Playwright and poet Lee Tonouchi, also known as “Da Pidgin Guerrilla,” did not imagine he would become a writer when he was growing up. But a poem he read in college, which was written in Pidgin, changed his mind.
The poem was “Tutu on the Curb,” by Erik Chock, and he read it as part of a class at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, where he got a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s in English with an emphasis in creative writing.
In February, Tonouchi was named the Hawaiʻi Poet Laureate. He is the third person to hold the role, which is named every three years by the Hawaiʻi State Foundation on Culture and the Arts, Hawaiʻi Council for the Humanities, and Hawaiʻi State Public Library System. This month, he is helping kamaʻāina celebrate National Poetry Month.
On Friday, April 17, Tonouchi will give the invocation at the Hawaiʻi State Legislature’s Art at the Capitol. The event runs from 4 to 8:30 p.m. and features Ballet Hawaiʻi, Hawaiʻi Symphony Orchestra, DJ Nate and more. Tonouchi will speak at 4:30 p.m. The event is free. Details.
Growing up, Tonouchi remembers his grandmother, a former plantation worker from Maui fought to be one of just a few women irrigators — a job usually reserved for men — and was “da biggest Pidgin talker,” but asked him to order at restaurants.
“She never like people hear her talk,” Tonouchi said.
Seeing that made him sad. It also got him thinking. In college, he started to write in Pidgin.
“Da Pidgin talker is always gon be perceived as being not as intelligent as da standard English talker,” Tonouchi said. “So the way I saw ʻem was you get two choices, right? You can either change yourself or try change the perception.”
He decided to dedicate his life to changing the perception. That started with incorporating Pidgin into his work in college creative writing and playwriting classes.
“And then I was like, ʻOh, if I can do my creative stuff in Pidgin, how come I no can do my critical stuff too?” he said.
Soon, he was writing 30-page research papers in Pidgin. And a master’s thesis. In 1999, he founded the literary magazine “Hybolics,” which included space for poems in Pidgin. Later, he developed the first Pidgin literature course at Hawaiʻi Pacific University. He also taught creative writing at Kapi‘olani Community College. In 2023, the American Association for Applied Linguistics awarded Tonouchi the 2023 Distinguished Public Service Award for raising awareness of important social issues connected to language.
Some of his recent works include the book of poems “Significant Moments in da Life of Oriental Faddah and Son: One Hawai‘i Okinawan Journal,” the children’s picture book “Okinawan Princess: Da Legend of Hajichi Tattoos,” the edited anthology “Chiburu: Anthology of Hawai‘i Okinawan Literature” and the play “Two Nails, One Love,” which recently appeared on stage at Kumu Kahua Theatre.
His new role as poet laureate includes giving talks and hosting workshops. In February, he was the 2026 Writer in Residence at Punahou School, where he spent six days.
He hopes to help others find their voice.
“My goal is try get people who never dreamed dey could ever write, write me something awesome,” he said.
Being a poet is not required to celebrate National Poetry Month.
“Just gotta be one fan of poetry, yeah?” he said. “And I think poetry get so many different styles that even if you no like some poetry, maybe you nevah read da right poetry yet.”
He encourages people to visit the library.
“Go borrow one book,” he said. “For me, it all started from reading ‘Tutu on the Curb.’ So maybe you gon find one poem you fully love, too. And then, oh might start one whole new career.”
Learn more about Art at the Capitol.
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Katie Helland can be reached at katie@alohastatedaily.com.
