Six volumes of innovative tanka have been published in Bright Stars so far this year. Fresh new forms have been tried, emerging voices heard, and inventive collaborations have unfolded. Tanka poets from around the world have met in the pages of the anthology, learned from one another, inspired each other, and stimulated each other to new expressions. Young and old, male and female, expert and novice, they have all contributed to the magnificent and fecund variety of tanka, kyoka, sedoka, and longer forms herein. Bright Stars is the guiding light for tanka in the 21st century.