This virtual event is part of the 2024 Asian American Literature Festival celebrating ‘Cosmic Kinship.’

From September 14-22, this festival aims to make literature accessible to all through inclusive and hybrid events, fostering a literary constellation that spans the globe.

Hosted by Bamboo Ridge guest editor Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl

Featuring: Dorell Ben, Alden M. Hayashi, Sarah Lacey-Irvine, Tyler Miranda, Rajiv Mohabir, Susan Miho Nunes, and Mahealani Perez Wendt.

Join us as we bring together seven writers from across our Hawaiʻi islands, the Pacific, and the continental US for an online afternoon reading of poetry and prose.

About Issue #126

• 37 writers, 3.5 stage plays, 41 poems, 14 short stories, 280 pages.
• Literature in Pidgin (Hawaiʻi Creole English), ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi, and a mix plate of words from our local lexicon from Nihongo to Tagalog.

This issue will be released in October/November 2024. Subscribe to Bamboo Ridge to preorder and save. Mahalo for your support!

In the latest Bamboo Ridge, Journal of Hawaiʻi Literature & Arts (#126), celebrated playwright and author Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl curates an anthology that delves into themes of identity, heritage, and the evolving experiences of Hawaiʻi’s communities. With a unique blend of poetry, short stories, and plays, the collection captures the complexity of life through humor, resilience, and nuanced cultural narratives.

This issue boasts an unprecedented percentage of new contributors to BR, almost equaling the number of returning writers. The result is a collection that feels both intergenerational and deeply rooted with pieces that overlap in unexpected and thought-provoking ways. The collection highlights the tension between tradition and modernity, the bittersweet effects of time and change, and the struggle to maintain cultural identity in a rapidly shifting world. Themes of isolation and connection, the impact of colonization, cultural exploitation, and resistance are explored alongside superstition, belief, and the influence of our ancestors. The literature in this issue spans satire, social commentary, surrealism, mythology, magical realism, and more with many pieces emphasizing a spiritual connection to the land and renewal through nature.

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