Hawai‘i poet laureate to lead free poetry writing workshop at Waimea public library

Thelma Parker Memorial Public Library in Waimea will host a free workshop featuring Hawai‘i Poet Laureate Lee Tonouchi.

“Ma-Ke Die Dead: Writing Poetry About Loved Ones Who Stay Gone” is scheduled for 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 27 and open to ages 14 years old and older. Registration is not required.

Tonouchi will talk about his personal writing journey, then — using his technique of “talk story poetry” — he will encourage workshop attendees to write their own pieces honoring those they lost.

He lost his mother in a car accident when he was 2 years old and remembers his family never really talked about his mother’s death.

“Everybody just held in their grief and carried on,” said Tonouchi in a library release.

He discovered later in life that writing about people you lost can be cathartic, healing and help make it OK for other people to share their stories.

“For da past chree decades, it’s been my mission to show local people that dey should be proud of their Pidgin,” said Tonouchi. “Through da technique of talk story, I believe everybody can find their poetic voice. I see my role as being able for empower people, for give ‘em da tools dey need for be writers demselves so dey can represent their own communities and life experiences. Da goal is for have one greater diversity of voices as part of Hawai‘i’s local literature.”

Tonouchi is known as “Da Pidgin Guerilla” for his activism in campaigning for Pidgin (Hawai‘i Creole) to be accepted as a legitimate language.

He is the recipient of the 2023 American Association for Applied Linguistics Distinguished Public Service Award for his work in raising public awareness about important language-related issues and promoting linguistic social justice.

Tonouchi is the author of several books, including a Pidgin poetry collection “Significant Moments in da Life of Oriental Faddah and Son: One Hawai‘i Okinawan Journal,” which won the Association for Asian American Studies Book Award, and a Pidgin children’s picture book “Okinawan Princess: Da Legend of Hajichi Tattoos,” which won the Skipping Stones Honor Award.

His latest book “Chiburu: Anthoology of Hawai‘i Okinawan Literature” was published in 2023.

Tonouchi will serve as Hawai‘i poet laureate through 2029.

Call 808-887-6067 for additional information.