Category: Hawaii

2013 Ka Palapala Po‘okela Awards: UH Press Nominees

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Ka Palapala Po'okelaThe annual Ka Palapala Po‘okela Awards are presented by Hawai‘i Book Publishers Association to honor Hawai‘i’s finest books and their authors, illustrators, designers, and publishers. This year’s awards presentation is scheduled for Friday, May 10, 5:30 to 8 p.m., at the Hawai‘i State Library, 478 South King Street. The Library is cosponsoring the awards as part of their Centennial Anniversary celebration.

Titles with a 2012 copyright date were eligible this year. Here are our nominees:

Native Paths to Volunteer Trails: Hiking and Trail Building on O‘ahu, by Stuart M. Ball, Jr.
(Excellence in Special-Interest Books)

If It Swings, It’s Music: The Autobiography of Hawai‘i’s Gabe Baltazar Jr., by Gabe Baltazar Jr. with Theo Garneau
(Excellence in Nonfiction)

An American Girl in the Hawaiian Islands: Letters of Carrie Prudence Winter, 1890-1893, edited by Sandra Bonura and Deborah Day
(Excellence in Nonfiction)

I Respectfully Dissent: A Biography of Edward H. Nakamura, by Tom Coffman
(Excellence in Nonfiction)

Loulu: The Hawaiian Palm, by Donald R. Hodel
(Excellence in Natural Science)

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

Kalaupapa: A Collective Memory, by Anwei Skinsnes Law
(Excellence in Hawaiian Language, Culture & History; Excellence in Nonfiction; Excellence in Design)

Hawai‘i’s Mauna Loa Observatory: Fifty Years of Monitoring the Atmosphere, by Forrest M. Mims III
(Excellence in Natural Science)

The ‘Ukulele: A History, by Jim Tranquada and John King
(Excellence in Special-Interest Books)

The Painted King: Art, Activism, and Authenticity in Hawai‘i, by Glenn Wharton
(Excellence in Special-Interest Books)

Kudos to all!

April 2013 Author Events

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Whether you’re in or near New York, Carlsbad, D.C., or Kaunakakai, please join UHP authors at their events!

Thursday, April 11
6:30 to 8 p.m.
Bianca Bosker will be at the China Institute, NYC, to speak on her intriguing new book, Original Copies: Architectural Mimicry in Contemporary China, and the phenomenon of “duplitecture.” Click here for event details and to purchase tickets ($10 member / $15 non-member).

For more on this fascinating topic:
Read the Atlantic article Duplitectural Marvels: Exploring China’s Replica Western Cities
Listen to an interview of Bianca Bosker by Chris Gondek of Heronandcrane on Portland State’s KPSU.

Saturday, April 13
2:00 p.m.
Head over to the Museum of Making Music in Carlsbad, California for “Sincerely, Ukulele,” featuring Jim Tranquada’s book talk on The ‘Ukulele: A History, followed by a performance by ‘ukulele artist Brittni Paiva. For details and to purchase tickets, click here.

Sunday, April 14
In a mash-up of sorts, two UH Press authors will present short lectures as part of the National Cherry Blossom Festival‘s two-day anime marathon, which will feature all 26 episodes of Shinichiro Watanabe’s Samurai Champloo. Both talks are free and will be held in the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art.

11:00 a.m.
“Ukiyo-e Pictures and the World of the Pleasure Quarters”
Julie Nelson Davis, associate professor in the Department of the History of Art, University of Pennsylvania, and author of Utamaro and the Spectacle of Beauty.

3:00 p.m.
“Picaresque Tales, Travelers and Lawbreakers”
Constantine Vaporis, professor and director of Asian studies, University of Maryland Baltimore Campus; author of Tour of Duty: Samurai, Military Service in Edo, and the Culture of Early Modern Japan.

Wednesday, April 24
5:30 p.m.
Anwei Law will sign her monumental work, Kalaupapa: A Collective Memory, at Kalele Bookstore & Divine Expressions in the heart of Kaunakakai, Moloka‘i. Currently a resident of Seneca Falls, NY, where she works as the international coordinator of IDEA, she will be visiting Hawai‘i during most of May–watch for a post on next month’s events.

March 2013 Author Events #3: Kerri Inglis (Ma‘i Lepera)

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Kerri Inglis at KalaupapaTwo book launches are scheduled this month for UH Hilo associate professor of history Kerri A. Inglis — one in Honolulu and one in Hilo. Her newly published work, Ma‘i Lepera: Disease and Displacement in Nineteenth-Century Hawai‘i, sheds light on the Kānaka Maoli who contracted leprosy and were sent to the remote peninsula traditionally known as Makanalua, on Molokai’s northern shore. The book offers compelling evidence of how the disease and its treatment altered Hawaiian perceptions and changed the way Kānaka Maoli viewed themselves—affecting their connections to each other, their families, their islands, and their nation.

Both events are free and open to all interested in attending the talk/signing. Books will be available for purchase and complimentary refreshments will be provided.

Inglis-MaiLepera-NativeBksFriday, March 15, 2013
6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Native Books/Na Mea Hawai‘i
Join us at the newly renovated shop at the ‘ewa end of Ward Warehouse.

Thursday, March 21, 2013
12:30 to 2:00 p.m.
University of Hawai‘i at Hilo, Campus Center 301
The event is part of the monthly UHH English Department Brown Bag series of public discussions.

Next month Professor Inglis will also sign books on Wednesday, April 3, 1:00 p.m. at Basically Books in Hilo, as part of the store’s celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Merrie Monarch Festival. 

March 2013 Author Events #2: John Clark

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Beach and shoreline expert John R. K. Clark will speak on the topic of his most recent book, Hawaiian Surfing: Traditions from the Past, at two public programs:

Thursday, March 14, 2013
6:00 to 7:30 p.m., Atherton Hālau, Bishop Museum
The illustrated lecture is part of the museum’s “Traditions of the Pacific” educational program series. Free admission for museum members; $10 for general admission. To reserve a space, call (808)847-8296, email membership@bishopmuseum.org, or RSVP online.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013
5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at West Hawai‘i Civic Center, on Kealakehe Parkway
(74-5044 Ane Keohokalole Hwy, Kailua-Kona)
As part of the “Hanohano ‘o Kona – Honoring Kona” community lecture series, John Clark’s Hawaiian Surfing talk is presented by Kona Historical Society, in cooperation with the County of Hawai‘i. Free and open to the public.

March 2013 Author Events #1: Night at Waialua Library

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This week the Waialua and North Shore community looks forward to this fun fundraiser for their public library.

Thursday, March 7, 6:30 p.m.
O‘ahu North Shore authors will discuss their recently published books at the annual Friends of Waialua Library Authors’ Night. Among the presenters this year is master jazz saxophonist Gabe Baltazar Jr., who will “talk story” on his wonderful memoir, If It Swings, It’s Music, and play a tune or two (or three) with a guitarist friend that is sure to be the highlight of an entertaining evening. As the Friends’ newsletter words it: “We won’t promise, but we are hoping that this gracious and generous man will give us a sampling of the jazz playing that made him famous.” Even without the music, Gabe is a treasure!

Joining Gabe at the same Authors’ Night are fellow Waialua residents George and Willa Tanabe to speak on the subject of their newest book, Japanese Buddhist Temples in Hawai‘i: An Illustrated Guide. The Tanabes could fill (and, in fact, have filled) an entire evening discussing their fascinating work that resulted from researching all 90 extant Japanese Buddhist temples in the Hawaiian islands. Given that the program features two additional authors (Waimea Williams/Aloha, Mozart and Courtnie Chang/Kolohe ‘Iole), they will give an abbreviated version.

The program is free and open to the public. For more information, call (808) 637-8286.

Plant & Gardening Book Sale: March 12-19, 40% Off Select Titles

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Plant & Gardening Sale 2013 Sale
Mark your calendars and get ready to get planting! UH Press will be offering more than 30 plant and gardening titles at 40% off: online only, March 12-19 (starts and ends noon, HST), while supplies last (sale prices in red):

A Native Hawaiian Garden: How to Grow and Care for Island Plants – $26.99/$16.19
Breeding Anthuriums in Hawaii – $31.00/$18.60
Breeding Dendrobium Orchids in Hawaii – $31.00/$18.60
Ethnic Culinary Herbs: A Guide to Identification and Cultivation in Hawai‘i – $26.99/$16.19
Flowers of the Pacific Island Seashore: A Guide to the Littoral Plants of Hawai‘i, Tahiti, Samoa, Tonga, Cook Islands, Fiji, and Micronesia – $19.00/$11.40
A to Z of South East Asian Orchid Species – $39.00/$23.40
Hawaiian Heritage Plants: Revised Edition – $31.99/$19.19
Hawai‘i’s Ferns and Fern Allies – $25.00/$15.00
Landscape Planning in Singapore – $40.00/$24.00
Loulu: The Hawaiian Palm – $48.00/$28.80
Manual of the Flowering Plants of Hawaii, Revised Edition – $97.00/$58.20
Orders and Families of Malayan Seed Plants – $22.00/$13.20
Plants for Tropical Landscapes: A Gardener’s Guide – $41.99/$25.19
Plants in Hawaiian Culture – $31.99/$19.19
Plants and Flowers of Hawai‘i – $26.99/$16.19
Poisonous Plants of Paradise: First Aid and Medical Treatment of Injuries from Hawai‘i’s Plants – $21.99/$13.19
Polynesian Herbal Medicine – $27.00/$16.20
Rainforest Trees of Samoa: A Guide to the Common Lowland and Foothill Forest Trees of the Samoan Archipelago – $27.00/$16.20
Samoan Herbal Medicine: ‘O La‘au ma Vai Fofo o Samoa – $13.00/$7.80
Small Trees for the Tropical Landscape – $41.99/$25.19
Specialty Crops for Pacific Islands – $75.00/$45.00
The Classical Gardens of Suzhou – $20.95/$12.57
The Essential Guide to Creating a Chinese-Style Garden – $29.95/$17.97
The Ornamental Edible Garden – $24.99/$14.99
The Small Food Garden: Growing Organic Fruit and Vegetables at Home – $19.99/$11.99
The World of Bananas in Hawai‘i: Then and Now – $80.00/$48.00
Tongan Herbal Medicine – $13.00/$7.80
Trees of Hawai‘i – $14.99/$8.99
Trees of Our Garden City: A Guide to the Common Trees of Singapore – $42.00/$25.20
Tropical Exotics – $36.99/$22.19
Tropical Shrubs – $36.99/$22.19
Useful Plants of Guam: A Facsimile Edition Reprint of the Original Book Published in 1905 – $60.00/$36.00

UH Press around the Web: Hawai‘i Catch-up

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Even though 2013 is undeniably well underway, reviews and stories from fall 2012 can still make good reading. Here are some we missed posting earlier.

Walker-WavesWaves of Resistance author Isaiah Walker was interviewed by Daniel Ikaika Ito/Contrast Magazine for Raynorsurf.com, dispelling not only “the burnt-out, Hawaiian surfer stereotype” but the ivory-tower professor stereotype, as well.

The October 2012 canonization of Saint Marianne focused worldwide attention on Kalaupapa, Moloka‘i, as did this article in Syracuse, New York’s The Post-Standard that quotes Anwei Skinsnes Law, author of Kalaupapa: A Collective Memory.

Glenn Wharton’s The Painted King: Art, Activism, and Authenticity in Hawai‘i was reviewed in the new open-access eJournal of Public Affairs. Read the September 2012 review here.

West Hawai‘i Today published a wonderful review geared for Kona residents of Loulu: The Hawaiian Palm in its December 16, 2012 edition. (Note: The photo next to the review shows the plant discussed in the second article appearing on the page.)

HonoluluWeeklycover121107Honolulu Weekly‘s Winter Book Issue served up reviews worth repeating of several UHP titles.
• “How ‘Bout Gabe?” on If It Swings, It’s Music: The Autobiography of Hawai‘i’s Gabe Baltazar Jr.

• “Strumming Histories” on The ‘Ukulele: A History

• “Under Western Eyes” on An American Girl in the Hawaiian Islands: Letters of Carrie Prudence Winter, 1890-1893

• “Exiles at Home” on Kalaupapa: A Collective Memory

• “Lit Up by Language” on Sky Lanterns: New Poetry from China, Formosa, and Beyond

OK. Onward from here!

Disease and Displacement in Nineteenth-Century Hawaii

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Mai LeperaMai Lepera: Disease and Displacement in Nineteenth-Century Hawaii, by Kerri A. Inglis, attempts to recover Hawaiian voices at a significant moment in Hawai‘i’s history. It takes an unprecedented look at the Hansen’s disease outbreak (1865–1900) almost exclusively from the perspective of “patients,” ninety percent of whom were Kanaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian). Using traditional and nontraditional sources, published and unpublished, it tells the story of a disease, a society’s reaction to it, and the consequences of the experience for Hawai‘i and its people.

February 2013 / ISBN 978-0-8248-3635-1 / $24.00 (PAPER)

Forrest Mims to Accept ASLI’s Choice Award for History

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Mims-Hawaii'sMaunaLoaAtmospheric Science Librarians International (ASLI) has selected Hawai‘i’s Mauna Loa Observatory: Fifty Years of Monitoring the Atmosphere for the ASLI’s Choice 2012 Award in the History category. The book was praised for its “engaging perspective on the scientists, discoveries, and ground-breaking atmospheric measurements done at Mauna Loa Observatory.”

Author Forrest M. Mims III will attend the official presentation on Wednesday, January 9, 2013 during the American Meteorological Society annual meeting in Austin, Texas. (Mims recently wrote two articles on Dr. Robert Simpson, the founder of the Mauna Loa Observatory, who celebrated his 100th birthday last month.) ASLI’s Choice is an award for the best book of 2012 in the fields of meteorology / climatology / atmospheric sciences. Visit the ASLI website for more information on award criteria and past winners.

New Edition of a Classic Cookbook

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Mary Sia's Classic Chinese CookbookMary Sia’s Chinese Cookbook has been a classic of Chinese cookery since it was first published in 1956. This fourth edition features all 300 of the original recipes, ranging from simple, everyday fare to more elaborate dishes for entertaining, as well as essays by Mary Sia. An all-new food glossary provides up-to-date names for ingredients along with advice on appropriate substitutions and sources for 21st-century cooks. The work also includes an introduction by Rachel Laudan, renowned food historian and author of The Food of Paradise: Exploring Hawai‘i’s Culinary Heritage.

December 2012 / ISBN 978-0-8248-3738-9 / $16.99 (PAPER)

UH Press at HBPA Holiday Events

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As a member of the Hawai‘i Book Publishers Association (HBPA), University of Hawai‘i Press will participate in two Honolulu events hosted by fellow publishers this month.

HBPA Holiday Book SaleSaturday, December 8, 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Holiday Warehouse Sale
Local book publishers will feature their new releases, bestsellers, and holiday-themed titles at special prices. UH Press will focus on a selection of our most recent books on Hawai‘i. Come join the fun at the Bess Press Warehouse, 3565 Harding Avenue, in Kaimuki (park at the municipal lot across the street). Other participating publishers include host Bess Press, Bamboo Ridge Press, Bishop Museum Press, Calabash Books/Belknap Publishing, Kamehameha Publishing, and Watermark Publishing.

Wednesday, December 12, 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Downtown Holiday Book Fair
This brief but power-packed event will be an opportunity for busy downtown workers to check off their holiday gift-giving lists! As above, we’ll bring our latest Hawai‘i titles, plus a few surprises. Look for the pop-up fair at the Cades Schutte Building lanai, in front of 24-Fitness and Territorial Savings, 1000 Bishop Street (‘ewa-mauka corner of King and Bishop Streets). Other participating publishers include host Watermark Publishing, Bamboo Ridge Press, Bess Press, Calabash Books/Belknap Publishing, Island Paradise Publishing, Kamehameha Publishing, and Slate Ridge Press.

For more information, email Carol Abe in the UH Press marketing department.

Founder of Mauna Loa Observatory Celebrates His 100th Birthday

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Dr. Robert Simpson, who founded the Mauna Loa Observatory, the world’s best-known atmospheric monitoring station, recently celebrated his 100th birthday in Washington, D.C. He also served as the first director of the National Hurricane Center.

In 1948 Simpson supervised the construction of an unmanned weather station atop Mauna Loa. The station began collecting data in 1951 but was abandoned a few years later because maintaining the road to the summit proved too difficult. Later, a chance meeting with Ralph Stair, a scientist who was attempting to measure the intensity of light from the sun, would lead directly to Simpson’s founding Mauna Loa Observatory.

Simpson wrote the Foreword to Hawaii’s Mauna Loa Observatory: Fifty Years of Monitoring the Atmosphere, by Forrest M. Mims III, published by UH Press in 2011.

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