Lois-Ann Yamanaka walks her talk.
Last Friday the author walked with, joked with and inspired Ms. Nagao's and Ms. Hall's seventh grade students through the writing of a poem. She also guided several teachers in giving advice. Ms. Yamanaka exhorted students to write from their gut, their na'au, which is also the name of the school in Honolulu where she teaches writing.
Honesty and detail are essential elements of Lois-Ann Yamanaka's poetry, as well as of all her writing. She is not afraid to tell it like it is, nor to say it like it sounds. Ms. Yamanaka does not write the Queen's English. Instead, she uses local pidgin English, embracing the language of her Big Island childhood.
Ms. Yamanaka (or Aunty Lois, as she's called at Na'au) told 'Iolani students that if they were to work on just two aspects of their poetry, they should pay attention to colors and verbs. Why use red, white and blue when your readers could see vermillion, eggshell and sapphire? Was the light purple, or was it a soft lavender? Speaking of light, she would not be impressed by a sun that was merely shining or setting; perhaps the streetlight glares at the top of your head, or maybe the late afternoon rays seem to sing out.
Mahalo, Aunty Lois, for teaching us your art; thank you for sharing from your na'au.
~ Jinny Hall
Poet, novelist and teacher Lois-Ann Yamanaka is the author of the forthcoming novel The Mother Mary Stories.
