Category: Hawaii

A New Novel by Gary Pak

Posted on by stephchun

Brothers under a Same SkyNam Kun and Nam Ki Han, brothers born on a Wahiawa sugar plantation, could not have been more different. Pragmatic and stubborn, Nam Kun dutifully supported his family but refused to become “one Christian fanatic” like his widowed mother and youngest sibling, Nam Ki. When Nam Ki is drafted into the army at the start of the Korean War, he tells Nam Kun that as a Christian he cannot kill. “You gotta do it,” Nam Kun replies, thinking the war will make a man of this “mama’s boy. ”

Nam Ki finds refuge from the chaos and brutality of life as a soldier in his love for a young Korean woman, a Christian. He returns after the war to search for her and discovers she has become a prostitute. With his sense of reality shattered, Nam Ki must choose between his faith and all that he has witnessed in war-torn Korea. Brothers under a Same Sky explores the social and psychological turmoil experienced by Korean Americans during and after the war but, more importantly, it examines the individual’s decision to keep—or betray—a fundamental belief in human goodness.

A Latitude 20 Book
July 2013 / ISBN 978-0-8248-3605-4 / $19.00 (PAPER)

Revised and Expanded Guide to Hanauma Bay Now Available

Posted on by stephchun

Exploring Hanauma Bay: RevisedThis revised and expanded edition of the popular Exploring Hanauma Bay, by Susan Scott, is the only guidebook you will need for East O‘ahu’s spectacular nature preserve, a favorite of residents and visitors alike. Whether you plan to snorkel, dive, tour the park on foot, or take in the bay from the beach, this book will help you make the most of your visit. Veteran Hawai‘i columnist and marine enthusiast Susan Scott has devised six tours to accommodate a wide range of interests and abilities, while covering the geology, biology, and history of the bay. The book is fully illustrated with more than 250 color photos and includes safety tips, transportation advice, and a helpful list of park do’s and don’ts.

July 2013 / ISBN 978-0-8248-3748-8 / $16.99 (PAPER)

An American Girl in the Hawaiian Islands Earns AAUP Outstanding Rating

Posted on by UH Press Marketing

Each year the Association of American University Presses (AAUP) compiles its University Press Books for Public and Secondary Schools Libraries, a bibliography of titles submitted by member presses as a tool for collection development. The books are rated by committees of public and secondary-school librarians from two divisions of the American Library Association.

An American Girl in the Hawaiian IslandsIn this year’s collection, An American Girl in the Hawaiian Islands: Letters of Carrie Prudence Winter, 1890–1893, edited by Sandra Bonura and Deborah Day, received a top “Outstanding” rating. As defined by the selection process, Outstanding titles have “exceptional editorial content and subject matter. They are essential additions to most library collections.”

The reviewer’s comments below can be viewed at the end of the listing (sorted by Dewey Decimal class) of the 2013 Outstanding Titles.

The use of Carrie Prudence Winter’s original letters is what allows this book to become a rare primary source on topics such as: women missionaries, the last days of Hawaii’s monarchy, and a long-distance 19th century courtship. Ms. Winter’s use of language paints a compelling picture, engaging a reader’s imagination while they learn of a world few knew so intimately.”—Stacey Hayman (CODES/RUSA)

Besides being available online, the print bibliography was distributed last month at the American Library Association annual conference in Chicago. General information on the bibliography and rating system, as well as how to order copies, can be found here.

An American Girl in the Hawaiian Islands also was one of three finalists in the biography category of this year’s San Diego Book Awards.

Waialua Sugar Plantation History Brought to Life

Posted on by UH Press Marketing

Waialua-plantation-flyerOn Saturday, June 22, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m., the North Shore Chamber of Commerce’s Historic Preservation Committee will present an evening program on the history of the Waialua Sugar Company, to be held at the historic Haleiwa Gym (across from the Haleiwa Post Office). The ambitious lineup includes:

•  an illustrated lecture with rare photos by Haleiwa historian Boyd Ready;

•  a brief talk by Barbara Kawakami based on her book, Japanese Immigrant Clothing in Hawaii, 1885-1941;

•  dramatic readings by local actors Nyla Fujii-Babb, Will Ha‘o, and Mel Vios from oral histories done by UH Mānoa’s Center for Oral History. The center’s Warren Nishimoto and Michi Kodama-Nishimoto, coauthors of Talking Hawai‘i’s Story: Oral Histories of an Island People, will introduce and moderate the dramatizations.

•  a slideshow presentation of Waialua Plantation images taken from 1970 to 2000 by photojournalist Franco Salmoiraghi.

The event will also offer refreshments, music, displays by Hawai‘i Plantation Village and Hawaiian Railway Society, and books will be available for purchase. Tickets are $12 at the door or presold here. For more information call (808) 637-4558 or visit www.gonorthshore.org.

UH Press around the Web: May/June Round-up

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McDermott&AndradeCongratulations to John F. McDermott, M.D. on being honored by the American Psychiatric Association with the Alice Purcell McGavin Award in recognition of his distinguished career in child and adolescent psychiatry. Along with Dr. Naleen Andrade, Dr. McDermott coedited People and Cultures of Hawai‘i: The Evolution of Culture and Ethnicity. Read more about the award here.

Hawaii Public Radio‘s Chris Vandercook, co-host of “The Conversation,” interviewed UH Hilo associate professor Kerri Inglis about her book, Ma‘i Lepera: Disease and Displacement in Nineteenth-Century Hawai‘i. The show originally aired May 28 on HPR2 but listen to the segment about 38 minutes into the archived show.Inglis-MaiLepera

In commemoration of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month, the Asia Society’s Farisa Khalid reflected on the life and work of painter Yasuo Kuniyoshi. She included insight from professor ShiPu Wang, author of Becoming American? The Art and Identity Crisis of Yasuo Kuniyoshi, on Kuniyoshi’s contributions to American art. Read the Asia Blog post and view a video slideshow of the artist’s paintings.

Puu-O-Hulu-Stuart-Ball-20-570x380

Adding to its Samuel M. Kamakau Award for Hawai‘i’s Book of the Year, Kalaupapa: A Collective Memory was recognized by the Historic Hawai‘i Foundation with a Preservation Media award at its annual Preservation Honor Awards ceremony last Friday. Representatives from UH Press and the Native Hawaiian Center of Excellence (JABSOM) were joined by descendants of David Kupele, who was sent to Kalaupapa in 1915.

With summer almost officially upon us, how ’bout a nice hike up a rocky ridge with a fantastic ocean view? No need to work up a sweat to get a vicarious thrill of hiking with Stuart Ball, author of several UH Press guides. Experience it by reading this Exploration: Hawaii post by Coty Gonzales.

Rethinking and Rebuilding Nature in Hawai‘i

Posted on by stephchun

Restoring ParadiseThree quarters of the U.S.’s bird and plant extinctions have occurred in Hawai‘i, and one third of the country’s threatened and endangered birds and plants reside within the state. Yet despite these alarming statistics, all is not lost: There are still 12,000 extant species unique to the archipelago and new species are discovered every year. In Restoring Paradise: Rethinking and Rebuilding Nature in Hawai‘i, Robert Cabin shows why current attempts to preserve Hawai‘i’s native fauna and flora require embracing the emerging paradigm of ecological restoration—the science and art of assisting the recovery of degraded species and ecosystems and creating more meaningful and sustainable relationships between people and nature.

“Bob Cabin has that rare gift of a scientist who writes like a novelist. The tale he tells is not so much about science as it is about courageous people—many of them dedicated volunteers—who are responding in very personal ways to environmental crises. These are people who are restoring impaired Hawaiian ecosystems in a heroic effort to recover Nature. Cabin, who has logged many hours as a restoration practitioner himself, explains that we can’t always return Hawai‘i’s fabled ecosystems back to the way they were in the past. Instead, he recovers as much as possible of the remaining native biodiversity and gives Nature the opportunity to reinvent itself in a contemporary expression. The story Cabin tells is one of fulfillment as Hawaiians engage directly in natural processes as if they were part of their own evolving ecosystems—and indeed they are.” ―Andre Clewell, Restoration Ecologist and President Emeritus, Society for Ecological Restoration

June 2013 / ISBN 978-0-8248-3693-1 / $24.99 (PAPER)

2013 Hawaii Book & Music Festival: Visit the UH Press Tent

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University of Hawai‘i Press will be among the local publishers and vendors exhibiting at this weekend’s Hawai‘i Book and Music Festival, May 18-19, on the Frank F. Fasi Civic Grounds next to Honolulu Hale. Admission and parking are free. Go to the festival website to download a detailed schedule of events, as well the new HBMF app.

HBMF13 Map 5-17-13Be sure to come by the UH Press tent, located near the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities Pavilion (left side of the map). We’ll have event-only specials, including 15-25% discounts and will offer free shipping on orders taken onsite. Slightly damaged (“hurt”) stock and a few titles in new condition will have even lower bargain prices. While at our booth, pick up a recipe for braised prawns from Mary Sia’s Classic Chinese Cookbook.

More than a dozen UH Press authors are presenters at the festival: Sandra Bonura, Anwei Law, Kerri Inglis, Leilani Holmes, Jim Tranquada, Mark Panek, Tom Coffman, Willa Tanabe, Victoria Kneubuhl, Malcolm Chun, Gary Pak, Randall Roth, Leslie Hayashi, Warren Nishimoto, Craig Howes, among others. Although we’ll have no set times for signings, authors will stop by throughout the day before and after their presentations, as well as be available to sign books brought along to the tents where they appear.

See you there!

Hawaii Public Radio Interviews Mark Panek, Elliot Cades Award for Literature Winner

Posted on by UH Press Marketing

UH-Hilo professor Mark Panek was interviewed by Hawaii Public Radio’s Noe Tanigawa about being named this year’s winner of the Elliot Cades Award for Literature given to an “emerging writer.” The Hawaii Literary Arts Council primarily based their selection on his 2011 biography of Percy Kipapa, Big Happiness: The Life and Death of a Modern Hawaiian Warrior, which received the 2012 Ka Palapala Po‘okela award for nonfiction. The Cades awards will be officially presented at Mission Memorial Auditorium on Sunday, May 19, at 3:00 p.m., as part of the Hawai‘i Book & Music Festival and the public is invited.

The HPR interview will air tomorrow (Friday, May 17) at 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. on KHPR 88.1 FM and on KIPO 88.9 FM at 12:30 or 1:30 p.m. (exact timing is subject to change). It will be archived on the HPR website or accessed at www.noetanigawa.com. UPDATE: Click here for the archived show.

Of related interest: Read a past Q&A on Big Happiness here.

In addition to Big Happiness, Dr. Panek also authored Gaijin Yokozuna: A Biography of Chad Rowan (UH Press, 2006) and this month released his first fiction title, Hawai‘i: A Novel, published by Lō‘ihi Press.

Congratulations, Mark!

UH Press Titles Honored at 2013 Ka Palapala Po‘okela Awards

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Last Friday the Hawai‘i Book Publishers Association announced the winners of this year’s Ka Palapala Po‘okela book awards at a ceremony at the Hawai‘i State Library. UH Press titles were recognized with seven of the twenty awards, including the top Samuel M. Kamakau Award for Hawai‘i Book of the Year, which was bestowed on Kalaupapa: A Collective Memory, by Anwei Skinsnes Law with design by Julie Matsuo-Chun. In addition, the book tied as the winner of the Award of Excellence in the Hawaiian Language, Culture and History category and received an honorable mention in Nonfiction.

Author Anwei Law accepts an Award of Excellence from HBPA president David DeLuca.
Author Anwei Law accepts an award for Kalaupapa: A Collective Memory from HBPA president David DeLuca. (photo courtesy of HBPA)

Warm accolades also went to these UH Press titles and their authors:

Ancestry of Experience: A Journey into Hawaiian Ways of Knowing, by Leilani Holmes — Winner (tie) of the Award of Excellence in Hawaiian Language, Culture & History

Leilani Holmes shares her award with husband Ivan Holmes, designer of Ancestry of Experience.
Leilani Holmes shares her award with husband Ivan Holmes, designer of Ancestry of Experience.

I Respectfully Dissent: A Biography of Edward H. Nakamura, by Tom Coffman — Winner of the Award of Excellence in Nonfiction

Loulu: The Hawaiian Palm, by Donald R. Hodel — Winner of the Award of Excellence in Natural Science

The ‘Ukulele: A History, by Jim Tranquada and John King — Winner of the Award of Excellence in Special-Interest Books

Read the Hawaii Book Blog post on the event for complete results. See more photos on the HBPA website.

May 2013 Author Events

Posted on by UH Press Marketing

It’s a busy month on the Hawai‘i homefront, with several authors visiting from elsewhere, as well as annual events—Ka Palapala Po‘okela awards and Hawai‘i Book & Music Festival.

Thursday, May 9
7:30 p.m., University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Art Auditorium
Hawaiian Historical Society will present a special two-part program examining the history of the leprosy settlement at Kalaupapa, seen from the perspective of the patients and families who lived there. UH Press authors Kerri Inglis and Anwei Law will give separate presentations based on their respective books, Ma‘i Lepera: Disease and Displacement in Nineteenth-Century Hawai‘i and Kalaupapa: A Collective Memory. For complete details on this free event, see the HHS post.

Friday, May 10
5:30-8:00 p.m., Hawai‘i State Library
Anticipation is building! Hawai‘i Book Publishers Association will announce the winners of this year’s Ka Palapala Po‘okela awards. Read our previous post here.

Saturday, May 11
11 a.m. to 3 p.m., San Diego Zoo
Donald Hodel will be at the ZooStore to sign copies of his book, Loulu: the Hawaiian Palm. (Unlike the others, this event, obviously, is in San Diego rather than Hawai‘i.)

Saturday, May 11
4:00-5:30 p.m., Native Books/Nā Mea Hawai‘i
Come to the book talk/signing with Leilani Holmes on Ancestry of Experience. See the earlier post for details.

Saturday-Sunday, May 18 & 19
All day, Frank F. Fasi Civic Center next to Honolulu Hale
Plan your weekend around the Hawai‘i Book & Music Festival—visit http://hawaiibookandmusicfestival.com/ to see the complete schedule and map. Several UH Press authors will be presenters and please visit our booth near the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities pavilion.

Monday, May 20
7:00-8:30 p.m., Lyman Museum & Mission House, Hilo
Sandra Bonura coauthor of An American Girl in the Hawaiian Islands: Letters of Carrie Prudence Winter, 1890-1893, will speak about the book and its fascinating backstory. Visit Dr. Bonura’s website to learn more.

Friday, May 31
4:00 p.m., Neal S. Blaisdell Center
Kalaupapa: A Collective Memory will be receiving a Preservation Media Award from the Historic Hawaii Foundation. The award ceremony will take place at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center in Honolulu in the Pīkake Room at 4:00 pm. A reception will follow the presentation program. Tickets to the awards ceremony may be purchased for $45 each (HHF members) or $60 (general admission). Click here for more information.

Honolulu Events with Leilani Holmes on Ancestry of Experience

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San Diego resident Leilani Holmes, author of Ancestry of Experience: A Journey Into Hawaiian Ways of Knowing, will visit Honolulu this month and appear at two public events.

On Saturday, May 11, 4:00 to 5:30 p.m., at Native Books/Nā Mea Hawai‘i, she will speak on her search to reclaim her origins, as well as discoveries of wider interest on Hawaiian identity and ancestry. Light refreshments will be provided at the free presentation. (She will start with a bit of hula, so come early!)Holmes-Ancestry_NativeBks

Leilani will also participate as one of the almost 200 presenters at the Hawai‘i Book & Music Festival, May 18-19, at the Frank F. Fasi Civic Grounds next to Honolulu Hale. On Saturday, May 18, she has two timeslots: At 12 noon, she will be a panelist at the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities tent pavilion; at 4:00 p.m., she will be the solo presenter at the Alana Hawaiian Culture pavilion.

Jazz Remix: Gabe Baltazar’s If It Swings, It’s Music

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Baltazar-If It Swings, It's MusicCheck out this post on Aloha Got Soul about Gabe Baltazar Jr. and take a look/listen from one of his vintage LPs from 1979, recorded with a then-young group of musicians he played with at the Cavalier (located on Kapiolani Boulevard, way back when). Read Gabe’s autobiography, If It Swings, It’s Music, for more on the “Cavalier Days” (pages 157-159) and other great jazz highlights, all in Gabe’s inimitable talk-story style!

For more on Gabe and his music, revisit our post from last May.

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