Publisher's Synopsis
Anniversary Anthology Celebrating BAMBOO RIDGE and 45 Years of Literary Mischief-making in Hawai?i.
Bamboo Ridge founding editors Eric Chock and Darrell H. Y. Lum have returned to spearhead a new anniversary anthology celebrating 45 years of literary mischief-making in Hawai?i. With contributions from sixty-eight talented writers, the book features poems and stories that explore themes of cultural identity, art, resistance, and community. It's a collection that honors the resilience of local storytelling and Hawai?i's literary spirit, reaffirming Bamboo Ridge's commitment to foster, embrace, and preserve AANHPI voices. At over 400 pages, Issue #124 is one of the largest in the journal's history.
The cover art is inspired by an original photo taken in 1978 by Darrell Lum at the East O'ahu fishing spot, known as Bamboo Ridge, where hand-painted warnings adorned the rocky path. He titled the photo "Abunai" the Japanese word for "dangerous."
The choice of "Abunai" as the cover theme pays homage to Bamboo Ridge's audacious beginnings. At its inception, Bamboo Ridge Press embarked on a mission that many considered "abunai," opposing dominant narratives and stereotypes about Hawai?i and its people and taking a daring stand on the importance and value of local literature. The challenges faced by the journal in those early days have persisted as Bamboo Ridge remains dedicated to publishing works by, for, or about the people of Hawai'i and the Pacific--often making waves and navigating financial precarity.
