New York Magazine’s Dan Kois chooses Big Happiness as one of his 5 picks for summer:
http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/recommends/#books
Isaiah Walker posts an excerpt from his Waves of Resistance on global surf site TheInertia.com: http://www.theinertia.com/surf/waves-of-resistance/
People and Cultures of Hawaii: The Evolution of Culture and Ethnicity, edited by John F. McDermott and Naleen Naupaka Andrade, is a significant update to the highly influential text People and Cultures of Hawaii: A Psychocultural Profile. Since its publication in 1980, the immigrant groups it discusses in depth have matured and new ones have been added to the mix. The present work tracks the course of these changes over the past twenty years, constructing a historical understanding of each group as it evolved from race to ethnicity to culture.
Individual chapters begin with an overview of one of fifteen groups. Following the development of its unique ethnocultural identity, distinctive character traits such as temperament and emotional expression are explored—as well as ethnic stereotypes. Also discussed are modifications to the group’s ethnocultural identity over time and generational change—which traits may have changed over generations and which are more hardwired or enduring. An important feature of each chapter is the focus on the group’s family social structure, generational and gender roles, power distribution, and central values and life goals. Readers will also find a description of the group’s own internal social class structure, social and political strategies, and occupational and educational patterns. Finally, contributors consider how a particular ethnic group has blended into Hawai‘i’s culturally sensitive society.
May 2011 / ISBN 978-0-8248-3580-4 / $23.00 (PAPER)
“John Clark, a Hawaiian surfer, lifeguard, firefighter, and historian, has studied Hawaiian, read Hawaiian sources on surfing, and built up a massive file of these texts for analysis and translation. More recently, he has tapped into the growing online database of Hawaiian-language articles on native history and culture that were published from the 1830s to the 1940s. By searching out practically every known reference to Hawaiian surfing, Clark has produced an amazing study of the sport, one that far surpasses any previous work. Furthermore, because he has included so much rich source material here, presented in both Hawaiian and English translation, this compilation will long serve as a treasury of traditional surfing lore—one that allows readers to delve deep and come up with their own understanding of Hawaiian surfing.” —Ben Finney, emeritus professor of anthropology, University of Hawai‘i
Hawaiian Surfing: Traditions from the Past is a history of the traditional sport narrated primarily by native Hawaiians who wrote for the Hawaiian-language newspapers of the 1800s. An introductory section covers traditional surfing, including descriptions of the six Hawaiian surf-riding sports (surfing, bodysurfing, canoe surfing, body boarding, skimming, and river surfing). This is followed by an exhaustive Hawaiian-English dictionary of surfing terms and references from Hawaiian-language publications and a special section of Waikiki place names related to traditional surfing. The information in each of these sections is supported by passages in Hawaiian, followed by English translations. The work concludes with a glossary of English-Hawaiian surfing terms and an index of proper names, place names, and surf spots.
May 2011 / ISBN 978-0-8248-3414-2 / $24.00 (PAPER)
University of Hawai‘i Press was highlighted at the annual Ka Palapala Po‘okela Awards gala on May 6, when its director, William Hamilton, was honored with the John Dominis Holt Award for Excellence in Publishing. Hamilton is the Press’ longest serving director and only the third in its 64-year history.
In addition to the Holt Award, books published by the Press receiving accolades this year included:
A Photographic Guide to the Birds of Hawai‘i: The Main Islands and Offshore Waters (Jim Denny) — Award of Excellence in Natural Science
Hawaiian Birds of the Sea: Nā Manu Kai (Robert J. Shallenberger) — Honorable Mention, Excellence in Natural Science
Regulating Paradise: Land Use Controls in Hawai‘i (David L. Callies) — Honorable Mention, Excellence in Text or Reference Books
The Value of Hawaiʻi: Knowing the Past, Shaping the Future (Craig Howes & Jonathan Osorio) — Honorable Mention, Excellence in Nonfiction
Winner of the Samuel M. Kamakau Award for Hawai‘i Book of the Year went to Polynesia: The Mark and Carolyn Blackburn Collection of Polynesian Art (Adrienne L. Kaeppler), distributed for the Blackburns by UH Press. The stunning book also won the Award of Excellence in the category of Illustrative or Photographic Books and its designer, Barbara Pope Book Design, was the winner in the Design category.
Read the Hawai‘i Book Blog post of the award ceremony at: http://www.hawaiibookblog.com/articles/2011-ka-palapala-pookela-winners/.
View photos of the event from the May 11, 2011, PULSE post: http://www.honolulupulse.com/events/books-2011-ka-palapala-po%e2%80%98okela-awards-winners.
Many thanks to Chris Gould at Sumo Fan Magazine for his thoughtful review of Big Happiness: The Life and Death of a Modern Hawaiian Warrior, by Mark Panek. While acknowledging that, for sumo cognoscenti, the book “cannot be awarded full marks for sumo content,” Gould writes:
“Panek has worked his fingers to the bone to produce some fine research into Hawaiian culture, and this book must rank as one of the most fun academic texts ever. It’s no mean feat to make a history and cultural book so accessible and readable, all the time drawing you into the character of Percy.”
The New York Times review of Unfamiliar Fishes, Sarah Vowell’s* trek through Hawai‘i’s past and present, urges readers to “check out” UH Press’ Shoal of Time: A History of the Hawaiian Islands “for extra credit.” We agree!
Gavan Daws’ classic work, first published in 1974, is still widely recognized as the best attempt at a broad, accessible history of Hawai‘i from the arrival of Cook in 1778 to statehood in 1959.
*Sarah Vowell will be at the Hawai‘i Book and Music Festival on Sunday.
University of Hawai‘i Press will be among the local publishers participating in this year’s Hawai‘i Book and Music Festival next weekend, May 14–15, 10 am–5pm, at Honolulu Hale. Admission and parking are free to the general public.
Click here for a detailed schedule of events.
Susan Schultz’s Tinfish Editor’s Blog features a great review of Mark Panek’s Big Happiness: The Life and Death of a Modern Hawaiian Warrior. The review comes in the later half of a nice, lengthy post on Susan’s fondness for the Windward side and memories of biking Okana Road, where Percy Kipapa was killed in 2005. Here’s how it starts–but read the entire post, “Grounded by Happiness,” for the full effect!
For some reason (a recent adoption? soon-to-be trip away from home? not yet bike-riding on Okana Drive?) I do not remember the murder of Percy Kipapa in May, 2005 on Okana Road. He had just come from a stop at the 7-Eleven across from the Hygienic Store. Even more strangely, I don’t remember the trial of his murderer a year later, a trial that was covered diligently by local media. So it was with a strange sense of a missing memory, one that ought to have firmly lodged there, that I read Mark Panek’s new University of Hawai`i Press book, Big Happiness: The Life and Death of a Modern Hawaiian Warrior. I am grateful for this book for many reasons: it is at once a loving elegy to the author’s friend, a history of Windward O`ahu since statehood (1959), an incisive piece of investigative journalism about land and water issues, development, and the crystal meth (ice) epidemic of the 1990s and 2000s. That epidemic struck all of Hawai`i–in fact, it struck many places like Hawai`i, where rural dreams run dry and the only way to make a living is to leave, join the military, hope to make it as an athlete–but it struck Kahalu`u particularly hard. It is also a book about Okana Road, about an area I know, however superficially, from the seat of my Specialized bike.
The Office for Hawaiian Affairs (OHA) radio show, Na ‘Oiwi ‘Olino, recently hosted a discussion of Big Happiness with Mrs. Priscilla Kipapa, Kevin Chang (OHA Land Manager), and the author. Listen to the broadcast here: http://am940hawaii.com/Player/100932661/
University of Hawai‘i Press will launch the publication of Waves of Resistance: Surfing and History in Twentieth-Century Hawai‘i, by Isaiah Helekunihi Walker, on Saturday, May 7, 2011, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Native Books/Nā Mea Hawai‘i, Ward Warehouse (‘ewa end), 1050 Ala Moana Boulevard, phone: 597-8967.
Dr. Walker will give a talk and answer questions on his work, followed by a book signing, refreshments, and informal discussion. The public is invited to attend the free event. Books will be available for purchase and signing by the author.
Whether you are looking for help with a particular medical condition or to maximize your intake of essential fats, vitamins, and minerals for optimum health, this is a reference book you cannot be without.
Many of us know the importance of eating a wide range of fruits, vegetables, and nuts. But less well known are the specific beneficial health properties of individual plants. Plant foods are powerful—they can lower your blood pressure, improve brain function, protect against certain cancers, repair nerve damage . . . the key is knowing which plants pack the most punch. Eat Smart, Stay Well, by Susanna Lyle, contains:
• Information on 115 readily available edible plants that will support and strenghten your health and wellbeing;
• Detailed analysis of what is in the plants and their specific benefits for a range of health issues;
• Recipe suggestions, which accompany many of the entries, and tables listing plants by specific health benefits for easy reference.
April 2011 / ISBN 978-0-8248-3593-4 / $19.95 (PAPER)
From April 25 to May 16, enter to win a free copy of Eat Smart, Stay Well at goodreads.com!
Hart Wood: Architectural Regionalism in Hawaii, by Don Hibbard, Glenn Mason, and Karen Weitze, will be recognized with a Preservation Honor Award at Historic Hawai‘i Foundation’s 2011 Awards Ceremony on April 19. This is the 36th year of the Preservation Honor Awards, which are Hawai‘i’s highest recognition of preservation projects that “perpetuate, rehabilitate, restore or interpret the state’s architectural, archaeological and/or cultural heritage.”
“With insightful text and 200 illustrations, Hart Wood traces the life and work of a significant Hawai‘i architect who resided and practiced in the islands from the 1920s to the 1950s. The wide range of buildings he designed has special significance for us today, as fine examples of this period’s distinctive regional style of Hawaiian architecture. The book is the culmination of years of extensive research, documentation, and the compilation of photographs and materials, which was first initiated in the 1980s. The University of Hawai‘i Press worked closely with the authors to design and produce a volume to match their vision. . . . [An] outstanding contribution to Hawai‘i’s preservation efforts.” —Hawai‘i Historic Foundation award letter
Mark Panek will present Big Happiness at several events on O‘ahu, including a community forum at the KEY Project in Kahalu‘u and a book launch at Native Books. All are open to the public with no attendance fee. Books will be available for purchase.
* Thursday, April 14, 12:00 noon to 1:15 p.m.; Center for Biographical Research, Henke Hall 325, 1800 East-West Road; phone 956-3774. Brown Bag Biography talk on life-writing.
* Friday, April 15, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.; KEY Project, 47-200 Waihe‘e Road, Kahulu‘u; for more information: John Reppun, phone 239-5777. A celebration of Percy Kipapa and public forum on land-use and drug issues will include speakers from the community and refreshments. The parents, other family, and friends of Kipapa will attend. http://www.keyproject.org/keyproject/
* Saturday, April 16, 12:30 to 1:15 p.m.; Kuykendall Hall, UH-Mānoa (check room location that day), part of the Celebrate Reading Festival; for more information: Lorna Hershinow, 239-9726, email: hershinow@gmail.com. In this session of Celebrate Reading, the author will discuss the general aspects of biography, based on his writing experiences with Big Happiness. [best link: http://hihumanities.org/index.php/events-calendar/401-celebrate-reading-2011]
* Saturday, April 16, 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.; Native Books/Nā Mea Hawai‘i, Ward Warehouse; phone: 597-8697. The author will give a talk and reading, followed by a book signing and informal discussion. Light refreshments will be provided.
