Naomi Hirahara (Japanese: 平原 直美, born 1962) is an American mystery writer and journalist. She edited the largest Japanese-American daily newspaper, Rafu Shimpo for several years. She is currently a writer of both fiction and non-fiction works and the Edgar Award-winning Mas Arai mystery series.
Naomi Hirahara | |
|---|---|
 Hirahara in 2011 | |
| Born | 1962 (age 61–62) Pasadena, California, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author, journalist |
| Alma mater | Stanford University, Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies |
| Genre | Mystery fiction, non-fiction |
| Years active | 1990s–present |
| Notable awards | Edgar Award |
| Website | |
| naomihirahara | |
Biography
editNaomi Hirahara was born in 1962 in Pasadena, California,[1] to Japanese parents, both of whom were survivors of the Hiroshima bombing. She began writing when she was in elementary school in Altadena, California.[2] She received her bachelor's degree from Stanford University in international relations[3] with a focus on Africa and spent a summer during her studies volunteering with the YWCA in Ghana. After her 1983 graduation,[2] she furthered her education at the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies in Tokyo.[3]
After a brief job as an editorial assistant, Hirahara began working at the Rafu Shimpo newspaper in 1984 as writer about the city of Los Angeles. Three years later, she began working at a boutique public relations firm to allow more time for creative writing and taking classes at the UCLA extension. After three years, she was asked to come back as an editor[2] at the Rafu Shimpo and began writing nonfiction books in the 1990s.[1] In 1996, Hirahara quit her job, took a fellowship for creative writing[2] with the Milton Center at Newman University in Wichita, Kansas[4] and committed to working full-time as a creative writer.[2] In 2001, she published a non-fiction work, Green Makers: Japanese American Gardeners in Southern California and later that year published An American Son: The Story of George Aratani, Founder of Mikasa and Kenwood. In 2002, Distinguished Asian American Business Leaders was released.[4]
She sold her first fiction book, Summer of the Big Bachi in 2003,[2] which received positive reviews in the Chicago Tribune,[5] and later that same year was named by them as one of the "10 best mysteries and thrillers of 2004".[6] It was also selected by Publishers Weekly as a "Best Books of 2004".[7] The book turned out to be the first of a series about an aging Japanese-American gardener, Mas Arai, a survivor of the atomic bomb, but the character was American-born. Though he has a degree, prejudice keeps him from other work, and he becomes a gardener, mirroring Hirahara's father's experience. Mas Arai became the featured character in Gasa Gasa Girl, Snakeskin Shamishen, Blood Hina[8] and Strawberry Yellow.[9] (Strawberry Yellow takes place in Watsonville, Ca and at the Redman Hirahara Farmstead.) In 2007, the third book in her series, Snakeskin Shamishen won the Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America.[10] The following year, the series began being released in Japan.[8]
In 2014, Hirahara began a new series, though Mas Arai's story has at least two more chapters. The new series features a young bicycle policewoman, Ellie Rush, who is the central character in Hirahara's seventh novel, Murder on Bamboo Lane. While the Arai series focuses on California centered around the World War II generation, the Rush series is contemporary and expands on Hirahara's desire to speak from a woman's point of view. Her first book in which the main character was a woman was a juvenile fiction work, 1001 Cranes, published in 2008.[1] Her most recent book in the Ellie Rush series, Grave on Grand Avenue (2015) has received positive reviews,[11] and has been featured as a "Best Book" by Publishers Weekly.[12]
Awards and honors
editSummer of the Big Bachi was named one of the "10 best mysteries and thrillers of 2004" by the Chicago Tribune,[6] as well as one of the "Best Books of 2004" by Publishers Weekly.[7]
In 2019, CrimeReads included Iced in Paradise in their list of the year's best traditional mystery novels.[13] Two years later, they included Clark and Division on their list of the year's best crime novels.[14] Amazon also included the novel on their list of the year's best Mysteries and Thrillers.[15]
| Year | Title | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Summer of the Big Bachi | Macavity Award for Best First Novel | Finalist | [16] |
| 2007 | Snakeskin Shamisen | Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original | Finalist | [16] |
| Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Paperback Original | Winner | [16][17] | ||
| 2014 | Murder on Bamboo Lane | T. Jefferson Parker Mystery Award | Finalist | [18] |
| 2019 | Hiroshima Boy | Anthony Award for Best Paperback Original | Finalist | [16][19][20] |
| Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Paperback Original | Finalist | [16][21] | ||
| Macavity Award for Best Mystery Novel | Finalist | [16] | ||
| 2022 | Clark and Division | Agatha Award for Best Historical Novel | Finalist | [16] |
| Anthony Award for Best Novel | Finalist | [16][22] | ||
| Lefty Award for Best Historical Mystery | Winner | [16][23] | ||
| Simon & Schuster Mary Higgins Clark Award | Winner | [16][24][25] | ||
| Sue Feder Historical Mystery Award | Winner | [16][26][27] |
Selected works
editMas Arai series
edit- Summer of the Big Bachi. Random House Publishing Group. 2004. ISBN 978-0-440-33489-7.
- Gasa-Gasa Girl. Random House Publishing Group. 2005. ISBN 978-0-440-33532-0.
- Snakeskin Shamisen. Random House Publishing Group. 2006. ISBN 978-0-440-33589-4.
- Blood Hina. Altadena, California: Prospect Park Books. 2010. ISBN 978-1-938849-19-0.
- Strawberry yellow. Altadena, California: Prospect Park Books. 2013. ISBN 978-1-938849-02-2.
- Sayonara slam. Altadena, California: Prospect Park Books. 2016. ISBN 978-1-938849-73-2.
- Hiroshima boy. Altadena, California: Prospect Park Books. 2018. ISBN 978-1-945551-09-3.
Ellie Rush series
edit- Murder on Bamboo Lane. Penguin Publishing Group. 2014. ISBN 978-1-101-60945-3.
- Grave on Grand Avenue. Penguin Publishing Group. 2015. ISBN 978-1-101-60946-0.
Leilani Santiago series
edit- Iced in paradise: A Leilani Santiago Hawai'i mystery. Altadena, California: Prospect Park Books. 2019. ISBN 978-1-945551-63-5.[28]
- An Eternal Lei: A Leilani Santiago Hawai'i mystery. Prospect Park Books/Turner Publishing. 2022.
A Japantown Mystery series
edit- Clark and Division. Soho Crime. 2021. ISBN 978-1641292498.[29]
- Evergreen. Soho Crime. 2023. ISBN 9781641293594.[30][31]
Other fiction
edit- 1001 Cranes. Random House Children's Books. 2008. ISBN 978-0-375-84881-0.
- South Central noir, Akashic Books 2022.[32][33]
Non-fiction
edit- Hirahara, Naomi (2000). Greenmakers = Japanese: グリーンメーカーズ: Japanese American gardeners in Southern California (in English and Japanese). Los Angeles, California: Southern California Gardeners' Federation. ISBN 978-0-970-48160-3.
- Hirahara, Naomi (2001). An American Son: The Story of George Aratani : Founder of Mikasa and Kenwood. Japanese Amer National Museum. ISBN 978-1-881161-15-8.
- Hirahara, Naomi (2003). Distinguished Asian American Business Leaders. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-1-57356-344-4.
- Hirahara, Naomi; Jensen, Gwenn M. (2004). Silent Scars of Healing Hands: Oral Histories of Japanese American Doctors in World War II Detention Camps. Center for Oral and Public History, California State University. ISBN 978-0-930046-22-4.
- Hirahara, Naomi (2004). A Scent of Flowers: The History of the Southern California Flower Market, 1912-2004. Midori Books. ISBN 978-0-9749697-0-1.
- Hirahara, Naomi; Tominaga, Kazuko (2008). Japanese: ガサガサ・ガール: 庭師マス・アライ事件簿 (in Japanese). Tōkyō: Shōgakkan. ISBN 978-4-094-08198-5.
- Hirahara, Naomi; Tominaga, Kazuko (2008). Japanese: スネークスキン三味線 / (in Japanese). Tōkyō: Shōgakukan. ISBN 978-4-094-08197-8.
- Hirahara, Naomi; Knatz, Geraldine; Lynxwiler, J Eric (2014). Terminal Island: Lost Communities of Los Angeles Harbor. Angel City Press. ISBN 978-1-62640-018-4.
- Hirahara, Naomi; Lindquist, Heather C. (2018). Life after Manzanar. Berkeley, California: Heyday. ISBN 978-1-597144-00-1.
- Hirahara Naomi and Illi Ferandez. We Are Here : 30 Inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Have Shaped the United States. First ed. Running Press Kids 2022.[34]
References
edit- ^ a b c Ulin, David L. (April 16, 2014). "Naomi Hirahara on her new mystery series ... and the new L.A." LA Times. Los Angeles, California. Archived from the original on October 25, 2018. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f Hong, Courtney (August 30, 2014). "Naomi Hirahara: A Japanese American's universal story". San Diego, California: Savor Good. Archived from the original on January 15, 2019. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ^ a b "Naomi Hirahara". New York, New York: Penguin Books. Archived from the original on 23 December 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
- ^ a b "Naomi Hirahara". Los Angeles, California: Gersh Books. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
- ^ Adler, Dick (April 18, 2004). "Mysterious happenings, from Spain to S. Carolina". Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ^ a b Adler, Dick (December 19, 2004). "Despite the season, cops and robbers take no holiday". Chicago, Illinois: Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ^ a b "Summer of the Big Bachi". PW Best Books. Publishers Weekly. March 29, 2004. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ^ a b Bates, Karen Grigsby (August 12, 2010). "Mas Arai: An Unlikely Hero Solves L.A.'s Mysteries". Los Angeles, California: NPR. Archived from the original on 13 September 2015. Retrieved 6 September 2015.
- ^ Asakawa, Gil (March 19, 2013). "Naomi Hirahara, Author of Mas Arai Mystery Novels, Comes to Denver for a Reading". Denver, Colorado: Huffington Post. Archived from the original on March 10, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ^ Roderick, Kevin (April 26, 2007). "Edgar for Naomi Hirahara". Los Angeles, California: LA Observed. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ^ "Ellie Rush Returns in 'Grave on Grand Avenue'". Los Angeles, California: The Rafu Shimpo. April 3, 2015. Archived from the original on August 19, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ^ "Grave on Grand Avenue". PW Best Books. Publishers Weekly. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved September 6, 2015.
- ^ "The Best Books of 2019: Traditional Mysteries". CrimeReads. 2019-12-19. Archived from the original on 2023-12-09. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ "The Best Crime Novels of 2021". CrimeReads. 2021-12-09. Archived from the original on 2023-09-21. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ "Amazon Best Books of 2021". Locus Online. 2021-11-16. Archived from the original on 2024-04-26. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Naomi Hirahara". Stop, You're Killing Me!. Archived from the original on 2024-05-06. Retrieved 2024-05-11.
- ^ "Awards: The Edgars; L.A. Times; Yale Drama Series". Shelf Awareness . 2007-04-30. Archived from the original on 2022-03-10. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ "Awards: PEN/Ackerley; SCIBA Finalists". Shelf Awareness . 2014-07-17. Archived from the original on 2023-03-30. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ "2019 Anthony Award Winners". Mystery Scene Magazine. Archived from the original on 2022-07-31. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
- ^ "Announcing the 2019 Anthony Award Winners". CrimeReads. 2019-11-03. Archived from the original on 2022-12-24. Retrieved 2022-07-31.
- ^ "Announcing the 2019 Edgar Nominees". CrimeReads. 2019-01-22. Archived from the original on 2023-05-19. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ "2022 Anthony Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2022-09-12. Archived from the original on 2023-04-22. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ Cogdill, Oline H. "Compliments to Left Coast Crime". Mystery Scene Magazine. Archived from the original on 2023-01-04. Retrieved 2023-01-04.
- ^ "2022 Edgar Allan Poe Award Winners". Mystery Writers of America. 29 April 2022. Archived from the original on 2024-05-06. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ "2022 Edgar Awards Winners". Locus Online. 2022-04-29. Archived from the original on 2023-02-07. Retrieved 2022-12-22.
- ^ "2022 - Macavity Awards". Nightstand Book Reviews. 2022-09-10. Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
- ^ "Macavity Awards". Lincoln City Libraries. September 2022. Archived from the original on 2023-01-02. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
- ^ "Book Marks reviews of Iced in Paradise: A Leilani Santiago Hawai'i Mystery by Naomi Hirahara". Book Marks. Archived from the original on 2023-03-29. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ "Book Marks reviews of Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara". Book Marks. Archived from the original on 2023-02-02. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ Powers, John (August 15, 2023). "This 'Evergreen' LA noir novel imagines the post-WWII reality of Japanese Americans". NPR. Archived from the original on September 22, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
- ^ "Book Marks reviews of Evergreen by Naomi Hirahara". Book Marks. Archived from the original on 2023-12-15. Retrieved 2024-05-12.
- ^ South Central noir. Gary Phillips. Brooklyn, New York. 2022. ISBN 978-1-63614-054-4. OCLC 1313905518.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ Woods, Paula (2022-09-07). "How the authors of 'South Central Noir' captured South L.A. and created a genre". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 2022-09-21. Retrieved 2022-09-21.
- ^ Hirahara, Naomi (2022). We are here : 30 inspiring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who have shaped the United States. Illi Ferandez (1st ed.). Philadelphia. ISBN 978-0-7624-7965-8. OCLC 1284917938.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)