryu Awards have been consistent over the years. This section is adapted from the 2025 contest announcement on the haiku Society of America website.
Eligibility: The contest is open to the public. HSA officers who are members of the Executive Committee are not eligible, but Regional Coordinators may enter.
Submission window: June 1–30.
Regulations: Up to 5 unpublished senryu, not submitted or under consideration for publication or to any other contest. Publication is defined as an appearance in a printed book, magazine, or journal (sold or given away), or in any online journal that presents edited periodic content. The appearance of poems in online discussion lists or personal web sites is not considered publication. Judges will be asked to disqualify any senryu that they have seen before.
Submission fees and procedures: A flat entry fee of $5 for HSA members or $10 for non-members for an entry of up to 5 senryu. There is no limit on the number of submission during the submission window.
Payment via PayPal is preferred, but regular postal mail may also be used by HSA members who lack access to email. See the website for detailed instructions on payment and submitting.
Complete the online Google submission form and send it to the Conference Coordinator (the HSA Second Vice President).
Adjudication: The names of the judge(s) will be announced after the contest.
Awards: First Prize, $200; Second Prize, $150; Third Prize, $100. Winning senryu will be published in Frogpond and on the HSA website.
Rights: All rights revert to the authors after publication.
Annual Haiku Society of America Senryu Award
| Judges | Bill Cooper, Helen Ogden | |
| Contest Coordinator | Sarah Paris | |
| Number of entries | Not stated | |
| Results published | Frogpond 47:3 (Autumn 2024); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Brad Bennett, Massachusetts | garden clean-up one invasive species roots out another |
| Second Place ($75) | Matthew Markworth, Ohio | water park grand opening a toddler finds the puddle |
| Third Place ($50) | David Green, Illinois | “on your left” the Progressive Bike Club out for a ride |
| Honorable Mentions (4, in no specific order) | Alan Bridges, Washington | two weeks after his father still in the present tense |
| Barry George, Pennsylvania | thornier this year— the hedge we share with the neighbors | |
| Greg Schwartz, Maryland | another record high the news team’s tepid banter | |
| Eric Sundquist, Virginia | a shopping mall where cotton once grew the price of a child |
2023 HSA Senryu Award in Memorial of Gerald Brady
| Judges | Julie Schwerin, Dan Schwerin | |
| Contest Coordinator | Chuck Brickley | |
| Number of entries | Not stated | |
| Results published | Frogpond 46:3 (Autumn 2023); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | John Savoie, Illinois | sexagenarian— it’s not what I thought it would be |
| Second Place ($75) | Lev Hart, Alberta |  |
| Third Place ($50) | Alvin Cruz, Manila, Philippines | coastal clean-up the message in an empty bottle |
| Honorable Mentions (3, in no specific order) | Spyros Mylonas, Tennessee | the soldiers on both sides, the shells of sunflower seeds |
| Peter Jastermsky, California | security deposit the bride hocks her husband’s ghost gun | |
| Richard L. Matta, U.S.A. | his ego dusting the mantel mallard |
2022 HSA Senryu Awards
| Judges | Lithica Ann,Joshua Gage | |
| Contest Coordinator | Chuck Brickley | |
| Number of entries | Not stated | |
| Results published | Frogpond 45:3 (Autumn 2022); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Joshua St. Claire, Pennsylvania | rocket’s red glare at low tide a coca-cola can |
| Second Place ($75) | Eric Sundquist, Virginia | kept overnight for observation phantom birdsong |
| Third Place ($50) | Aaron Barry, British Columbia | what she means by blackish half moon |
| Honorable Mentions (5, in no specific order) | Jim Chessing, California | carrion feeder the senator says it’s a mental health problem |
| Chen-ou Liu, Ontario | we slip into our mother tongues lovers’ quarrel | |
| Lorraine A Padden, California | muscle memory her ritual of braids before chemo | |
| Corine Timmer, Faro, Portugal | tiger bones steeped in rice wine my sanity | |
| David Watts, California | washing dishes my son tells me he has a boyfriend |
2021 HSA Senryu Awards
| Judges | Kelly Sauvage, Mike Rehling | |
| Contest Coordinator | Chuck Brickley | |
| Number of entries | Over 700 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 44:3 (Autumn 2021); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Amy Losak, New Jersey | brooding over world events cicadas |
| Second Place ($75) | Alvin B. Cruz, National Capital Region, Philippines | rainbow flag there is no color for who I am |
| Third Place ($50) | Spyros Mylonas, Tennessee | home movie my parents mute the sex scene |
| Honorable Mentions (8) | Greg Schwartz, Maryland | another fight— the roses from last time still blooming |
| kjmunro, Yukon Territory | conspiracy theories why you won’t return my calls | |
| Amelia Cotter, Illinois | crushed by guilt cicadas | |
| Matthew Markworth, Ohio | election night seabirds switch to the other landfill | |
| Spyros Mylonas, Tennessee | estate sale a bargain on bedpans | |
| Helen Ogden, California | falling leaves the unexpected weight of her ashes | |
| Alan S. Bridges, Massachusetts | travel ban I stroke her hair with my cursor | |
| June Rose Dowis, Louisiana | world hunger the emptiness of emojis |
Gerald M. Brady Senryu Awards, 2020
| Judges | David Grayson, J. Zimmerman | |
| Contest Coordinator | Chuck Brickley | |
| Number of entries | 703 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 44:3 (Autumn 2021); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Tony Williams | a hole in the fence, mostly on their side |
| Second Place ($75) | Suzanne Niedzielska | insomnia— lying under fleece counting wolves |
| Third Place ($50) | Barrie Levine | she died peacefully according to family whose views she detested |
| Honorable Mentions (3, in no particular order) | Jerry Levy | x plus x chromosomes she loves algebra |
| John Stevenson | haiku gathering a whole lot of shakuhachi going on | |
| Julie Schwerin | horrormones |
2019 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest
| Judges | Susan Burch, Steve Hodge | |
| Contest Coordinator | Beverly Acuff Momoi | |
| Number of entries | Not stated | |
| Results published | Frogpond 42:3 (Fall 2019); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | P M F Johnson, Minneapolis, Minnesota | refugee— where to bury his child |
| Second Place ($75) | Roberta Beary, Westport, County Mayo, Ireland | newborn the unplanned mother-in-law |
| Third Place ($50) | Annette Makino, Arcata, California | holiday letter the stories we choose not to tell |
| Honorable Mention (5, unranked) | Barry George, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | town undertaker— seeing more and more of his old friends |
| Tom Painting, Atlanta, Georgia | age spots the last banana in the bunch | |
| Jayne Miller, Hazel Green, Wisconsin | park map at the end of the day ‘You Are Here’ | |
| Mel Goldberg, Ajijic, Mexico | migrant children in cages not terrorists—yet | |
| Brad Bennett, Arlington, Massachusetts | identifying scat on the trail … election year |
2018 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest
| Judges | Deborah P Kolodji, Tom Painting | |
| Contest Coordinator | Beverly Acuff Momoi | |
| Number of entries | Not stated | |
| Results published | Frogpond 41:3 (Fall 2018); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Joshua Gage, Cleveland, Ohio | play date the awkwardness of naked Barbies |
| Second Place ($75) | Ann Magyar, Brighton, Massachusetts | graffiti I choose a bench that supports my views |
| Third Place ($50) | Jay Friedenberg, New York, New York | family reunion proof we are alone in the universe |
| Honorable Mention (2, unranked) | Jacquie Pearce, Vancouver, British Columbia | forest walk the chirp of each text |
| Marcyn Del Clements, Claremont, California | bird watching from the dentist’s chair hum of the buffer |
2017* Gerald Brady Senryu Awards
| Judges | Chuck Brickley, Julie Warther | |
| Contest Coordinator | Beverly Acuff Momoi | |
| Number of entries | 669 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 40:3 (Autumn 2017); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Sam Bateman | tangled shadows lying about what’s making them |
| Second Place ($75) | Joe McKeon | flea market we once had it all |
| Third Place ($50) | Michele Root-Bernstein | family cookout enough of everyone to go around |
| Honorable Mentions (3, unranked) | Kyle D. Craig | back pain again I pick up unsaid words |
| Joe McKeon | sunrise no one in line for tickets | |
| Roland Packer | a fish in the heron’s bill town gossip | |
| * Erroneously printed as 2016 |
2016 Gerald Brady Senryu Awards
| Judges | Paul Miller, Peter Newton | |
| Contest Coordinator | Beverly Acuff Momoi | |
| Number of entries | Over 500 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 39:3 (Autumn 2016); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Tom Painting | single again the woman in my dream |
| Second Place ($75) | John Stevenson | estate sale the hard erasers |
| Third Place ($50) | Annette Makino | sacred shrine worshippers raise their selfie sticks |
2015 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest
| Judges | Gayle Bull, Mineral Point, Wisconsin, Jerome J. Cushman, Victor, New York | |
| Contest Coordinator | Charlotte Digregorio | |
| Number of entries | 400 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 38:3 (Autumn 2015); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | paul m., Bristol, Rhode Island | grass trampled by demonstrators Earth Day |
| Second Place ($75) | Jay Friedenberg, New York, New York | Independence Day parade a child marches in the wrong direction |
| Third Place ($50) | Margaret Chula, Portland, Oregon | sleepless and alone I search for new friends on Facebook |
2014 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest
| Judges | Charlotte Digregorio, Winnetka, Illinois, John J. Dunphy, Alton, Illinois | |
| Contest Coordinator | Sari Grandstaff | |
| Number of entries | Not stated | |
| Results published | Frogpond 37:3 (Autumn 2014); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Neal Whitman, Pacific Grove, California | night crossing Tijuana border guard in sunglasses |
| Second Place ($75) | John Stevenson, Nassau, New York | small town the same dream as last night |
| Third Place ($50) | Susan Burch, Hagerstown, Maryland | half-empty cup I decide I’ve had enough of you |
2013 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest
| Judges | Alan S. Bridges, Littleton, Massachusetts, Michele L. Harvey, Hamilton, New York | |
| Contest Coordinator | Sari Grandstaff | |
| Number of entries | Not stated | |
| Results published | Frogpond 36:3 (Autumn 2013); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Peter Newton, Winchendon, Massachusetts | middle age in the mirror the turn toward it |
| Second Place ($75) | Marilyn Appl Walker, Madison, Georgia | wedding day the time he takes to knot the tie |
| Third Place ($50) | John Stevenson, Nassau, New York | stick figures including one i recognize |
| Honorable Mentions (4, unranked) | Michelle Schaefer, Bothell, Washington | boy girl party the slow speed of the blender |
| Julie Warther, Dover, Ohio | life and death decisions the need to feel the satin lining | |
| Ernest Berry, Blenheim, New Zealand | perfect storm the perfume not hers | |
| Jayne Miller, Hazel Green, Wisconsin | phantom pain— the shape of her in a stranger |
2012 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest
| Judges | Susan Constable, Nanoose Bay, British Columbia, Susan Antolin, Walnut Creek, California | |
| Contest Coordinator | Sari Grandstaff | |
| Number of entries | Approximately 350 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 36:1 (Winter 2013); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Julie Warther, Dover, Ohio | death watch she dies peacefully in their sleep |
| Second Place ($75) | Michele L. Harvey, Hamilton, New York | rain gauge the pastor talks about grief |
| Third Place ($50) | Terri L. French, Huntsville, Alabama | waiting room— a fly climbs the stairs on an Escher print |
| Honorable Mentions (3, unranked) | Terri L. French, Huntsville, Alabama | my third glass of wine the mosquito comes back for seconds |
| Tom Painting, Atlanta, Georgia | philosophy class I talk myself into a comer | |
| Jim Kacian, Winchester, Virginia | Old Faithful the crowd arrives right on time |
Gerald Brady Memorial Contest for 2011
| Judges | Eve Luckring, Los Angeles, California, Chad Lee Robinson, Pierre, South Dakota | |
| Contest Coordinator | John Stevenson | |
| Number of entries | Not stated | |
| Results published | Frogpond 35:1 (Winter 2012)*; Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Prize ($100) | Ernest J. Berry, Picton, New Zealand | undressing the summer wind turns color |
| Second Prize ($75) | Susan Marie LaVallee, Kailua, Hawaii | Father’s Day— a potato without a face |
| Third Prize ($50) | Sheila K. Barksdale, Gainesville, Florida | stirring my coffee every which way flamenco |
| Honorable Mentions (3, unranked) | Bett Angel-Stawarz, Barmera, Australia | a watermelon smile drips off the end of my elbows |
| Alan S. Bridges, Littleton, Massachusetts | Trick-or-Treat a sailboat’s name reflects in the sea | |
| Carolyn Hall, San Francisco, California | Martin Luther King Day I readjust my rear-view mirror | |
| * Note: All winning senryu in the Frogpond report are presented as one-liners. |
Gerald Brady Senryu Contest for 2010
| Judges | Linda Jeannette Ward, North Carolina and Marsh Muirhead, Minnesota | |
| Contest Coordinator | John Stevenson | |
| Number of entries | 525 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 34:1 (Winter 2011); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Garry Gay, California | my skeleton going for a walk in the cemetery |
| Second Place ($75) | Roberta Beary. District of Columbia | mother’s day she puts me on hold |
| Third Place ($50) | Cathy Drinkwater Better, Maryland | final note my g-string too tight |
| Honorable Mentions (4) | Garry Gay, California | wishbone as we pull it apart I change my mind |
| Neal Whitman, California | my blind date disarming the alarm she invites me in | |
| Julie Warther, Ohio | graveside service no one wants to leave first | |
| Roland Packer, Ontario | soothsayer by appointment only |
Gerald Brady Memorial Contest for 2009
| Judges | W. F. Owen, Johnny Baranski | |
| Contest Coordinator | Francine Banwarth | |
| Number of entries | 364 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 33:1 (Winter 2010); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Barry George, Pennsylvania | the stylist rinses away the sound of her voice |
| Second Place ($75) | Marilyn Appl Walker, Georgia | their first Thanksgiving posing together with the turkey |
| Third Place ($50) | Kathe L. Palka, New Jersey | graduation day in the gait of our son your younger stride |
| Honorable Mentions (2, in alphabetical order) | Carolyn Hall, California | Kona Wind an ocean between me and my worries |
| Bill Pauly, Iowa | new bride— the squeak of her sweet corn being shucked |
Gerald Brady Memorial Contest for 2008
| Judges | Alexis Rotella, Maryland Scott Mason, New York | |
| Contest Coordinator | Francine Banwarth | |
| Number of entries | 470 senryu from 93 writers | |
| Results published | Frogpond 32:1 (Winter 2009); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | David P. Grayson, California | street corner memorial— my four-year-old asks for the balloon |
| Second Place ($75) | Michael Dylan Welch, Washington | busy Italian restaurant— happy birthday sung to the wrong table |
| Third Place ($50) | Margaret Chula, Oregon | Tokyo vending machine the long line behind the foreigner |
| Honorable Mentions (4, unranked) | Kenneth Elba Carrier, Massachusetts | old palm reader . . . my life line her longest yet |
| Marian Olson, New Mexico | engagement ring he decides it looks real enough | |
| Catherine J.S. Lee, Maine | parade march— the old vet with canes refuses to ride | |
| Robert Mainone, Michigan | first day of school her brother’s backpack with legs |
2007 Gerald Brady Memorial Contest
| Judges | Ce Rosenow , Francine Banwarth | |
| Contest Coordinator | Francine Banwarth | |
| Number of entries | 453 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 31:1 (Winter 2008); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Scott Mason | inviting aromas … the hostess asks will it be just me |
| Second Place ($75) | Scott Mason | our pilot hopes to see us again real soon the intercom clicks |
| Third Place ($50) | Carolyn Hall | candlelight dinner she fingers the rose to see if it’s real |
| Honorable Mentions (4, unranked) | Collin Barber | stale cookie I give away the fortune |
| Ernest J. Berry | wrong date the thickening skin on her latte | |
| Anne Maud Godles | a new boyfreind the same lingerie enticing again | |
| Marylouise Knight | feeling the shape of the wrapped gift I put on a polite face |
2006 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest
| Judges | Claire Gallagher, Carolyn Hall | |
| Contest Coordinator | Marlene Egger | |
| Number of entries | 406 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 30:1 (Winter 2007); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Roberta Beary | first date— the little pile of anchovies |
| Second Place ($75) | Daniel Liebert | mistaking telephone for doorbell I let loneliness in |
| Third Place ($50) | Kenneth Elba Carrier | arguing— a deaf man grabs the other’s hands |
| First Honorable Mention | Kenneth Elba Carrier | crossing the hopscotch the two old women avoid the lines |
| Second Honorable Mention | C. R. Manley | dentist’s obituary— common interests we could never talk about |
| Third Honorable Mention | Garry Gay | As if it were spring the green mold on the cheese |
| Fourth Honorable Mention | Roland Packer | psychic fair she brushes some dirt from the cards |
2005 Gerald Brady Senryu Contest
| Judges | an’ya, Carlos Colón | |
| Contest Coordinator | Marlene Egger | |
| Number of entries | 458 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 29:1 (Winter 2006); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Emily Romano | centerfold: the model’s navel off-center |
| Second Place ($75) | Ron Moss | day moon a fresh tattoo rises out of her jeans |
| Third Place ($50) | Susan Antolin | Independence Day I struggle to free myself from a wet bathing suit |
| First Honorable Mention | Ron Moss | fresh blueberries a ‘gothic’ teenager darkens her lips |
| Second Honorable Mention (tie) | Scott Mason | switchbacks— five or six cub scouts an octave higher |
| James Fowler | my father and I paint the barn compare wars | |
| Third Honorable Mention | Evelyn H. Hermann | picnic in the sun-dappled courtyard my freckled banana |
The Gerald Brady Memorial Senryu Competition 2004
| Judges | Terry Ann Carter, Claudia Coutu | |
| Contest Coordinator | Marlene Egger | |
| Number of entries | 569 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 28:1 (2005); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | John Stevenson | in the dream my dog has a whistle only I can hear |
| Second Place ($75) | Emily Romano | rodeo cowboy hopefully clutching a handful of sky |
| Third Place ($50) | J. Daniel Beaudry | two-way glass— the patient waits inside the therapist’s reflection |
| Honorable Mentions (6) | Robert Bauer | rush hour the blonde in a Porsche peels an orange |
| Bill Pauly | grinding sausage meat she recounts the times her husband cheated | |
| Jeanne Harrington | conservatory, the carnivorous plants behind glass | |
| Marilyn Appl Walker | grocery shopping— his python tattoo squeezes the Charmin | |
| Frank Walsh | on display: her small and firm opinion of men | |
| Carl Patrick | scar on her cheek she gets her lipstick just right |
The Gerald Brady Memorial Senryu Competition 2003
| Judges | Ellen Compton, Roberta Beary | |
| Contest Coordinator | Tom Painting | |
| Number of entries | 526 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 27:1 (©2003); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | W. F. Owen, Antelope, California | aftershock the picture on the wall straightens |
| Second Place ($75) | Carlos Colón, Shreveport, Louisiana | in the middle of making love counting syllables |
| Third Place ($50) | R. A. Stefanac, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | nudist camp where to begin with the sunblock |
| Honorable Mentions (3, unranked) | Zhanna Rader, Athens, Georgia | Clothesline— the shirt shows off its biceps |
| Bob Boni, Morristown, New Jersey | open mike night the audience goes dead | |
| Carolyn Hall, San Francisco, California | getting acquainted— I learn another name for wild radish |
The Gerald R. Brady Senryu Contest Awards 2002
| Judges | Pamela A. Babusci, Tom Painting | |
| Contest Coordinator | Jeffrey Winke | |
| Number of entries | 514 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 26:1 (2003); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | W. F. Owen | divorced she cleans the ring around the tub |
| Second Place ($75) | Heather Basile | after lovemaking returning to ourselves |
| Third Place ($50) | Art Stein | nest of black hair secured with bail-point pens office geisha |
| Honorable Mention (2, unordered) | Marilyn Taylor | naked at the ironing board concentrating on a crease |
| W. F. Owen | round and round debating circumcision |
The Gerald Brady Memorial Senryu Competition 2001
| Judges | Barbara Ressler, Bill Pauly | |
| Contest Coordinator | John Stevenson | |
| Number of entries | 574 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 25:1 (2002); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($150) | Billie Wilson, Juneau, Alaska | freezing wind— the body builder pumps gas in a muscle shirt |
| Second Place ($100) | W. F. Owen, Antelope, California | werewolf movie at the commercial letting the dog out |
| Third Place ($50) | Janeth H. Ewald, Saint Helena, California | winter rain holding the umbrella over the dachshund—pissing |
| Honorable Mentions (7, alphabetical by author) | Greeba Brydges-Jones, Christchurch, New Zealand | birthmark removed she saves up for a blue tattoo |
| Richard Burri, Los Angeles, California | Denver McDonald’s … The specials on the window Paint out the mountain | |
| Carlos Colón, Shreveport, Louisiana | late February a statue of Houdini encased in ice | |
| Garry Gay, Santa Rosa, California | 30-year reunion he still hits on her | |
| Barry George, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | snow buntings— his new bride waits in the car | |
| W. F. Owen, Antelope, California | prostate exam the doctor and I trade jabs | |
| R. A. Stefanac, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | nude ballet the composer adds extra notes |
Gerald Brady Contest 2000 for Best Unpublished Senryu
| Judges | Tom Lynch, Las Cruces, New Mexico, Paul O. Williams, Belmont, California | |
| Contest Coordinator | John Stevenson | |
| Number of entries | Not stated | |
| Results published | Frogpond 24:1 (2001); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Yvonne Hardenbrook, Columbus, Ohio | |
| Second Place ($75) | Robert J. Guarnier, Syracuse, New York | in the midway sun corn-on-the-cob customers grinning ear to ear |
| Third Place ($50) | LeRoy Gorman, Napanee, Ontario, Canada | school library such quiet books |
| Honorable Mentions (7, alphabetical by author | Garry Gay, Windsor, California | At the fence they sit on their tractors talking hay |
| Timothy I. Mize, Yukon, Ohio | three surgeons five nurses wrong leg | |
| Marian Olson, Santa Fe, New Mexico | Full moon— I iron a wrinkle into his pants | |
| Michael Dylan Welch, Foster City, California | Valentine’s Day— she reminds me to fasten my seatbelt | |
| Michael Dylan Welch, Foster City, California | before the guests arrive I straighten the straight cushions | |
| Michael Dylan Welch, Foster City, California | a lull in her hands— the hairstylist asks how I part my hair | |
| Valorie Broadhurst Woerdehoff, Dubuque, Iowa | your fingers touch me . . . sunlight on the tree moves down the trunk |
1999 Gerald Brady Memorial Awards
| Judges | John Stevenson, Larry Kimmel | |
| Contest Coordinator | Alice Benedict | |
| Number of entries | 523 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 22:3 (Autumn 1999); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Leatrice Lifshitz, Pomona, New York | in one room everything she has and a window |
| Second Place ($75) | Garry Gay, Windsor, California | Floating in the dishwater a pair of chopsticks |
| Third Place ($50) | Jeff Witkin, Rockville, Maryland | serious she takes off her sunglasses to speak english |
| Honorable Mentions (4, in random order) | Ernest Berry, Picton, New Zealand | nude beach an empty bikini turns me on |
| John Barlow, Liverpool, England | dropping valentine chocolates he quickly swaps them for another box | |
| Carolyn Hall, San Francisco, California | leaning back in their chairs old friends reunited | |
| Theresa Mormino, Shreveport, Louisiana | saving her best dishes for a better day my eighty-year-old mother |
1998 HSA Brady Awards
| Judges | Jeanne Cassler, Carlos Colón | |
| Contest Coordinator | Alice Benedict | |
| Number of entries | Not stated | |
| Results published | Frogpond 21:3 (Autumn 1998); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Carl Patrick, Brooklyn, New York | fireflies my neighbor has more |
| Second Place ($75) | D. Claire Gallagher, Sunnyvale, California | blowing out one birthday candle the whole family |
| Third Place ($50) | John Stevenson, Nassau, New York | “Just Married” the attendant pumping too much gas |
| Honorable Mentions (in order of merit) | Diane Tomczak, Midland, Michigan | family reunion everywhere I look my old nose |
| Lee Gurga, Lincoln, Illinois | identical twins— their hair neatly parted on opposite sides | |
| David Gershator, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands | at tbe flea market looking through books I gave away | |
| Sandra Fuhringer, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada | nightfall the zookeeper lets himself out |
Gerald Brady Awards for Senryu [1997]
| Judges | Michael Dylan Welch , Ce Rosenow | |
| Contest Coordinator | Not stated | |
| Number of entries | 454 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 20:2 (September 1997); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | John Stevenson, Nassau, New York | tourist town postcards of the waterfall racked upside down |
| Second Place ($75) | Paul Watsky, San Francisco, California | carrying their canes two old women lean on one another |
| Third Place ($50) | Jeffrey Witkin, Rockville, Maryland | first date— in the parking lot our car doors touch |
| Honorable Mentions (in reverse alphabetical order) | Diane Tomczak, Midland, Michigan | parents coaxing baby to eat mouths wide open |
| Francine Porad, Mercer Island, Washington | handsome vendor my name on a grain of rice | |
| J. Lent, Kent, Ohio | driving lesson done father and daughter run fingers through their hair |
Gerald Brady Awards for Senryu 1996
| Judges | Yvonne Hardenbrook, Tom Clausen | |
| Contest Coordinator | Not stated | |
| Number of entries | 462 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 19:3 (December 1996); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Sandra Fuhringer | reconciliation the candle between us sputters |
| Second Place ($75) | Paul Watsky | his ashes scattered what to do with the box |
| Third Place ($50) | John Stevenson | nude beach his enormous sand castle |
| Honorable Mentions (5, in alphabetical order) | Helen Dalton | letting the dog out letting the dog in wrong dog |
| D. Claire Gallagher | A gusting breeze— the comet wobbles in my binoculars | |
| Marianna Monaco | long walk home— kicking a stone for company | |
| John Stevenson | Christmas Day the exchange of custody | |
| John Stevenson | honeymoon trip he refuses to stop for directions |
Gerald Brady Memorial Senryu Awards 1995
| Judges | Ebba Story, Tom Clausen | |
| Contest Coordinator | Barbara Ressler | |
| Number of entries | Not stated | |
| Results published | Frogpond 18:3 (Autumn 1995); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Michael Dylan Welch | clicking off the late movie … the couch cushion reinflates |
| Second Place ($75) | Connie Meester | opening night … missing the entrance of the night blooming cereus |
| Third Place ($50) | Donna Claire Gallagher | Forgetting his underwear— the one with so many frequent flier miles |
| Honorable Mentions (4, in alphabetical order) | Donna Claire Gallagher | summer concert— fanning myself faster during the scherzo |
| John Stevenson | overmatched boxer his eyes closed before the fight | |
| Elizabeth St Jacques | yard sale: she takes the baby crib back into the house | |
| Diane Tomczak | his toe answers mine a truce begins |
1994 Gerald M. Brady Memorial Senryu Awards
| Judges | Kay F. Anderson, Valorie Broadhurst Woerdehoff | |
| Contest Coordinator | Barbara Ressler | |
| Number of entries | 343 | |
| Results published | Frogpond 17:3 (Autumn 1994); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | David Carmel Gershator | making sure nothing grows the rock gardener |
| Second Place ($75) | John Stevenson | too quick to reply cutting my tongue on the envelope |
| Third Place ($50) | Lynda La Rocca | Grandfather’s funeral Cousin Kate, air kissing, Spies a mirror, checks her makeup. |
| First Honorable Mention | Marilyn Taylor | in a semi-circle retired sisters watch “Wheel of Fortune” |
| Second Honorable Mention | Mark Arvid White | dissatisfied with her Virgo horoscope she tries Pisces |
| Third Honorable Mention | Lawrence Rungren | first time at the zoo—my son watches the people |
| Fourth Honorable Mention | Jim Kacian | antiquities room the curator asks “So what’s new?” |
1993 Brady Memorial Awards
| Judges | Yvonne Hardenbrook, Barbara Ressler | |
| Contest Coordinator | Dee Evetts | |
| Number of entries | Not stated | |
| Results published | Frogpond 16:2 (Fall–Winter 1993); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Tom Clausen | meeting her boyfriend our handshake out of synch |
| Second Place ($75) | Leatrice Lifshitz | from the Holy Land he sends a postcard of cracks two thousand years old |
| Third Place ($50) | Makiko | Polaroid of her lover coming clearer with time |
| Honorable Mentions (4) | Peter Duppenthaler | visitor’s day buttons just right her dress inside out |
| Garry Gay | Blueberries we show each other our tongues | |
| Margaret Peacock | battered child … kicking the swing higher | |
| Michael Dylan Welch | a pause in the lecture— all at once three students cross their legs |
1992 Brady Senryu Contest
| Judges | Arizona Zipper, Dorothy Howard | |
| Contest Coordinator | Minna Lerman | |
| Number of entries | Not stated | |
| Results published | Frogpond 15:2 (Fall–Winter 1992); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($150) | Christopher Herold | cropped grass— 𝛑r²= the tethered goat |
| Second Place ($100) | Helen L. Shaffer | whacking the bat with a broom, she says they attack people |
| Third Place ($50) | vincent tripi | Clear about everything the window washer |
1991 Gerald Brady Memorial Senryu Contest
| Judges | Peggy Lyles, Gary Hotham | |
| Contest Coordinator | Not stated | |
| Number of entries | Not stated | |
| Results published | Frogpond 14:4 (Winter 1991); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Leatrice Lifshitz | dining out— next to the window her coat |
| Second Place ($75) | Carol Montgomery | late spring blossoms the silhouette artist facing another ponytail |
| Third Place ($50) | Marlina Rinzen | balloon man selling pins for popping |
1990 Gerald Brady Memorial Awards for Senryu
| Judges | Lee Gurga, Barbara Ressler | |
| Contest Coordinator | Not stated | |
| Number of entries | Not stated | |
| Results published | Frogpond 13:4 (November 1990); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | John Thompson | On the same bus the same strangers as yesterday |
| Second Place ($75) | Michael Howell | New neighbor eyeing the worn path between our houses |
| Third Place ($50) | Michael Howell | a man swept by in a wave rising, falling sees us see him drown |
| Honorable Mentions (6) | Lesley Einer | fingering my tattoo granddaughter asks when she can have numbers |
| Kenneth Leibman | the words unspoken … waiting for the toast to pop up | |
| LeRoy Gorman | drilling deeper my dentist talks me into Amnesty International | |
| Anita Krumins | Methodical husband: On his list of chores, she finds Her name | |
| LeRoy Gorman | running down FIGHT ILLITERACY the gang’s red paint | |
| Brenda S. Duster | drunken sailor loses both shoes tying one on |
1989 Gerald Brady Senryu Awards
| Judges | Chief Judge: Frederick Gasser Judge: Don McLeod Judge: Hiroaki Sato | |
| Contest Coordinator | Not stated | |
| Number of entries | Not stated | |
| Results published | Frogpond 12:4 (November 1989); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| First Place ($100) | Brenda S. Duster | eating alone my alphabet soup speaks to me |
| Second Place ($50) | Joe Nutt | lunch with her lover’s wife leftovers |
| Third Place ($25) | Garry Gay | Hole in the ozone my bald spot … sunburned |
| First Honorable Mention ($10) | Sheldon Young | after kindling his passion … she lights his cigarette |
| Second Honorable Mention ($10) | David Elliott | Nurses’ Station— above the heart monitors a soap opera |
| Third Honorable Mention ($10) | Dee Evetts | how desirable in the thrift shop window my old Mah-Johng set |
Gerald P. Brady Memorial Senryu Contest, 1988
| Judge | R.W. Grandinetti Rader | |
| Contest Coordinator | ||
| Number of entries | ||
| Results published | Frogpond 11:2 (May 1988); Senryu Awards archive, HSA website | |
| Award Winner ($25) | Frederick Gasser | hopscotch— a one-legged man raises cane |
| Funner-Up 1* | Charles D Nethaway, Jr. | young lawyer— his briefs in the snow |
| Funner-Up 2 | Dee Evetts | in his mother’s house he walks into the cobweb she underlooked |
| Funner-Up 3 | Caroline G. Banks | Feel the warmth of Basho’s frogpond just xeroxed |
| Funner-Up 4 | Carol Montgomery | behind shadow-proof blinds the calligrapher’s word processor |
| * “Funner-Up” sic. |
Sources / Further Reading
- Haiku Society of America website.
- Haiku Society of America Twentieth Anniversary Book Committee, eds. A Haiku Path: The Haiku Society of America 1968–1988. New York: Haiku Society of America, 1994.
Related Haikupedia Articles
Haiku Society of America
HSA Bernard Lionel Einbond Renku Award
HSA Haibun Award
HSA Harold G. Henderson Haiku Award
HSA Merit Book Award
Museum of Haiku Literature Award—Frogpond
Nicholas A. Virgilio Memorial Student Haiku and Senryu Awards