American Book Awards
2 appearances
-
Edition 9 (1988) Winner
-
Edition 9 (1988) Winner
Wing Tek Lum
ウィング・テック・ラム
Wing Tek Lum
Pen Names:
Tek Lum Lum（Alternate name/variant used in some sources）
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1946-11-11 （Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.）
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English, Cantonese (studied)
- Residence History
- Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. → New York (study/work) → Hong Kong (resided to learn Cantonese)
Career
- Occupations
- Poet, Businessman (family real estate), Social worker
- Active Years
- 1969-
- Influenced By
- Makoto Ooka, Frank Chin
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Punahou School | — | — | — | — | United States |
| Brown University | Engineering | — | 学士（工学） | 在学〜1969年 | United States |
| Union Theological Seminary | — | — | 修士（ディビニティ、M.Div.） | 〜1973年 | United States |
Punahou School
Country:
United States
High school. Exact graduation year not specified in sources.
Brown University
Engineering
Degree:
学士（工学）
Period:
在学〜1969年
Year of Graduation:
1969
Country:
United States
Edited the university's literary magazine while a student.
Union Theological Seminary
Degree:
修士（ディビニティ、M.Div.）
Period:
〜1973年
Year of Graduation:
1973
Country:
United States
Earned a Master of Divinity; later worked as a social worker.
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970 | Poetry Center Award (now known as the Discovery/The Nation Award) | — | — | Poetry Center (now Discovery/The Nation) | Winner |
| 1988 | American Book Award | — | — | Before Columbus Foundation | Winner |
| 2013 | Elliot Cades Award for Literature | — | — | Hawai'i Literary Arts Council | Winner |
Poetry Center Award (now known as the Discovery/The Nation Award)
1970
Organization:
Poetry Center (now Discovery/The Nation)
Result:
Winner
American Book Award
1988
Organization:
Before Columbus Foundation
Result:
Winner
Elliot Cades Award for Literature
2013
Organization:
Hawai'i Literary Arts Council
Result:
Winner
Awards & Nominations
Works
Major Works
Expounding the doubtful points
1987 PoetryA collection of poems weaving personal memory and historical themes, including perspectives from Hawai'i and East Asia.
MemoryIdentityHistory
The Nanjing Massacres: Poems
2012 PoetryA poetry collection focused on the Nanjing Massacres, addressing war, memory, and the voices of victims.
WarMemoryHuman suffering
Bibliography
- Expounding the doubtful points
- The Nanjing Massacres: Poems
- Contributions to several anthologies (e.g., Island Fire, Growing Up Local)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- Lyrical poetry that addresses social and historical themesCombines narrative elements with fragmentary imagery
- Recurring Motifs
- Memory and traumaImmigrant/diaspora experienceNarratives of war and history
Legacy
Recognized as a Hawai'i-born Asian American poet whose work fuses regional perspective and historical awareness. Recipient of awards including the American Book Award and influential within Hawai'i's literary community.
Archives
- Yale LUX collections (related materials)
Trivia
- Co-manages the family-owned real estate company Lum Yip Kee, Ltd. with a brother.
- Majored in engineering at Brown University (graduated 1969) and earned an M.Div. from Union Theological Seminary in 1973.
- Lived in Hong Kong in 1973 to learn Cantonese.
- Participated in the collaborative renshi poem 'What the Kite Thinks' under the guidance of Makoto Ooka.