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WT’s Haiku Death Match Set for Nov. 2

Haiku Generic
Chip Chandler Oct 23, 2025
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WT’s Haiku Death Match Set for Nov. 2

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

 

CANYON, Texas — Poets will compete / In a bloodless bout royale / To claim haiku’s crown.

West Texas A&M University’s Department of English, Philosophy and Modern Languages once again will host the Haiku Death Match, pitting competitors against each other in a tournament to find the best haiku of the year.

The contest is set for noon Nov. 2 in the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts Complex Recital Hall.

“It’s a March Madness-style competition in which participants recite haiku in bracketed rounds,” said Dr. Sarah J. Sprouse, assistant professor of English. “The haiku can be beautiful, profound or simply silly.”

Poets—either WT-affiliated or from the general public—should bring several haiku or be prepared to pen one on the spot.

The top three competitors, selected by a panel of judges, will win prizes from Burrowing Owl Books, the event’s sponsor.

Participants and spectators also will enjoy a free pizza lunch.

For information, email Sprouse at ssprouse@wtamu.edu.

Fostering an appreciation of the arts is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign has raised more than $175 million and will continue through 2025.

 

 

About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M University is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. A Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The University also is home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

 

—WT—