Posts from the “Hawaii Authors” Category

First the Festival, and then the Gala

Posted on May 7, 2012

2012 Ka Palapala Po‘okela Book Awards

excellent or exemplary manuscripts

Friday May 11, 5:30-9pm at Bishop Museum

Now that you’ve amped up excitement about local books at the Hawaii Book and Music Festival, you’ve got another fun chance to support local book publishers, authors and Bishop Museum by attending the 2012 Book Awards. The awards ceremony begins Friday May 11 at 6pm in the Bishop Museum Atherton Halau, followed by a reception in the Hawaiian Hall Atrium and Courtyard.

The awards are given by the Hawai‘i Book Publishers Association and recognize the finest books published in the state during the previous year (in this case, in 2011), and honor authors, designers, photographers, illustrators and publishers who create them.

A $25 tickets means you can enjoy heavy pupu, cocktails and gourmet chocolate truffles while you browse nominated books and get them signed by attending authors. Proceeds benefit Bishop Museum. (Available at the door or in advance at Native Books in Ward Warehouse.)

I will be there to see what books are honored and if, perchance, Don’t Look Back: Hawaiian Myths Made New, is one of them. Hopefully, I’ll see you there.

Categories: Book Awards, Events, Hawaii Authors, HBMF, Publishing

DON’T LOOK BACK, the Big Island Tour

Posted on February 25, 2012

If you’re a writer and reader on the Big Island, or need a good excuse to fly over for a getaway, I’ll be giving a series of readings and talks for DON’T LOOK BACK: Hawaiian Myths Made New from Saturday 2/25 – Tuesday 2/28 in Hilo, Kona & Volcano.

Joining me will be DON’T LOOK BACK contributor and nationally bestselling author and Waimea resident Darien Gee (Friendship Bread: A Novel) who also writes under the name Mia King (Sweet Life).

We’d love to see you there! Tell your friends, bring your friends, and anyone who loves stories, Hawaiian culture, myths and more.

Saturday 2/25 at 1 pm we will be at Basically Books in Hilo reading from our stories and signing books for about an hour.

Sunday 2/26 from 2 – 4pm we will be reading and talking story at a special edition of Kona Stories‘ “Wine & Words” event in the Keauhou Shopping Center on the Kona side. A little wine and pupu, stories and books make for a great, storied afternoon.

Tuesday 2/28 at 7pm we will be the featured presenters at Hawai‘i Volcanoes National Park “After Dark in the Park” event in the visitors’ center. We’re hoping for a spirited evening as we honor Pele with Darien Gee’s story Pele in Therapy (think about those times when one has the need to “vent”), and my riff on The Legend of Halemano. There are actually five stories in the collection where Pele’s influence reverberates and her powerful presence in our modern lives is honored.

I hope to see you there. And O‘ahu people–we’re planning a talk story event soon in Honolulu for those that want to discuss myth and retelling in more detail.

Aloha!

Categories: Big Island, Hawaii Authors, My Events, Myth, Reading

On My Shelf: Enigmas

Posted on February 20, 2012

Lately I’ve been captivated by enigmas, which might be why I’ve chosen three books for this month’s picks that promise to shed light on three very different mysteries: the collapse of a civilization, life behind China’s wall, and mystery meat on lunch plates.

THE STATUES THAT WALKED. Terry Hunt and Carl Lipo. Free Press. 237 pages. $26

I was lucky to visit Easter Island, or Rapa Nui, during a recent trip to South America. The open, quiet island was mesmerizing in ways I hadn’t expected, inescapably buzzing with burning questions: What happened to all the trees? Why did they build these chicken-skin-inducing rock statues?

In Hunt and Lipo’s absorbing new book, they use architectural research begun in 2001 to solve Rapa Nui’s riddle and ultimately refute previous theories of environmental collapse. Elements of this readable narrative echo facets of Hawaii’s past, including the destructive power of rats on native forest and extended contact with Europeans in the 18^thcentury. Hunt is a UH Manoa anthropology professor.

CHINA IN TEN WORDS. Yu Hua. Translated by Allan H. Barr. Pantheon. 225 pages. $24.95

People. Leader. Reading. Writing. Lu Xun. Disparity. Revolution. Grassroots. Copycat. Bamboozle.

“This tiny lexicon gives me ten pairs of eyes with which to scan the contemporary Chinese scene from different vantage points,” says Chinese writer Hua of the framework for his new book about the culture that continues to shape modern Hawaii.

Hua wisely uses a simple narrative anchored in daily life and provides an accessible and riveting window into “the social complexities and staggering contrasts of contemporary China.”

FED UP WITH LUNCH. Sarah Wu (aka Mrs. Q). Chronicle Books. 191 pages. $22.95

Two years ago, Chicago public school speech pathologist Sarah Wu launched the anonymous blog “Fed Up with Lunch” to chronicle her experience eating school lunch every day for a year. In her new book, she takes the journey and her identity public for the first time. Think “Super Size Me” brought to nutrition and education, and a look at just a portion of America’s children who are said to consume up to half of their calories through school meals.

Wu has no specific connection to Hawaii, but community wellness and the health of our children is inextricably relevant here as we battle childhood diabetes and obesity. Photographs of each pre-packaged lunch are undeniably hypnotic, if also familiarly revolting, but it’s her earnest words and quiet revolutionary spirit that drew me in and got me pointedly thinking about school lunch’s very real implications.

-Christine Thomas

Categories: China, food, Hawaii Authors, Nonfiction

Book Signing for DON’T LOOK BACK

Posted on January 26, 2012

This Saturday I’ll be at Barnes & Noble Kahala signing copies of DON’T LOOK BACK: Hawaiian Myths Made New along with four contributors. I’d love it if you could stop by and say hello (maybe even have a book signed!) and support us and one of the island’s remaining book stores. Hope to see you there!

Who: Hawai‘i writers Christine Thomas, J. Freen, Victoria Kneubuhl, Marion Lyman-Mersereau and J. Arthur Rath III

What: The authors will appear at a book signing for the new anthology Don’t Look Back: Hawaiian Myths Made New, edited by Christine Thomas, featuring their work and that of 12 other Hawai‘i writers.

Where: Barnes & Noble Kahala Mall

When: Saturday, January 28, 11AM – Noon

In Don’t Look Back: Hawaiian Myths Made New, just released by Watermark Publishing, editor Christine Thomas has collected 17 tales of old Hawai‘i—lovingly re-imagined and retold for the 21st century. Old meets new in this one-of-a-kind anthology, as Hawai‘i’s best writers—Maxine Hong Kingston, W.S. Merwin, Victoria Kneubuhl, Alan Brennert, the late Ian MacMillan and a dozen others including Thomas herself—present favorite myths and legends in surprising contemporary settings. Here, the reader finds Pele in therapy, Maui as a superhero, the cannibal king O‘ahu Nui in a world of shady deals and political corruption, the star-crossed naupaka lovers as Honolulu high-school sweethearts and other updated versions of Island legends.

Categories: Don't Look Back, Hawaii Authors, Hawaiiana, My Events, Myth

Book Review: O’Keeffe’s Hawai’i

Posted on January 19, 2012

Georgia O’Keeffe’s Hawai’i. Patricia Jennings and Maria Ausherman. Koa Books. 113 pages. $20.

In 1939, Dole Pineapple sponsored celebrated painter Georgia O’Keeffe on a nearly three-month excursion to the Islands, and she came away with much more than the two paintings meant for Dole advertisements. Patricia Jennings, O’Keeffe’s then 12-year-old guide, now tells the story of her visit and includes letters from O’Keefe, both of which reveal a softer, more nurturing side to the artist.

Of course, the book’s most seductive aspects are high-quality reproductions of O’Keeffe’s rarely seen Hawai‘i paintings, tenderly and stunningly evoking fishhooks, Iao Valley, flowers and more—the only thing better would be seeing the paintings in person. But period photos, O’Keeffe’s letters from Maui, and perspectives on her visit run a close second, resurrecting a hidden but meaningful period in the artist’s career.

–Christine Thomas for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, On My Shelf

Categories: Art and Architecture, Hawaii Authors

Book Review: Hawaiian Surfing | John Clark

Posted on January 14, 2012

Hawaiian Surfing: Traditions from the Past. John R. K. Clark. University of Hawai‘i Press. 495 pages. $24

Even just a cursory scan of established Hawai‘i beach and sea author Clark’s latest endeavor reveals he has again undertaken a serious and rigorous research project to explore his favorite pleasurable pastime.

This comprehensive ode to Hawaiian surfing is an impressive reference covering everything from board to river surfing, and detailing traditional surf sites across the islands, including Kaho‘olawe and Ni‘ihau. Clark weaves in excerpts of Hawaiian-language newspapers, myth—especially of surfing goddess Hi‘iakaikapoliopele—early texts by the likes of Malo and Beckwith, and even an account of surfing-related Hawaiian place names in Waikiki.

Perhaps most remarkable is the 250-plus page Hawaiian-English dictionary of surfing terms, with nearly all entries followed by passages illustrating how terms were used in context. Clark works closely with Awaiaulu, dedicated to fostering Hawaiian knowledge today.

–Christine Thomas for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, On My Shelf

Categories: Culture, Hawaii Authors, Hawaiiana, History, Surfing

Don’t Look Back – Post Launch

Posted on December 20, 2011

Thank you to everyone who came out to the Mission Houses Museum last week to support the launch of Don’t Look Back: Hawaiian Myths Made New.

We had a great turnout in the courtyard just off the bookstore, with about 60 people enjoying short excerpts of myths with a modern twist, even with heavy competition across the street in the form of the luminous Santa and Mrs. Claus and snowmen.

Photos by the lovely Dawn Sakamoto

Christopher Kelsey read from his story, Rock of Ages, stemming from the myth of removing lava rocks from the volcano.

Christopher Kelsey

Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl read from Ao ‘Aumākua, the myth of Hiku and Kawelu spun from a new perspective.

And J. Freen’s reading from If You GoogleEarth 1118 Bishop Street, a modern rendering of the myth of O‘ahu Nui the Cannibal King, elicited many hearty laughs.

Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl

J. Freen

I was very happy to have so many contributors in the same place: Gary Pak, Robert Barclay, J. Arthur Rath III, Marion Lyman-Mersereau, Puakea Nogelmeier, and Andy Catanzariti who designed the amazing book cover. I’m looking forward to future events where more contributors will gather and read.

In the works: a talk-story at Na Mea Hawai‘i Native Books, signings on Hawai‘i Island and Maui. If you’d like a copy of the book head to the Watermark website. A portion of sales will be donated to support Awaiaulu.

L to R: Gary Pak, Puakea Nogelmeier, Andy Catanzariti, Christopher Kelsey, Robert Barclay, J. Freen, Christine Thomas, J. Arthur Rath III, Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl, Marion Lyman-Mersereau

Categories: Don't Look Back, fiction, Hawaii Authors, My Events, Myth

On My Shelf

Posted on December 18, 2011

People always ask me what good books I’ve read lately, since my work as a book critic lands a lot of titles on my desk. Each month in my new Honolulu Star-Advertiser column, I’ll share local or locally-of-interest titles that got my attention and made it to my shelves—and might make it to yours.

Here’s the first round.

CORAL ROAD POEMS. Garrett Hongo. Knopf. 102 pages. $26

This is the third poetry collection by Volcano-born Hongo, author of the memoir Volcano: A Memoir of Hawai‘i. These finely wrought narrative poems, arranged in five parts with one rendered in pidgin, pursue fragile yet potent threads of Hongo’s grandparents’ stories about plantation life on O‘ahu. Through verse, he inhabits both ancestral and literary heroes, particularly in a series of epistles, “The Wartime Letters of Hideo Kuboto,” that links Hongo’s poetic family with his grandfather’s experience in a World War II Arizona detention camp. Lingering in every word is Hongo’s profound connection to and palpable homesickness for his family roots and childhood in Hawai‘i (he now lives in Oregon)—a “past that was, to me, / The real world and its genuine glory—not the strained exile I suffered.”

THE BOY WHO DEFIED HIS KARMA. Michael S. Koyama. Mutual Publishing. 461 pages. $14.95

This expansive novel is based on the true-life story of Michael Koyama, pseudonym of a U.S. economist and author of The Kyoto List. More engaging than memoir, the story begins in Bangkok and Japan in 1943 with an atmospheric and immediately captivating description of the central character Bunji’s life in a Japanese orphanage after his father’s execution. Organized chronologically and by location, the novel proceeds nimbly through accounts of his journey into adulthood including college at U.C. Berkeley, work in U.S. Army Intelligence on the mainland and in Europe, a visit to Hawai‘i in the late ‘80s, and back to his beginnings in Japan. Equal parts triumph-over-adversity and political intrigue, the novel is a memorable and endearing recollection of an adventurous and incredible life.

Murder Leaves Its Mark. Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl. University of Hawai‘i Press. 301 pages. $16.99

The imaginative lead characters from Kneubuhl’s 2008 debut mystery Murder Casts A Shadow return in this engrossing follow-up, where clever journalist Mina Beckwith and British playwright Ned Manusia suss out a murder at the old Haleiwa Hotel. It’s almost a guilty pleasure to be transported once again back to 1930s Hawai‘i, as sugar barons throw swanky parties and the smoking tension between workers and the elite is smartly resurrected. From the first pages, Kneubuhl’s graceful and meticulous prose immerses readers in a time when O‘ahu’s Sierra Drive was bordered by farmed carnations, large lots still existed near Waikiki, and people traveled to and from the islands by boat—and that’s just entrancing window-dressing on a thoughtful and thoroughly entertaining story.

Categories: fiction, Hawaii Authors, Poetry

Aloha O’Keeffe

Posted on December 15, 2011

You’ll find out more of my thoughts on GEORGIA O’KEEFFE’S HAWAI‘I in my next Star-Advertiser column, but I wanted to call out the book’s event this Sunday at Native Books where the author, who was 12 at the time she acted as O’Keeffe’s island tour guide, will be on O‘ahu to discuss her experience and new book. Mark your calendar!

Categories: Art and Architecture, Events, Hawaii Authors, Nonfiction

Myths with a Modern Twist

Posted on November 4, 2011

Spread the word. After about five years of research, discussions and much thought and writing, my anthology of modern takes on Hawaiian myths will finally be published. Watermark Publishing has sent the proofs off to the printers, and our launch will be next month.

I was enamored of the concept and am even more enamored of the result, which I hope will provoke laughter, discussion, thought and more retellings of our enduring stories. When you have a chance to read it, I’d love to hear what you think.

Here’s more from Watermark:

Island Myths with a Modern Twist

Pele in therapy. Maui as superhero. The cannibal king O‘ahu Nui in a world of shady deals and political corruption. The star-crossed naupaka lovers as Honolulu high-school sweethearts. In this one-of-a-kind anthology, old meets new as Hawai‘i’s best writers, including Ian MacMillan, Maxine Hong Kingston, W.S. Merwin, Victoria Kneubuhl, Alan Brennert and more, present favorite myths and legends in surprising contemporary settings. Here are 17 tales of old Hawai‘i—lovingly reimagined and retold for the 21st century.

Editor Christine Thomas is a freelance features and travel writer and book critic.

Full list of contributing writers:
A.A. Attanasio
Robert Barclay
Alan Brennert
Timothy Dyke
J. Freen
Darien Gee
Ku‘ualoha Ho‘omanawanui
Christopher Kelsey
Maxine Hong Kingston
Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl
Ian Macmillan
Marion Lyman-Mersereau
W.S. Merwin
Wayne Moniz
Gary Pak
J. Arthur Rath III
Christine Thomas

Softcover; 176 pp
Editor: Christine Thomas
Release Date: November 2011

Categories: Don't Look Back, fiction, Hawaii Authors, My Events, Myth, Poetry

Literary Lotus

I travel. I read. I write.

Posts from the “Hawaii Authors” Category

First the Festival, and then the Gala

Posted on May 7, 2012

DON’T LOOK BACK, the Big Island Tour

Posted on February 25, 2012

On My Shelf: Enigmas

Posted on February 20, 2012

Book Signing for DON’T LOOK BACK

Posted on January 26, 2012

Book Review: O’Keeffe’s Hawai’i

Posted on January 19, 2012

Book Review: Hawaiian Surfing | John Clark

Posted on January 14, 2012

Don’t Look Back – Post Launch

Posted on December 20, 2011

On My Shelf

Posted on December 18, 2011

Aloha O’Keeffe

Posted on December 15, 2011

Myths with a Modern Twist

Posted on November 4, 2011

Posts from the “Hawaii Authors” Category

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