Years in the making, the new issue of Mānoa features the work of archaeologist Yosihiko Sinoto, now 92. Upon publication of this special issue, titled Curve of the Hook, Native Books in Honolulu hosted a reception with Dr. Sinoto on Dec. 16.

The reception began with an oli, a chant, by Auli‘i Mitchell, pictured above. Mitchell, a cultural anthropologist, spoke of how he witnessed Dr. Sinoto’s archaeological work in the Pacific years ago. “For me, personally, seeing your work changed my life,” he said.

Dr. Sinoto’s research fundamentally changed the way the world views the accomplishments of ancient Polynesians, whose early voyages are considered to be among the great achievements in human history.

Colleagues, friends and family spoke of Dr. Sinoto’s work and legacy, presenting him with leis, photographs and thanks. Their recollections lent a personal touch to an already impressive and inspiring life in archaeology. Colleagues spoke of Dr. Sinoto’s first student quarters at the University of Hawaii (there were a lot of cats) and field seasons in Tahiti (he was a great dancer).

Curve of the Hook is the first book-length work in English about Dr. Sinoto’s life and work. The full-color book has more than 100 illustrations, including rare photos from Dr. Sinoto’s private collection, plus notes and a list of references.

Order a single issue or receive this special issue as part of a subscription to Mānoa here.

This issue of MĀNOA (27-2), The Colors of Dawn: Twentieth Century Korean Poetry features selected works of poetry, curated by guest editors Brother Anthony of Taizé and Chung Eun-Gwi, that speak for the present and foreshadow the nation’s future. Voices from the era of burgeoning modern Korean poetry touch on resistance to Japanese occupation, liberation and the Cold War, dictatorial rule, and democratic renewal from the following poets:

Continue reading “The Colors of Dawn: Twentieth-Century Korean Poetry (MANOA 27-2)”

Urdu literature icon Intizar Husain has been called “the greatest living writer in the Urdu language, a living legend, and Pakistan’s chronicler of change.” As the world reflects on his literary legacy following his death on Feb. 2, we share the recent MANOA journal, Story is a Vagabond, that showcases his work.

Story is a Vagabond (MANOA 27-1) features the short fiction, drama, and essays by Husain. On Feb.12, Majula Padmanabhan* wrote a charming review of the issue and tribute to Husain in the Hindu Business Line.

“The stories speak of a time when India and Pakistan shared the language of thought,” Padmanabhan says to the not-really-tame raccoon featured in her column. “There are little chips of humour scattered throughout, like mica glittering in sand.”

Continue reading “Husain’s literary legacy, a not-really tame raccoon, and compelling miniatures”

On Thursday, May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in Hale ‘Ohia at KCC, Dr. Yosihiko Sinoto and Eric Komori, his longtime research associate, will be talking about their work in Pacific archaeology.

For nearly six decades, Dr. Sinoto has conducted field research on every island group across the Pacific. His work and discoveries fundamentally changed what is known about early Polynesian migration, ancient ocean voyaging and navigation, sacred places, and the everyday life of the Pacific’s indigenous people.

Partial support for the book’s publication and promotion comes from the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities, as part of its participation in “The Common Good: The Humanities in the Public Sphere,” an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities to demonstrate the critical role humanities scholarship can play in our public life, including a better understanding of the relationships between humanities and the natural world.

This event is presented by the Hawaiian Historical Society and is related to the publication of CURVE OF THE HOOK, the Winter 2016 issue of Manoa.

The talk and Curve of the Hook are described on
https://www.hawaiianhistory.org/an-archaeologist-in-polynesia-the-career-of-yosihiko-sinoto/.

Hawaiian Historical Society Public Program

On May 7 at 7:30 p.m. in Hale ‘Ohia at KCC, Dr. Yosihiko Sinoto and Eric Komori, his longtime research associate, will be talking about their work in Pacific archaeology.

For nearly six decades, Dr. Sinoto has conducted field research on every island group across the Pacific. His work and discoveries fundamentally changed what is known about early Polynesian migration, ancient ocean voyaging and navigation, sacred places, and the everyday life of the Pacific’s indigenous people.

Partial support for the book’s publication and promotion comes from the Hawai‘i Council for the Humanities, as part of its participation in “The Common Good: The Humanities in the Public Sphere,” an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities to demonstrate the critical role humanities scholarship can play in our public life, including a better understanding of the relationships between humanities and the natural world.

This event is presented by the Hawaiian Historical Society and is related to the publication of CURVE OF THE HOOK, our winter 2016 issue of Manoa.

Please see <https://curveofthehook.wordpress.com/> for more information about Dr. Sinoto and the book.

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Manoa is a unique, award-winning literary journal that includes American and international fiction, poetry, artwork, and essays of current cultural or literary interest. An outstanding feature of each issue is original translations of contemporary work from Asian and Pacific nations, selected for each issue by a special guest editor. Beautifully produced, Manoa presents traditional alongside contemporary writings from the entire Pacific Rim, one of the world’s most dynamic literary regions.

https://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/t-manoa.aspx

Presented by Manoa: A Pacific Journal of International Writing

This collection presents seven modern plays by some of Indonesia’s most accomplished dramatists. The earliest work is from the 1930s, when predominantly Westerninfluenced plays were being staged. After Indonesia declared its independence in 1945, urban playwrights began drawing
on indigenous art forms. Under the authoritarian regimes of Presidents Soekarno and Soeharto, the theater arts were harshly censored, but by weaving together traditional and Western performance styles, playwrights defied the nationwide political repression. Four of the plays here were written in recent years, the latest in 2009, and display the experimentation and commitment to social issues that have long characterized Indonesian drama. The playwrights in Islands of Imagination, Volume One, are Rita Matu Mona, Armijn Pané, N. Riantiarno, Ratna Sarumpaet, Iwan Simatupang, Luna Vidya, and Putu Wijaya.

List of Illustrations

Modern Indonesian Plays: An Introduction
Cobina Gillitt, vii
(excerpt from Introduction)
Early twentieth-century national theater in Indonesia, then known as the Dutch East Indies, was largely revolutionary in tone and intent, supporting the end of colonial rule. Productions were urban, performed on proscenium stages, and presented in what would be soon adopted as the Indonesian national language, rather than in one of the country’s 350 local languages. However, by the 1930s, Indonesian theater had shifted its focus away from the independence movement and toward domestic dramas and psychological realism. This modern, Western style was preferred by the first national theater academy, Cine Drama Institut (later renamed Akademi Seni Drama dan Film Indonesia, or ASDRAFI), which opened in the Central Java city of Yogyakarta in 1948, three years after Indonesia proclaimed its independence.
Continue reading “Manoa, vol. 26, no. 2 (2014): Islands of Imagination: Volume One: Modern Indonesian Plays”

It was a wet night, but the drizzle did not keep the crowd away from St. Mark’s Bookshop, now in hip new digs in the East Village. Organized by the team behind Singapore Literature Festival, the event was the New York launch of Starry Island: New Writing from Singapore. The launch, held under the auspices of Manhattan Lit Crawl, attracted many crawlers. … There was standing room only in the stylish space.

The anthology Starry Island features poetry, fiction and essays by 30 Singaporean writers and translators. It is edited by Frank Stewart and Fiona Sze-Lorrain, and published by the University of Hawai’i Press as part of Manoa’s series of international literature. Contributors include such bright lights as Philip Jeyaretnam, Ng Yi-sheng, Wena Poon, Alfian Sa’at, O Thiam Chin, Cyril Wong, Toh Hsien Min and Boey Kim Cheng. Wena Poon and Cyril Wong are also featured authors at the upcoming Singapore Literature Festival.