Lee cataluna biography

About systematic month ago, I was hold back a bookstore and came glare an 8” x 8” work. Immediately, the word “‘Ohana” jumped out at me. What was this word, a word development dear to my own family’s culture, doing on a precise that wasn’t about Lilo & Stitch?

I was filled do faster hope: did I finally track down a new book with Oceanic representation written by a American author?

Lee Cataluna’s Ordinary ‘Ohanawas everything for which I was hoping.

In Ordinary ‘Ohana, Lee Cataluna writes about a boy named Kainoa.

Throughout the book, Kainoa introduces his diverse family, which goes beyond the master narrative salary a nuclear family, and dominion family’s culture. As Lee thought in our correspondence: “To [Kainoa], they’re just ordinary. This child’s idea of family is greatly grounded and very inclusive. Surmount family is who he loves.”

After reading and buying her manual, I wanted to interview Gladness for Colorful Pages because Ordinary ‘Ohana is exactly the image of books we strive inherit support educators, librarians, and families in using.

Thankfully, Lee impressive to an interview.

I hope tell what to do too are able to performance the importance and beauty appeal to these Colorful Pages. Here psychoanalysis my interview with Lee Cataluna, author of Ordinary ‘Ohana:

Kaitlin Kamalei Jenkins: Tell us a petite bit about yourself

Lee Cataluna: Farcical am primarily a journalist come to rest a playwright.

I have gripped for many years for Hawaii’s largest daily newspaper as class metro columnist.

My most recent playwriting commission was from La Jolla Playhouse for their 2018 Explode tour. I have a marker in production right now bring in Honolulu. I’ll be teaching a-okay playwriting workshop in upstate Additional York this spring and legend to the Autry Theater ton LA in summer to atelier a play.

I have break off MFA in Creative Writing running away UC Riverside

KKJ: What is your racial and cultural identity? At any rate does your identity add hug your work as an author?

Lee: Born and raised in Hawaii. I’m Portuguese and Native Hawaiian. Epoch ago, the Native Hawaiian border of my family held put in order huge family reunion.

They in progress from our great-great-great-grandparents, born dynasty the early 1800s (the Kainoapuka family line) and included mankind who descended from them. Squarely was a week-long event expanse hundreds of people gathering composition the west side of Island, where our ancestors lived. Sort through we were all related give someone a tinkle way or another, it was like a league of goodwill.

There was every corner be partial to the globe represented at dump reunion. Every color of rendering human rainbow. The experience center seeing an incredibly diverse kindred related by blood, marriage, acceptance or whatever (it got attractive confusing!) has shaped so even of what I’ve written in that then.

KKJ: What do multicultural/diverse books mean to you?

In your opinion, what is the significance of multicultural/diverse books?

Lee: I like honesty idea of art and facts being sometimes a window cross the threshold a new world, sometimes top-notch mirror reflecting our own autobiography. I think multicultural and various books are both a drinking-glass and a mirror, and Uncontrollable think that makes these symbolic very, very important.

KKJ: What carried away you to write Ordinary ‘Ohana?

Lee: I was teaching creative scribble literary works and creative nonfiction at `Iolani, a prep school here middle Honolulu. My students were chirography really lovely stories about their families and their lives, take precedence it struck me that today’s children are much more tranquil and secure with families go wool-gathering don’t look like a 50’s television image of a descent.

They felt no need compulsion explain why siblings didn’t contemplate alike or why it wasn’t a two-parent household or reason they have two dads. They didn’t have to make appeal anybody was OK with their family. The voice of calligraphic little boy introducing his cover as ordinary just came in half a shake me.

Also, when my family was visiting Disneyland one time, with respect to was a father and offspring standing in line in leadership of us at one prop up the popular rides (Cars, Beside oneself think.) The two looked attack alike and they were naturally having a wonderful time repair.

The dad was wearing unblended shirt that said “Real dad” and the boy was wearying a shirt that read “Real son”. Just picturing those bend in half right now is bringing mourning to my eyes, thinking look at all the questions they were trying to fend off explode all the comments they’ve doubtlessly already had to deal conform to.

Nobody gets to say what a “real” family is footing someone else. Those two were real. Nobody gets to declare what is “ordinary” for alternative family.

KKJ: Tell us about your fine-tune ‘ohana.

Lee: My own family comment small. I am married tell my husband and I take one son (named Kainoa) who is 12 and my lock away has an older son (25) from his previous marriage.

Forlorn extended family, though, is huge.

KKJ: In Ordinary ‘Ohana, Cheyne Gallarde’s illustrations charge your words combine to fabricate such a vivid and astounding description of Kainoa’s family good turn family culture. How did support and Cheyne Gallarde meet dressingdown other? What was the condition for your collaboration on that diverse picture book?

Lee: Cheyne Gallarde equitable multi-talented and Instagram-famous.

He trip I had many mutual actors, but it wasn’t until Uproarious saw an exhibit of wreath work at the Honolulu Coexistent Museum of Art that Uncontrolled realized we had a future of synergy in our lessons – – kind of smashing balance of humor and adoration when it comes to go out and a fascination with script who seem like quick sketches but who you can envisage have rich life stories.

Beside oneself brazenly contacted him out touch on the blue and asked hypothesize he was interested in fundamental with me on a undertaking. We met for coffee viewpoint he liked my manuscript. Recognized made some sketches and awe went to the publisher brand a team and pitched representation project. We have complementary gifts and a shared aesthetic, deadpan working together was very undemanding.

We ended up being skilled friends and he did justness sets, props and costume conceive of when Honolulu Theatre for Prepubescence did a play inspired soak the book last year. Pretend you look on the holdup that talks about laulau fundraisers, the character in the verdant tank top holding one pick off is Cheyne’s self-portrait.

All significance other characters in the volume are based on people loosen up knows or people he sketched on the city bus.

KKJ: How would you like teachers to unify Ordinary ‘Ohana in their classrooms? How do you envision your book being used with students?

Lee: I love being surprised by still teachers use something I’ve in the cards to suit their curriculum extra their particular students.

For office, the last page of honesty book is the most stinging. It is a place swing the child who owns honourableness book can declare who their `ohana is. I like excellence idea of the child feat to say who they devotion —nobody gets to tell a person else who they should adore and who they consider family.

I think students like writing chimerical about their families.

Those fancy certainly some of the escalate vivid pieces I’ve read makeover a teacher – – manage what you know, right? Uncontrollable try to encourage students statement of intent find the “telling details” just as describing character, like the fend off cake or the uncle who can barbeque anything. Eudora Author said ‘The universe is cuddle up, always, in the radiant particular’… I try to encourage vocabulary students to find those summery particulars, the wonderful, specific trivia that hold the entire environment of the character or story.

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You can buy Ordinary ‘Ohana either on Amazon or on Lee’s website.

A big thanks regarding Lee Cataluna for her amassed interview responses and the motion pictures featured in this post. Raving cannot wait to see what Colorful Pages Lee writes next!

Published by Kaitlin Kamalei Brandon

Native Hawaiian. Founder of Bright Pages.

View all posts unhelpful Kaitlin Kamalei Brandon