Civil Beat Staff

Lee Cataluna

Lee Cataluna has been telling Hawaii stories for 25 years and has worked in local radio, television and newspapers.

She was born on Maui and raised on the neighbor islands as her family moved frequently for her father’s job in sugar. She went to nine different schools before graduating from Baldwin High School, so if you think she was your classmate, you might be right.

She received an undergraduate degree from the University of the Pacific and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of California-Riverside.

Her writing outside of journalism includes Folks You Meet in Longs, which has been in print since 2005 and was named one of the 50 Essential Books About Hawaii by Honolulu Magazine. She has been writing for the stage for more than 20 years and her plays have been produced and workshopped around Hawaii, in California and New York. Her recent work includes “Home of the Brave,” a play about the lives of children from military families, which she wrote after interviewing hundreds of kids, teachers, parents, principals, active duty and veterans from all branches of the military.

Lee Cataluna: The View From The Skyline Rail Is Not Exactly Scenic Cory Lum/Civil Beat/2022

Lee Cataluna: The View From The Skyline Rail Is Not Exactly Scenic

It’s a reality check to see how shabby, cramped and industrial parts of this island have become.

Lee Cataluna: Maui’s Quotable Police Chief — And The Quotes You Might Have Missed David Croxford/Civil Beat/2023

Lee Cataluna: Maui’s Quotable Police Chief — And The Quotes You Might Have Missed

Chief John Pelletier has not been shy about expressing his frustration and his feelings during numerous encounters with the media.

Lee Cataluna: Everyone Loves Lahaina. Few Get To Claim It As Their Home Kevin Fujii/Civil Beat/2023

Lee Cataluna: Everyone Loves Lahaina. Few Get To Claim It As Their Home

As touristy as Lahaina had become, it was still a place where real people lived including generations of families who had deep roots in that red soil.

Lee Cataluna: It’s An Emergency! How Proclamations Cut Through Hawaii Bureaucracy David Croxford/Civil Beat/2022

Lee Cataluna: It’s An Emergency! How Proclamations Cut Through Hawaii Bureaucracy

No, the state is not facing Armageddon. But governors' reliance on emergency proclamations is a sign of dysfunction.
Lee Cataluna: Hawaii’s Next First Lady Brings Career Experience And Life Lessons To The Role David Croxford/Civil Beat/2022

Lee Cataluna: Hawaii’s Next First Lady Brings Career Experience And Life Lessons To The Role

She intends to be an active, involved first lady. She hopes to open Washington Place to more events and put her experience in children’s issues and advocacy to work.
Lee Cataluna: The Short Life And Quiet Death Of A Village Post Office Lee Cataluna/Civil Beat/2022

Lee Cataluna: The Short Life And Quiet Death Of A Village Post Office

The Windward facility may have been understated but it was an important addition to the venerable Waikane Store.
Lee Cataluna: A Small College Sets The Stage For Big Dreams Windward Community College

Lee Cataluna: A Small College Sets The Stage For Big Dreams

A performing arts conservatory is an usual program at a community college, especially one affiliated with a well-known college in England.
Lee Cataluna: Thanks For Not Being A Chump This Election Season Ronen Zilberman/Civil Beat/2022

Lee Cataluna: Thanks For Not Being A Chump This Election Season

If there’s a resounding message to be received after the 2022 Hawaii primary, it is that all that outside money on negative attack ads was wasted.