By Wing Tek Lum
“Wing Tek Lum’s The Oldtimers is an origin story about arrival, displacement, and finally a sense of belonging during a time of exclusion. The words here are not about laws and documents but about heartfelt family stories sourced from the basic elements of earth, air, fire, and water of the islands.”
Wing Tek Lum’s third collection of poetry, The Oldtimers, imagines life in Honolulu Chinatown circa 1900. Lum gives voice to the forgotten pioneer generation of sojourners and settlers, detailing the trials and temptations of this bachelor society living far from their homeland—their hard work, their diversions, their challenges, and, even amidst the notorious plague and fire, their perseverance.
Wing Tek Lum’s poetry, renowned for its vivid imagery, emotional depth, and historical consciousness, revives archival voices with insight and empathy. Verses in The Oldtimers reflect on themes of displacement, labor, isolation, familial bonds and obligations, cultural heritage and adaptation, and the preservation of traditions and values amidst the islands’ rapid growth.
Author: Wing Tek Lum
Publisher: Bamboo Ridges Press
Year: 2024
Pages: 224
Dimensions: 6” x 0.5” x 9”
Cover: Softcover
ISBN-10:
ISBN-13: 978-1-949375-61-17
Language: English
By Wing Tek Lum
“Wing Tek Lum’s The Oldtimers is an origin story about arrival, displacement, and finally a sense of belonging during a time of exclusion. The words here are not about laws and documents but about heartfelt family stories sourced from the basic elements of earth, air, fire, and water of the islands.”
Wing Tek Lum’s third collection of poetry, The Oldtimers, imagines life in Honolulu Chinatown circa 1900. Lum gives voice to the forgotten pioneer generation of sojourners and settlers, detailing the trials and temptations of this bachelor society living far from their homeland—their hard work, their diversions, their challenges, and, even amidst the notorious plague and fire, their perseverance.
Wing Tek Lum’s poetry, renowned for its vivid imagery, emotional depth, and historical consciousness, revives archival voices with insight and empathy. Verses in The Oldtimers reflect on themes of displacement, labor, isolation, familial bonds and obligations, cultural heritage and adaptation, and the preservation of traditions and values amidst the islands’ rapid growth.
Author: Wing Tek Lum
Publisher: Bamboo Ridges Press
Year: 2024
Pages: 224
Dimensions: 6” x 0.5” x 9”
Cover: Softcover
ISBN-10:
ISBN-13: 978-1-949375-61-17
Language: English
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