ISLE PAGES
New releases by Hawaii authors
Reviewed by Burl Burlingame
bburlingame@starbulletin.com
Man of many talents and occasionally a man of letters, permanent Maui resident Wood for several years wrote "Four Wheels Five Corners," a column for the alternative publication Haleakala Times. The good humor and bemused observational skills developed by that experience infuses this collection of essays about -- well -- essentially about living on Maui, where Wood views all humanity as colorful characters in a very rich pageant, the most eccentric of which have somehow crossed his path. Cook's prose is a model of humorous writing, not going for the brittle ha-ha or the gasping guffaw, but more of the deeply rumbling chuckle, rather in the manner of a Jean Shepherd or a Mark Twain. Great stuff.
"False Confessions -- A Life in Hawaii"
by Paul Wood (Flying Rabbit, $14.95)
"The Territory of Men -- A Memoir"
by Joelle Fraser
(Random House, $22.95)Fraser's surf-bum father, the late Ken Goring, wrote the surfing memoir "Gone to Maui," and it's a measure of how desperate Fraser was as an adult to connect with the inner lives of her parents that she read and reread the book, attempting to parse the emotions between the lines. Her parents split up and had multiple partners when she was a wee child, and her upbringing was filled with unaffected love from her parents, but also completely devoid of boundaries. She was smoking pot in kindergarten, partying with her dad's girlfriends, being molested by strangers in an alley while runing loose on the streets. Despite it all, she grew up to be a gifted essayist, channeling her experiences into words and emotions. The passages dealing with Fraser's deep appreciation for her heart's home in the islands are both illuminating and troubling.
"The Tale of Rabbit Island"
by Patrick Ching
(Island Heritage, $10.99)Although there's no better wildlife artist in the islands than Ching, he moves into cartoonish territory here with an illustrated "daydream" of the origins of the Windward island icon. Well-drawn -- but that's to be expected! -- and a way-cute story.
"Honowai -- Creating a Community-Built Playground"
by various authors
(State Department of Health, HMSA,
Center for Disease Control
and Prevention, free)Prolific local novelist Stam dives into Graham Greene territory in this tale of a politician swept up in darkest Africa a century ago. Since Stam himself was raised in the Belgian Congo, the descriptions ring true. The book is available in a variety of formats, including a downloadable version.
Send items at least two weeks in advance of publication to 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu, 96813; or fax 529-4750. [ Read All About It ]
AUTHOR SIGNINGS
"Mo'o's Colors"
By Tammy Yee, 11 a.m. to noon Saturday at Barnes and Noble Kahala. Call 737-3323.
STORYTELLING
Barnes & Noble
10:30 a.m. Tuedays; and 11 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Call 737-3323.Borders Waikele
10:30 a.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays. Call 676-6699.Borders Ward Centre
10:30 a.m. Wednesdays and 11a.m. Saturdays. Call 591-8995.Kaimuki Public Library
10:30 to 10:50 a.m. Thursdays at the library. For toddlers and their accompanying adult; led by children's librarian Sandra Hall. No signup needed. Call 733-8423.
WORKSHOPS/LECTURES
"John Victor Morais: Witnessing 20th Century Malaysian History"
Noon to 1:15 p.m. Thursday at UH-Manoa's Center for Biographical Research, Henke Hall 325. Dawn Morais, a communications consultant, will lead this installment of the "Brown Bag Biography" series. Free. Call 956-3774."Vegetarian Diplomacy: Caring for Our Families and Friends"
7 p.m. Saturday at Ala Moana Beach Park, McCoy Pavilion. Nutrition expert and author Vesanto Melina, R.D. will take a light-hearted look at building bridges and spanning differences no matter where your loved ones are on the dietary spectrum. Free. Call 944-8344.
SPECIAL
Book Sale
9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Aiea Public Library. The Friends of the Aiea Public Library will hold their annual book sale, with thousands of materials priced from $.25-$2. Vinyl records, cassette tapes, CDs and videos will also be available for purchase. All proceeds from the sale will benefit reading enhancement programs at the library for keiki, teens and adults. Call 488-8911.Poetry Contest
Hawaii residents are invited to enter poems of 21 lines or less into a nationwide contest for a share of 50 prizes, including a $1000 grand prize. Mail entries by March 20 to Free Poetry Contest, 1257 Siskiyou Blvd. PMB #4, Ashland, OR 97520 or visit www.freecontest.com.Request for Donations
The new Kapolei Public Library will be collecting donations of books, CDs, DVDs, videos and other library materials in good condition starting tomorrow at the library, 1015 Haumea St. Donations will be accepted from 10 to 11 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays at the back entrance to the library. Call 831-6877.Request for Submissions
The Heart of Ohana Foundation, a non-profit organization, is looking for authors interested in writing inspirational, true stories with a Hawaiian theme for the upcoming book, "Hawaiian Soup for the Heart." Based on "Chicken Soup for the Soul," the book aims to be uplifting and heartwarming while describing different aspects of Hawaiian culture. Original, non-anonymous, typed or legibly handwritten submissions ranging from 300-1500 words should be sent to The Heart of Ohana, 86-236 Kawili St., Waianae 96792. Include a short paragraph (50 words or less) that describes yourself and the origin of your story. Call 696-2442 for more info.
CONTINUING
African American Literary Book Group
6:30 to 8:30 p.m. second and fourth Monday of the month at 1132 Bishop St., Suite 1404. Call 528-5037 to confirm attendance and book title.Crafts and Stories:
10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Barnes & Noble; call 737-3323.International Women's Writing Guild
Bring your muse, pen and notebook. 7 p.m. first and third Wednesday of the month, Borders Waikele; call 676-7820.Online Fun
Barnes & Noble author chat room at www.barnesandnoble.com or America Online (keyword: bn). Call Elke Villa at (212) 414-6157 or e-mail evilla@bn.com.Spiritual Book Club
10 a.m. Thursdays in Hawaii Kai. Currently studying Dr. Phil's book "Self Matters" during its meetings. Call Sue at 988-8618 for details.Writers Support Group
3 p.m. first Friday of the month at Borders Waikele; call 676-6699.
Click for online
calendars and events.
