Constance Hale
AUTHOR

Constance Hale

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I am a writer based in San Francisco. I grew up on the North Shore of O‘ahu, where I spoke "proper" English at home and Hawaiian creole (or "Pidgin English") at school. I'm sure that this "bilingual upbringing" gave me my obsession with language. I travel to Hawai‘i often, and to stay connected to that culture I study the hula in California. Although my six books may not seem connected, they do if you understand my origins. My newest hardcover book builds on my three decades as a journalist always eager to write about Hawaiian culture, politics, and history. "The Natives Are Restless" uses a San Francisco dance master--and my teacher for 20 years--as a keyhole into the world of hula and the rich history of Hawaii. I call the book an "intellectual coffee-table" book. The text combines biography, dance ethnography, profiles, scenes, and dramatic dance writing. And it is complemented by stunning four-color photography and archival images. "‘Iwalani's Tree" is a picture book for children aged 3-8. This is a story I have told for many, many years. It took a long time to get the poetry right and to find a publisher who knew the magic of the ironwood tree that grows across the Pacific. That publisher, BeachHouse, based in Honolulu, found the perfect artist to render the story in tropical colors. My language books spring from my island roots, too, if in a different way. I left Hawai‘i for college, spent years writing fiction and drama, then got a master's degree in journalism. I worked as a reporter and editor at several California newspapers and magazines, where I began seriously dabbling in the idiosyncrasies of the mother tongue. I wrote "Wired Style: Principles of English Usage in the Digital Age" in 1996 after doing a stint at the "bible of digital culture." Then I wrote "Sin and Syntax" in 1999. The books got me dubbed "Marion the Librarian on a Harley or E.B. White on acid." "Vex, Hex, Smash, Smooch" completes the trilogy. I was still curious about the history of English--and indeed the evolution of language itself--and wanted to explore some of my ideas about how and why the verb is the linchpin of great writing. It's intended to be useful to professional writers and students, but also just fun and weird and interesting. In 2018, I produced an e-book, "Constance Hale's Lesson Plans for Teachers," to translate the ideas in my language books to the classroom. In it, I expand the pedagogical elements of my books and offer discussion topics, exercises, writing prompts, and additional resources for teachers who use my books. The idea is to inspire students of all ages to rediscover the magic of language, to explore grammar in a new way, and to play more confidently in their writing. Complementing all of this is a series on the sentence for "Draft," in the New York Times Opinionator. I continue to offer opinions, tips, techniques, and teaching materials to writers and teachers via my Web site, www.sinandsyntax.com. I don't write only about language; I've covered Latino culture, Berkeley politics, ethnic-folk music, and Hawaiian sovereignty--in publications as diverse as The Atlantic Monthly, Honolulu, National Geographic Adventure, and Smithsonian. My travel pieces and personal essays have appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News, Miami Herald, San Francisco Chronicle, and numerous anthologies. The secret to the writing I like: an unusual combo of classy and sassy. The secret to the teaching I like: smart lessons and hilarious fun. The secret to the life I seek: giving of yourself to others.
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