A book of poetry in Pidgin by Joe Balaz

Pidgin Eye features thirty-five years of poetry by acclaimed author Joe Balaz. Writing in Pidgin (Hawai‘i Creole English), he honors the beauty, strength, and complexity of Hawai‘i and the voices of its peoples. Balaz’s philosophical lyricism tightly weaves history and humor, aloha ‘āina and protest, the spiritual and the everyday. Together, these poems envision a world in which—like Pidgin—“everyting deserves to fly.”

In April of 2019, NBC News featured Pidgin Eye on its Asian Pacific American Heritage Month reading list. To view the full list, click here.

About Joe Balaz

Joe Balaz, born and raised in Wahiawa on the island of O‘ahu, is of Hawaiian, Slovakian, and Irish ancestry. He is the author of multiple books of poetry in standard English and Pidgin, as well as the editor of Ho‘omanoa: An Anthology of Contemporary Hawaiian Literature. His writing, visual poetry, and artwork have been published in national and international journals and anthologies. Throughout his career, he has passionately advocated for Hawaiian and Pidgin literature.

University of Hawai‘i Alumni