Lois-Ann Yamanaka
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Lois-Ann Yamanaka (born September 7, 1961 in Hoʻolehua, Molokaʻi, Hawaiʻi) is a Japanese American poet and novelist from Hawaiʻi. Many of her critically acclaimed literary works are written in Hawaiian Pidgin, and some of her writing has dealt with controversial ethnic issues. In particular, her works confront themes of Asian American families and the local culture of Hawaii.
Among her principal works are:
- Saturday Night at the Pahala Theatre, a book of poems written in Hawaiian Pidgin (1993)
- Wild Meat and the Bully Burgers (1996)
- Blu's Hanging (1997)
- Heads by Harry (1998)
- Name Me Nobody (2000)
- Father of the Four Passages (2001)
- The Heart's Language (2005)
- Behold the Many (2006)
In 1993, Saturday Night at the Pahala Theatre received the Pushcart Prize for poetry. Later, in 1994, the Association of Asian American Studies awarded the collection its fiction award.
In 1998, her novel Blu's Hanging was also awarded a fiction award by the Association of Asian American Studies. However, amid similar accusations that the book's portrayal of one of the characters perpetuated stereotypes about Filipino men, the board rescinded the award. This action sparked controversy among the Asian American literary community (with noted Asian American authors Amy Tan and Maxine Hong Kingston supporting Yamanaka).
In 2004, a short film, Silent Years, based on Yamanaka's screenplay was released. It is a story about a thirteen-year-old girl caught between an abusive uncle and a seventeen-year-old boyfriend, who expects a gift for his high school graduation.[1]
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[edit] Family
Yamanaka is the oldest of four daughters who grew up in Pahala on the Big lsland of Hawaiʻi. Her mother was a schoolteacher and father a school-administrator-turned-taxidermist. She is married to John Inferrera. They have a son, John, Jr.
[edit] Education
[edit] Awards
- National Endowment for the Humanities grant, 1990
- Pushcart Prize for Poetry, 1993
- Carnegie Foundation Grant, 1994
- National Endowment for the Arts grant, 1994
- Pushcart Prize, 1994
- Rona Jaffe Award for Women Writers, 1996
- Lannan Literary Award, 1998
- Asian American Literary Award, 1998.
[edit] External links
- Two articles on Lois-Ann Yamanaka
- "What Boddah You?: The Authenticity Debate," The Nation, March 1, 1999
- Lois-Ann Yamanaka profile on Tom Bolling's faculty pages
- Lois-Ann Yamanaka at the Internet Movie Database
