Since 1978, Bamboo Ridge Press has published literature by and about the people of Hawaiʻi that reflects Hawai‘i culture, an island sensibility and ultimately a sense of place, all of which distinguishes it from other regional literatures. While regional literature’s value lies in its ability to validate the way of life, culture, and values of a people of a particular place, as well as dispel stereotypes and give voice to the underrepresented, regional writing may also transcend the borders of the place from which it is created through the universal themes that rise from its conflicts, characters and settings. Hawaiʻi writers Gail N. Harada, Ann Inoshita, Lisa Linn Kanae, Juliet S. Kono, Christy Passion, and Jean Yamasaki Toyama share their poetry and fiction to not only celebrate Hawai‘i but to also reveal the connections and commonalities their work may make beyond the shores of their island home.
