Victor C. Pellegrino, Professor Emeritus, taught writing and Asian literature at Maui Community College for twenty-eight years. In addition to his experience there, he has eight years of experience on the Mainland ranging from elementary to university levels. He has also been a lecturer of advanced writing and American Literature for the University of Hawai'i on Maui.
Pellegrino has written seven books. A Writer's Guide to Transitional Words and Expressions is now in its 7th printing (2004) and has sold more than 85,000 copies. A Writer's Guide to Using 8 Methods of Transition is now in its 2nd printing (2004). A Slip of Bamboo - A Collection of Haiku from Maui was released in January of 1996. A Writer's Guide to Powerful Paragraphs is his latest release.
He is writing three books, one to be released in each of the next three years: a novel, a children's allegory and an Italian-based cookbook focusing on vegetables. In addition to his own writing, Pellegrino has edited for publication many other fiction and nonfiction manuscripts for authors. He has served on the editorial board of Makali'i, The Journal of the University of Hawai'i Community Colleges.
In 1985 Pellegrino was the first recipient of the Excellence in English Teaching Award presented by the Hawai'i affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of English. The award is presented annually to one outstanding English teacher from Hawai'i's colleges and universities. In 1991 he received the Excellence in Teaching English Award from the Hawai'i Branch of the English-Speaking Union of the United States. Besides being committed to teaching, Pellegrino has been chairperson of the Language Arts Division at Maui Community College for many years, and he is recognized as a statewide leader in his field.
In the humanities Pellegrino has developed an interdisciplinary Asian literature course to complement Western-centered courses. His particular emphasis is on India, China, and Japan, where he has traveled and studied extensively.
Pellegrino received B.S. and M.S. degrees from the State University of New York, College at Buffalo, and he has completed advanced course work in his discipline at universities in the United States and abroad. In 1973 he studied Japanese literature at Sophia University in Tokyo. In 1984 he was a Fulbright Scholar in India. He is married to Wallette Garcia of Wailuku, Maui. They have three children, Shelley, Angela, and Hokuao.
Pellegrino has had a life-long love affair with Italian cooking. After 5 years of research and writing, he has created 65 recipes for bruschetta toppings, now available inSimply Bruschetta - Garlic Toast the Italian Way. He is working on his second Italian cookbook, Leaning Toward Greens.
