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New releases by Hawaii authors
One of the most shadowy European figures in early Hawaiian history is Marin, a spanish sailor who jumped ship as soon as he saw the islands. He quickly indentured himself -- and endeared himself -- to Kamehameha, who must have been impressed both by the Spaniard's industry and his love of the simple pleasures in life. One of these was wine, and Marin had vineyards growing (yes, on Vineyard Street) before most of Honolulu had roofs up. He also introduced cattle ranching. This book gathers together as much as is known about Marin, as well as qoutes from the man himself, as his journal is a prized artifact at the State Archives. There will be a book launching event at 4 p.m. April 6 at Palomino; contact the Society for details at 537-6271.
"Don Francisco De Paula Marin" by Ross H. Gast, editing by Agnes C. Conrad (Hawaiian Historical Society, $20)
"Surviving the Island of Grace" by Leslie Leyland Fields (Thomas Dunne, $24.95) Some people choose to be Robinson Crusoe. Alaska nature writer (and island visitor) Fields moved from the relative civilization of New Hampshire to a primitive bush island as a fisherman's bride. Her meditations on interacting with the wilderness outside her window and the deep currents within are well-written and curiously moving.
"I Myself Have Seen It -- The Myth of Hawaii" by Susanna Moore (National Geographic Directions, $20) Novelist Moore, who grew up in Hawaii, turns to the essay form for this treatise on how Western and Hawaiian cultures intertwined and fed off of each other, creating new fables and mythical vistas. Hawaiians, she argues, wound up on the short end, not exactly stop-the-presses insight. But her own memories of the islands in the '50s and '60s make for amusingly compelling reading just the same.
"Pake Patch: Growing Up in Old Hawaii" by Emmie Shigezawa (Gordon Publishing, price not set) Handsomely printed by Edward Enterprises, this slim volume is a thinly fictionalized memoir by Shigezawa about growing up plantation-style in the islands. It's warm and direct, but not overtly semtimental about bygone days. It's a useful barometer about what was on the minds of AJAs just before war broke out and everything changed for them -- again.
Reviewed by Burl Burlingame
bburlingame@starbulletin.com
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Hawaii best-sellers
This list of last month's best-selling local titles was compiled using figures from the Hawaii Book Publishers Association and Bookline distributors, and reflects sales by Hawaii-based publishers. Numbers in parentheses indicate a title's previous ranking. Compiled by Nancy Arcayna.
CHILDREN'S
1. "Hawaiian Flowers Cut-Out Paper Dolls," Yuko Green, Island Heritage (1)
2. "Hawaiian Marine Life Color & Activity Book," Yuko Green, Island Heritage (2)
3. "Limu - The Blue Turtle," Kimo Armitage, Island Heritage (4)
4. "Humu, The Little Fish Who Wished Away His Colors," Kimberly Jackson, Island Heritage (8)
5. "Keiki Hula Sticker Paper Doll Book," Yuko Green, Island Heritage (6)
6. "The Guide to Hawaiian Style Origami for Keiki" Jody Fukumoto, Island Heritage (5)
7. "Golden Children of Hawaii Cut-Out Dolls," Yuko Green, Island Heritage (7)
8. "Goodnight Gecko," Gill McBarnet, Ruwanga Trading
9. "Baby Honu's Incredible Journey," Tammy Yee, Island Heritage
10. "Hide and Seek in Hawaii," Jane Hopkis & Ian Gillespie, Mutual Publishing
GIFT AND TRAVEL
1. "A Little Book of Aloha," Renata Provenzano, Mutual Publishing (2)
2. "Hawaii's Best Local Dishes," Jean Watanabe Hee, Mutual Publishing (4)
3. "Today's Thought Vol. 2," Rev. Paul Osumi, Mutual Publishing
4. "Today's Thought, Vol. 3," Rev. Paul Osumi, Mutual Publishing
5. "Maui Revealed, 2nd Edition," Wizard Publications
6. "Hawaii Big Island Revealed," Andrew Doughty and Harriet Freidman, Wizard Publications
7. "Hawaiian Style Cooking," Rhonda Lizama, Kahaunani Kauai
8. "Hawaii's Best Local Desserts," Jean Watanabe Hee, Mutual Publishing
9. "Ohana," Mutual Publishing
10. "Ultimate Kauai Guidebook 4th Edition," Andrew Doughty & Harriet Friedman, Wizard Publications (5)
HAWAIIANA
1. "Let's Learn Little Hawaiian," Ray Helbig, Hawaiian Service
2. "All About Hawaiian (in Japanese)," Albert Schutz, Island Heritage (4)
3. "Hawaiians of Old," Betty Dunford, Bess Press
4. "Hawaiian Journey," Joseph Mullins, Mutual Publishing (2)
5. "Shoal of Time: A History of the Hawaiian Islands,"Gavan Daws, University of Hawaii Press (3)
6. "Ancient Hawaii," Herb Kane
7. "Hawaii Place Names: Shores, Beaches and Surf Sites," John R.K. Clark, University of Hawaii Press
8. "Quilting Days, the Hawaiian Way," Elizabeth Root Design Hawaii
9. "Hawaiian: A language map," Kristine K. Kershul and Lilinoe Andrews, Bess Press
10. "Hawaii's Best Spooky Tales 5," Rick Carroll, Bess Press
LITERATURE
1. "Island English," Bess Press
2. "Pacific Island Legends:Tales from Micronesia Melanesia Polynesia and Australia," Bo Flood and Beret E. Strong and William Flood, Bess Press
3. "Da Jesus Book," Pidgin Bible Translation Group, Anoai Press (2)
4. "Micronesian Legends," Bo Flood, Bess Press
5. "Elvis in Hawaii," Jerry Hopkins, Bess Press (1)
6. "Hawaii's Story," Lydia Liliuokalani, Mutual Publishing (7)
7. "Mark Twain In Hawaii," Mark Twain, Mutual Publishing (6)
8. "Myths and Legends of Hawaii," W. D. Westerfield, Mutual Publishing (5)
9. "Legends and Myths Of Hawaii," David Kalakaua, Mutual Publishing
10. "Betrayal of Liliuokalani," Helena Allen, Mutual Publishing
REFERENCE
1. "The Guide to Hawaiian Style Money Folds," Jodi Fukumoto, Island Heritage (1)
2. "Things Hawaiian - Guide To Hawaiian Language," Albert Schutz,Island Heritage (2)
3. "So You Want to Live in Hawaii," Toni Polancy, Barefoot Publishing (6)
4. "Pocket Guide to Hawaii's Birds," H. Douglas Pratt, Mutual Publishing (8)
5. "New Pocket Hawaiian Dictionary," Mary Kawena Pukui and Samuel H. Elbert with Esther T. Mookini and Yu Mapuanqa Nishizawa, University of Hawaii Press (10)
6. "Pocket Guide To Hawaii's Flowers," Leland Miyano, Mutual Publishing (9)
7. "How to Play the Hawaiian Ukulele," University of Hawaii Lab School,Mutual Publishing (3)
8. "Pocket Guide to Hawaii's Trees & Shrubs," H. Douglas Pratt, Mutual Publishing (7)
9. "Hawaii's Fishes," John Hoover, Mutual Publishing
10. "The Guide to Hawaiian Style Origami," Jody Fukumoto, Island Heritage
Read All About It
Send items at least two weeks in advance of publication to 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, Honolulu 96813; or fax 529-4750.
AUTHOR SIGNINGS
"Hawaiian Lei in Crochet"
By Roberta Wong, 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at Ben Franklin Mapunapuna; also 2 to 4 p.m. at Ben Franklin Pearl City. Call 833-3800 or 455-1909.
WORKSHOPS/LECTURES
"Beyond the Spin"
Noon to 1:15 p.m. Thursday at UH-Manoa's Center for Biographical Research, Henke Hall 325. Rita Beamish, a freelance journalist and former Associated Press White Houe, political and foreign affairs writer, presents "Beyond the Spin: Journalistic Challenges from the Beltway and Beyond" in this installment of the "Brown Bag Biography" series. Free. Call 956-3774.
SPECIAL
Jim May
Emmy Award-winning storyteller and author Jim May will visit local libraries as part of the 2003 National Library Week Celebration. Enjoy a variety of folk tales, myths, legends and not-so-scary ghost stories during this free presentation, suitable for those ages 5 and up. Call 831-6877.
>> 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Mililani Public Library
>> 10:30 a.m. April 7 at the Kapolei Public Library
First Thursday
8 p.m. every first Thursday of the month at Studio1, 1 No. School St. Two-time Wordstew Poetry Slam champion Kealoha hosts a monthly competition to develop the talent of local slam poets; a $100 cash prize will be awarded to each month's top poet. Call 387-9664.
Request for Donations
The new Kapolei Public Library will be collecting donations of books, CDs, DVDs, videos and other library materials in good condition 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.
CONTINUING
Bestsellers Reading Group
Meets at 7 p.m. every second Wednesday of the month at Borders Waikele; 676-6699.
Crafts and Stories: 10 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays at Barnes & Noble; call 737-3323.
Book Sale
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 6 to 7:45 p.m. Wednesdays; also 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays at the Kaneohe Public Library. The Friends of Kaneohe Library offer a wide range of fiction and non-fiction for all ages at bargain prices. Call 233-5676.
International Women's Writing Guild
Bring your muse, pen and notebook. 7 p.m. every first and third Wednesday of the month at 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.
Poetry Writers Circle
7 p.m. every third Thursday of month at Borders Ward Centre; call 596-8194.
Romance Readers Anonymous
6:30 p.m. every second Thursday of the month at Borders Waikele; call 676-6699.
Romantic Borders Readers Group
7 p.m. every second Thursday of the month at Borders Ward Centre; call 591-8995.
"Sammath Naur"
The Mythopoeic Society of Hawaii meets every third Saturday of the month to discuss fantasy, science fiction and other literature; 638-7497.
Science Fiction and Fantasy Reading Group
7 p.m. every last Thursday of the month at Borders Ward Centre; call 591-8995.
Shakespeare on Sunday
7 p.m. every second and fourth Sunday of the month at Barnes & Noble. A different play is presented every other week. Call 737-3323.
Spiritual Book Club
10 a.m. Thursdays in Hawaii Kai. Sponsored by Church of Keauhou. The club is currently studying Dr. Phil's book "Self Matters" during its meetings. Call Sue at 988-8618 for details.
Writers Support Group
3 p.m. every first Friday of the month at Borders Waikele; call 676-6699.
NOTICES
Romance Writers of America
Monthly meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at the Aina Haina Public Library. This month's meeting will focus on practical exercises designed to hone writing skills; bring paper and pencil. Call 735-9610.
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calendars and events.
