# Deborah P Kolodji > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Deborah_P_Kolodji > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Deborah_P_Kolodji.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_P_Kolodji > Source revision: 1255632524 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Deborah P Kolodji** ([née](/source/Birth_name) **Deborah Pauline Anderson**; August 11, 1959 – July 21, 2024) was an American [haiku](/source/Haiku) poet.[1][2] ## Biography ### Early life Kolodji was born and raised in [Southern California](/source/Southern_California). She took an interest in poetry before she learned to read, enjoying the rhythms of nursery rhymes recited aloud.[3] Kolodji wrote poetry from an early age, including *[Star Trek](/source/Star_Trek)*-inspired verse as a teenager which appeared in fanzines in the 1970s.[4] She credited a junior high school math and science teacher with a passion for poetry with encouraging her interest in formal verse in general,[3] but stated that it was only as an adult that she came to take a specific interest in the haiku form.[5] ### Education and career In 1981, Kolodji obtained a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the [University of Southern California](/source/University_of_Southern_California).[6] In addition to her career as a poet, she has worked in information technology.[7][1] Kolodji made her first professional poetry sale in 1992. She began publishing poetry in the genres of science fiction and fantasy the following year.[4] Hundreds of Kolodji's haiku and other short-form poems have since appeared in numerous anthologies and literary journals.[8] She edited or co-edited several anthologies of English-language haiku, including *Eclipse Moon* (2017, with [William Scott Galasso](/source/William_Scott_Galasso)). She also acted as editor of *[Amaze: The Cinquain Journal](/source/Amaze:_The_Cinquain_Journal)*, which she co-founded.[9] Kolodji was also the editor or co-editor of multiple anthologies of [speculative verse](/source/Speculative_poetry), including several volumes of the annual *[Dwarf Stars](/source/Dwarf_Stars_Award)* anthologies collecting nominees for year's best very short science fiction and fantasy poetry[10] and an issue of online speculative poetry journal *[Eye to the Telescope](/source/Eye_to_the_Telescope_(magazine)),*[11] a publication which she founded alongside [Samantha Henderson](/source/Samantha_Henderson).[1] Kolodji was president of the [Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association](/source/Science_Fiction_Poetry_Association) for five years,[3] stepping down from the post in 2011.[12] She also served as moderator of the [Southern California Haiku Study Group](/source/Southern_California_Haiku_Study_Group) at the [USC Pacific Asia Museum](/source/USC_Pacific_Asia_Museum) in [Pasadena](/source/Pasadena,_California)[6] and the California Regional Coordinator for the [Haiku Society of America](/source/Haiku_Society_of_America).[8] From 2016 to 2024, Kolodji was also a board member of [Haiku North America](/source/Haiku_North_America), a biennial conference devoted to haiku poetry. ### Marriage and children Kolodji divorced in 1992. She has two sons and a daughter.[4] Two of her children are also published haiku poets.[3] ### Illness and death Kolodji underwent treatment for cancer and other health issues for many years.[2] She was in her [Temple City](/source/Temple_City,_California), California home when she died on July 21, 2024.[13] Her final published book, *Vital Signs*, is a collection of haiku inspired by her experiences combatting cancer.[14] ## Published works ### Poetry collections *Vital Signs* (Cuttlefish Books, 2024) *Distance* (Shabda Press, 2023, co-authored with [Mariko Kitakubo](/source/Mariko_Kitakubo)) *Tug of a Black Hole* (Title IX Press, 2021) *Highway of Sleeping Towns* (Shabda Press, 2016) *Red Planet Dust* (2007) *Symphony of the Universe* (Sam's Dot Publishing, 2006) *Unfinished Book* (Shadows Ink Publications, 2006) *Seaside Moon* (Saki Press, 2004) ## Recognition Kolodji's haiku collection *Highway of Sleeping Towns* was the recipient of a 2016 [Touchstone Distinguished Books Award](/source/Touchstone_Award)[15] and received an honorable mention in the Haiku Society of America's 2017 Merit Book Awards.[16] Kolodji's fantasy [scifaiku](/source/Scifaiku) "Basho After Cinderella (iii)" placed first in the 2013 Dwarf Stars Awards[10] and was collected in *[Nebula Awards Showcase 2015](/source/Nebula_Awards_Showcase_2015)*. Kolodji's poem "Wildfire," written in collaboration with [Billie Dee](/source/Billie_Dee), won in the Rengay category of the [Haiku Poets of Northern California](/source/Haiku_Poets_of_Northern_California) contest in 2020.[17] The following year, her poem "Perseverance," another collaboration with Billie Dee, placed third in the Haiku Society of America Rengay Awards.[18] ## References 1. ["Deborah P Kolodji"](https://haikupedia.org/article-haikupedia/deborah-p-kolodji/). *Haikupedia: The Haiku Foundation Encyclopedia of Haiku*. 1 Sep 2021. 1. ["Deborah P Kolodji"](https://thehaikufoundation.org/poet-details/?IDclient=261). *The Haiku Foundation*. Retrieved August 19, 2024. 1. Wilson, Kathabela (July 22, 2017). ["Mapping the Artist: Deborah P Kolodji"](https://www.coloradoboulevard.net/mapping-artist-deborah-p-kolodji/). *Colorado Boulevard* 1. Wilson, Stephen M. (May 2007). "Interview with Deborah P Kolodji". *Doorways: A Journal of Horror and the Paranormal*. **2**. Union City, Ohio: Doorways Publications. 1. Kolodji, Deborah P (2004). *Seaside Moon*. Saki Press. pp. Introduction. 1. Boston, Michelle (26 June 2014). "The Art of Haiku". *USC Dornsife* 1. Kolodji, Deborah P (2004). *Seaside Moon*. Saki Press. pp. About the author. 1. Mannone, John C. (Feb 24, 2015). ["Interview with Deborah P Kolodji"](http://www2.silverblade.net/2015/02/interview-with-deborah-p-kolodji/). *Silver Blade* 1. McClintock, Michael (ed.) (2003). *The Tanka Anthology: Tanka in English from Around the World*. Red Moon Press. pp. xvi. 1. ["The Dwarf Stars Award"](https://sfpoetry.com/dwarfstars.html). *Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association* 1. ["Our Staff"](https://eyetothetelescope.com/masthead.html). *Eye to the Telescope* 1. ["SFPA Officers and Staff"](https://sfpoetry.com/officers.html). *Science Fiction & Fantasy Poetry Association* 1. ["Deborah P. Kolodji (1959-2024)"](https://locusmag.com/2024/08/deborah-p-kolodji-1959-2024/). *Locus: The Magazine of the Science Fiction & Fantasy Field*. August 5, 2024. Retrieved August 19, 2024. 1. Kolodji, Deborah P. (17 February 2024). [*Vital Signs*](https://books.google.com/books?id=8gKN0AEACAAJ). Cuttlefish Books. ISBN 978-1-7350257-8-0. Retrieved August 19, 2024. 1. ["Touchstone Awards for 2016"](https://thehaikufoundation.org/touchstone-awards-for-2016/). *The Haiku Foundation* 1. ["Complete Archive of Merit Book Awards"](https://www.hsa-haiku.org/meritbookawards/merit-book_archive.htm). *Haiku Society of America* 1. ["Haiku Poets of Northern California Contest 2020"](https://www.hpnc.org/2020). *Haiku Poets of Northern California* 1. ["Haiku Society of America Rengay Award in Honor of Garry Gay"](https://www.hsa-haiku.org/rengayawards/rengay.htm). *Haiku Society of America* --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Deborah P Kolodji](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_P_Kolodji) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deborah_P_Kolodji?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.