UHM First Annual Filipino Books and Curriculum Fair

In recognition of Filipino American History Month, the 1st Annual Filipino Books & Curriculum Fair will be held at the UHM College of Education on Tuesday, October 29, 1:30 to 4:00pm. Come by Wist Hall 133 and visit our display, as well as that of UH Bookstore and 15 other exhibitors.

Titles that we’ll be showing and taking orders for include language books by Teresita Ramos and Precy Espiritu, novels by José Rizal, and a sampling from distributed publishers Ateneo de Manila University Press and the University of the Philippines Press — the former is the publisher of Patricio Abinales’ Making Mindanao and Orthodoxy and History in the Muslim Mindanao Narrative. Works by Filipino American writers include Peter Bacho’s Entrys and Gabe Baltazar’s If It Swings, It’s Music and interviews of Jessica Hagedorn and Al Robles are featured in Words Matter: Conversations with Asian American Writers. Our display will also show books on the Hawai‘i plantation experience, for example, Tomorrow’s Memories: A Diary, 1924–1928 by Angeles Monrayo.

For more information, click here.

A Reading by Gary Pak at Revolution Books

Pak-BrothersOn Sunday, October 27, at 3 pm, all-volunteer independent Revolution Books (Honolulu) will host a reading by Gary Pak for his new book, Brothers under a Same Sky. Here’s the store’s perspective on the book:

This is a fascinating novel about the psychological toll on Korean Americans during and after the Korean War and the ethical and moral decisions they were forced to make. Those of you who know Gary Pak, know that in this novel he’s speaking very personally. Perhaps the dedication “in the memory of Uncle Kenam” says it all. While the book directly relates to the Korean War, it is especially fitting that this reading will take place near the 12th anniversary of the U.S. war on Afghanistan – a war where hundreds of thousands of young men and women had to make similar decisions as those Nam Ki faced.

Upcoming Talk by L. Ayu Saraswati, 2013 NWSA Gloria Anzaldúa Book Prize Winner

Saraswati-SensingBeautyOn Friday, October 18, 12:30–2:00 pm, author L. Ayu Saraswati, assistant professor in women’s studies at UH-Manoa, will speak on the topic of her book, Seeing Beauty, Sensing Race in Transnational Indonesia. Dr. Saraswati recently received the 2013 National Women’s Studies Association Gloria Anzaldúa book prize for her work, which explores and analyzes Indonesia’s changing beauty ideals.

Sponsored by the UHM Women’s Studies Colloquium Series and the Center for Southeast Asian Studies, the free event will take place in Saunders Hall 244. University of Hawai‘i Bookstore will have books available for purchase. The public is invited to the talk, followed by a book signing and refreshments.

Korean American Writers Panel on CKS Literary Night

CKS Literary NightAs part of the celebration to mark the 110th anniversary of the first Korean immigration to Hawai‘i, four Hawai‘i-based Korean American writers will read and discuss their work on Thursday, September 26, 7:00 p.m., at the Center for Korean Studies, UH Mānoa. Presenters with UH Press books include novelist Gary Pak (Brothers under a Same Sky; A Ricepaper Airplane; Children of a Fireland) and documentarian Roberta Chang (The Koreans in Hawai‘i: A Pictorial History; When the Korean World in Hawaii Was Young). The other two participants are award-winning author Chris McKinney and poet/fiction writer Brenda Kwon.

The event is free and open to the public. For more information, see the CKS announcement, or call the Center at (808) 956-7041.

Related link: Listen to the Hawai‘i Public Radio interview with Gary Pak about his most recent book, Brothers under a Same Sky.

Gary Pak Reads “Brothers” at Box Jelly

GaryPak@BoxJellyOnline newsmagazine The Hawaii Independent has partnered with Box Jelly to present a new event series called Quotes, “evening[s] of smart conversation and great company.” For the inaugural Quotes on Wednesday, August 28, 6:30 p.m., the modern Korean and Korean-American experience will be explored with UH-Mānoa English professor Gary Pak, who will present his new novel, Brothers under a Same Sky. He will be joined by Annie Koh, UHM PhD candidate in urban & regional planning, who will contribute additional commentary and discussion.

Sign up here or at the door. Read an excerpt from the book posted earlier on Hawaii Independent. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

Waialua Sugar Plantation History Brought to Life

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

2013 Ka Palapala Po‘okela Awards: UH Press Nominees

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

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 Festivals 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.