Thomas L. Vaultonburg
Thomas L. Vaultonburg
Poet • Haikuist • Editor • Independent Publisher
Poet • Haikuist • Editor • Independent Publisher
Thomas L. Vaultonburg is an American poet, haikuist, editor, and independent publisher based in Rockford, Illinois. Active in independent publishing and literary magazines since 1990, Vaultonburg's poetry and haiku have appeared in more than 250 literary journals, magazines, anthologies, and collections worldwide. His work includes contemporary English-language haiku, short-form poetry, free verse, prose, collaborative writing, and interdisciplinary projects combining poetry with photography and visual art.
Vaultonburg is the founder of Zombie Logic Press and co-founder of Wolf Twin Books with artist and designer Tré. His books include Vanished Roads (Wolf Twin Books, 2026), Small Songs for Weary Travelers (2023), Moonscape: Haiku Phase I (2022), Tea With the Tigress (2023), Submerged Structure (2012), Flesh Wounds (2011), Detached Retinas (1997), and Atrocious Poems A to Z (2017). He is also co-author of the collaborative novel Necromancers Don't Read Toe Tags (2026).
His recent haiku is closely associated with Prairie Zen, his term for an approach to haiku centered on direct observation, Midwestern landscapes, ordinary and overlooked environments, seasonal change, impermanence, and the relationship between human-made and natural spaces. This work includes Vanished Roads and the collaborative projects Hike You!: Six Years of Photographs and Haiku from the Heart of Rockford, with photographer Ryan Davis, and SECOND NATURE, a collaboration pairing Vaultonburg and his partner at Wolf Twin Books Tré's haiku with salvaged-metal sculpture by Michael Zant.
This website documents Thomas L. Vaultonburg's books, literary chronology, journal publications, anthology appearances, haiku, Prairie Zen writing, collaborative projects, exhibitions, reviews, interviews, institutional records, and external bibliographic sources.
Current Work
Thomas L. Vaultonburg's current work centers on contemporary English-language haiku, short-form poetry, nature writing, collaborative art, and the continuing development of Prairie Zen. His 2026 activities include publication, exhibitions, literary collaborations, and work toward future collections based on the landscapes and communities of northern Illinois.
Vanished Roads, published by Wolf Twin Books in 2026, contains 104 haiku and short poems with cover design and eight original illustrations by Tré. The collection follows a sequence moving through grief, impermanence, observation, and renewal. In 2026, Vaultonburg's haiku has also appeared or been accepted for publication in journals and collections including Presence, Wales Haiku Journal, Acorn, Kokako, Haiku Dialogue, Poetry Pea, and Sakura Fubuki.
Vaultonburg is also presenting collaborative poetry and visual-art projects in Rockford. Hike You!: Six Years of Photographs and Haiku from the Heart of Rockford, created with photographer Ryan Davis, combines photographs and haiku developed through six years of walking and observing Rockford. SECOND NATURE, created with sculptor Michael Zant, pairs haiku with sculptures made from salvaged metal. Both projects are part of Vaultonburg's continuing exploration of place, observation, found objects, nature, and human-altered environments.
Selected Books
Vanished Roads. Rockford, Illinois: Wolf Twin Books, 2026. Haiku and short poems. Cover and illustrations by Tré.
Small Songs for Weary Travelers. 2023. Haiku and short-form poetry.
Tea With the Tigress. 2023.
Moonscape: Haiku Phase I. 2022. Haiku with illustrations by Tré.
Atrocious Poems A to Z. 2017.
Submerged Structure. 2012.
Flesh Wounds. 2011.
Detached Retinas. 1997.
Complete publication information is available in the Bibliography.
Selected Literary Publications
Thomas L. Vaultonburg's poetry and haiku have appeared in literary and haiku journals including Modern Haiku, The Heron's Nest, Presence, Acorn, Mayfly, Chiron Review, and Exquisite Corpse. His publication history spans independent literary magazines, contemporary haiku journals, anthologies, print collections, and online publications from 1990 to the present.
See the complete Journal Publications record.
Documentation and External Records
Thomas L. Vaultonburg and his work are documented in independent literary, bibliographic, library, and institutional sources. Records and profiles include Poets & Writers, Illinois Authors/Illinois Center for the Book, Google Books, library catalogs, literary journals, reviews, event listings, and the Decatur Haiku Collection bibliography associated with Millikin University's haiku studies program. Vanished Roads is included in the 2026 Decatur Haiku Collection bibliography.
Biography — Biographical overview and literary career.
Chronology — Chronological record of writing, publishing, and related activity.
Bibliography — Books and bibliographic records.
Journal Publications — Poetry and haiku publication history.
Anthologies — Anthology appearances and collected works.
Prairie Zen — Definition, history, influences, and examples.
Documentation — Independent sources, records, reviews, interviews, and verification.