University of Hawaiʻi at 惭ā苍辞补 alumnus Lee A. Tonouchi has been selected as the new Poet Laureate of Hawaiʻi by the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, and Hawaiʻi State Public Library System. Tonouchi will serve through February 2029.
Tonouchi is widely known as “Da Pidgin Guerrilla” for his passionate advocacy of Pidgin as a legitimate language for creative and academic expression. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in English at 东精影业 惭ā苍辞补 and has taught classes at Kapiʻolani Community College.
“B-U. Das my vision. I stay looking forward to serving da community as Hawaiʻi‘s Poet Laureate. For da past chree decades it’s been my mission to show Local people that dey should be proud of their Pidgin,” said Tonouchi.
The American Association for Applied Linguistics awarded Tonouchi the 2023 Distinguished Public Service Award for his work in raising public awareness of important language-related issues and promoting linguistic social justice.
“Through da technique of talk story, I believe everybody can find their poetic voice,” said Tonouchi, “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 Hawaiʻi’s Local literature. No sked for B-U.”
The Hawaiʻi Poet Laureate program promotes appreciation of poetry and literary life in Hawaiʻi while inspiring new writers from all walks of life. The selected poet receives an annual grant from the State Foundation on Culture and the Arts to carry out readings and workshops across the islands.
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