Lee Tonouchi
American poet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lee A. Tonouchi (born circa 1972) is a Hawaii-born writer and editor, who calls himself "Da Pidgin Guerilla" because of his strong advocacy of the Hawaiian Pidgin language.
At the age of 2, Tonouchi survived a bus/car collision which claimed the life of his mother.[1] Tonouchi graduated from Aiea High School in 1990.
He promotes the idea that Hawaiian Pidgin is an appropriate language for both creative and academic writing.[2] He was inspired by the works of Eric Chock in the journal Bamboo Ridge.[3] All of his writing, including his Master's Thesis, is in Pidgin. He was an instructor of English at Kapiʻolani Community College in 2007.[4] He also taught at Hawaii Pacific University during 2005,[5] and later.[6] His works often address family relationship in a humorous way.[7]
Tonouchi's plays have been awarded among multiple categories of the annual Kumu Kahua playwrighting contest, the Hawaiʻi Prize, the Pacific Rim Prize, and the Resident Prize,[8] as well as numerous wins in the monthly short play contest in partnership with Bamboo Ridge.[9]
In February 2026, Tonouchi was named the 3rd Poet Laureate of Hawaii for a 3-year term running 2026–2029.[10]
His principal works:
- Hybolics (1999), literary magazine in Hawaiian Pidgin (co-editor)[11]
- Da Word (2001), a collection of short stories
- Living Pidgin: Contemplations on Pidgin Culture (2002), a collection of poems and essays
- Gone Feeshing (2004), a play first produced at Kumu Kahua Theatre
- Da Kine Dictionary: Da Hawai'i Community Pidgin Dictionary Projeck (2005), a dictionary of Hawaiian Pidgin
