"Haiku Solamente" is a reproduction of Tom Keith's handwritten booklet of haiku poems, illustrated by his daughters. The original booklet was made of paper cut from paper sacks, and the publisher wanted to keep that look, including the duct tape binding, Tom's unique handwriting, and the bindery holes punched in each page. "Haiku Solamente' contains over sixty haiku poems and nearly thirty illustrations. It is 84 pages long and published in 6 x 9 paperback form.
About the Author: Tom Keith grew up absorbing his parent's lessons from the Depression. His father sold light bulbs and candy bars door-to-door at the age of six. His mother, a Serbian immigrant, who came through Ellis Island at the age of three, dropped out of school after the 8th grade to help her father mix cement. She taught herself perfect English and corrected the grammar of her six adult children ( a doctor, a lawyer, an architect, two teachers and "other") until she died at the age of ninety. Tom had what he describes as a very successful lawn & landscape service when he was in high school during the early '60s. When one job took a bad turn, his father sued him for $3,000, which Tom fondly remembers as a priceless learning experience. Tom was introduced to haiku poetry by a favorite teacher. Almost simultaneously his father entered a new business venture, investing in the fledgling fast food industry. Tom got his first job at age eleven at the McDonald's business, in which his dad had invested. Tom's job was to empty the trash, clean the bathrooms and mop the floor. He was soon promoted to making French fries, making milkshakes, working on the grill and finally working "window". Tom is convinced that his early efforts sweeping and mopping contributed to the success and expansion of the business. As the empire grew, Tom, coming from a McDonald's family, knew that after "quality cleanliness and service" you had to get the product out in a hurry. The business's first mantra was " hustle ". Tom quips, "That probably contributed to my fondness for haiku poetry." Tom has a liberal arts education from Ohio State University that he acquired while "doing other things" during the 60s and early 70s. He also attended Paul Smith's college in the Adirondacks, where he studied Environmental Ecology and Technology. He spent two years as a military policeman. One of Tom's early and favorite jobs was serving as project supervisor for the renovation of the boarded-up Ballard Woolen Mill in the little town of Malone New York. Today it serves as a location of the North Country Community College. Tom lived a retired-like life early but became serious when he married his daughter's mother in his late twenties. He is very fond of his foster son and has two of the "best darn daughters in the whole wide world', and proudly submits his daughter's artwork as part of his book.