Jacob D. Salzer grew up in the Pacific Northwest. He has been writing haiku and related forms since 2006, when he took a haiku class at The Evergreen State College: The Way of Haiku and Haibun taught by Kate Crow. Since that time, Jacob has published his haiku, tanka, and haibun in numerous journals. He is the author of Mare Liberum: Haiku & Tanka and the co-author of Echoes: A Collection of Linked-Verse Poetry with Michelle Hyatt.

Jacob is the founder & editor of the Haiku Poet Interviews Blog, dedicated to interviewing haiku poets internationally: https://haikupoetinterviews.wordpress.com

Jacob has served as an HSA (Haiku Society of America) haiku mentor since 2021. He also serves as commentator for the Haiku Commentary blog along with the editors Nicholas Klacsanzky and Hifsa Ashraf: https://haikucommentary.wordpress.com/.

He served as the managing editor of two Haiku Nook anthologies: Yanty’s Butterfly (dedicated to haiku poet Yanty Tjiam) and Half A Rainbow (dedicated to haiku poet Rachel Sutcliffe). Jacob is also an active member of the Portland Haiku Group, where he served as the managing editor of the Portland Haiku Group anthology, New Bridges, dedicated to haiku poet Johnny Baranski. He is currently editing another Haiku Nook international haiku anthology, Desert Rain.

Jacob enjoys spending time with his friends and family and has several interests, including: painting, drawing, photography, music, poetry, meditation, indigenous culture, exercise, nutrition, neurobiology, medical coding, reading, editing, professional networking, and social activism. As a musician, he enjoys playing piano, guitar and tabla drums from India. He frequently utilizes Americans of Conscience to advocate for a better U.S. and world: https://americansofconscience.com/.

Inspired by the Great Seal of the United States, E Pluribus Unum, a Latin phrase that translates to: Out of Many, One, Jacob values respect and diversity, and is dedicated to creating new bridges and community in a world that far too often appears violent and fragmented.

Jacob frequently writes about water and his favorite color is blue. Unplugged— is his second collection of haiku and tanka inspired by Mother Earth and his friend Michelle Hyatt.

To read more of Jacob’s poetry, please visit:

https://jsalzer.wixsite.com/mareliberumhaiku