Hawai‘i Literature & Art
— Since 1978 —
Interview of Cathy Song, conducted by Susan Lee St John for the Bamboo Ridge Oral History Project via Zoom, on July 28, 2023. Cathy Song speaks of her family life, her education, examples of and influences on her writing, Asian American and local norms and mores in regards to culture and literature, and her roles within Bamboo Ridge Press. Cathy Song also recalls Wing Tek Lum, Joy Kobayashi-Cintrón, and others.
Interview of Stephen Sumida, conducted by Ken Tokuno for the Bamboo Ridge Oral History Project via Zoom, on January 25, 2023. Stephen speaks about his education, his interest and contributions to the then-emerging Asian American and local literatures, the founding of the Talk Story Conference, and the early years of Bamboo Ridge. Stephen also recalls Marie Hara, Arnold Hiura, and others.
Interview of Rob Wilson, conducted by Ken Tokunofor the Bamboo Ridge Oral History Project via Zoom, on September 7, 2023. Rob speaks of his education, the influences of music and the Western literary canon on his writing, his teaching career and notable students, and Bamboo Ridge’s impact on local literature. Rob also recalls Haunani-Kay Trask, Milton Murayama, Maxine Hong Kingston, and others.
Interview of Lois-Ann Yamanaka, conducted by Gail Kuroda for the Bamboo Ridge Oral History Project via Zoom, on December 12, 2023. Lois-Ann speaks about her education, her teaching, the influences on her writing, AAAS awards controversies, Na‘au, and returning to writing. Lois-Ann also recalls Eric Chock, Darrell H. Y. Lum, Wing Tek Lum, Faye Kicknosway (a.k.a. Morgan Blair), Albert Saijo, and others.
Interview of Jean Toyama, conducted by Ken Tokuno for the Bamboo Ridge Oral History Project via Zoom, on May 29, 2023. Jean speaks about her early education, her time in France, becoming a Professor of French, her literary and scholarly publications, and her involvement in Bamboo Ridge Press Preservation Project, and issues she edited. Jean also recalls Marie Hara, Juliet S. Kono, and others.
The following oral history transcript is the result of a recorded interview with Pat Matsueda on June 1, 2023. The interview took place via Zoom, and was conducted by Micah Lau for the Bamboo Ridge Oral History Project. This interview is the second session of two.
Interview of Pat Matsueda, conducted by Micah Lau for the Bamboo Ridge Oral History Project via Zoom, on June 1, 2023. Pat speaks of the 1978 Talk Story Conference, Hawai‘i Literary Arts Council, Mānoa, and her writing. Pat also recalls Gail Harada, Phyllis Thompson, Frank Stewart, and others.
The following oral history transcript is the result of a recorded interview with Dennis Kawaharada on July 10, 2023. The interview took place via Zoom, and was conducted by Donald Carreira Ching for the Bamboo Ridge Oral History Project. This interview is the second session of two.
Interview of Dennis Kawaharada, conducted by Donald Carreira Ching for the Bamboo Ridge Oral History Project via Zoom, on May 10, 2023. Dennis speaks of his childhood, his education, the history of anti-Japanese sentiment in post-WWII Hawai‘i, the emergence and development of an authentic local literature, and his time as managing editor of Bamboo Ridge and as the editor of Kalamakū Press. Dennis also recalls Stephen Sumida, Milton Murayama, Rodney Morales, Esther Mookini, Haunani K. Trask, and others.
My apologies for this late post. I’ve been traveling and am slowly getting around to doing things I have to do post jetlag. So, without further ado/adieu, congratulations to Doodie and stalwart Piihonua. You’ve each won 10 Bamboo Bucks to spend in the BRP online store. Send a message to [email protected] and they will send…