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New releases by Hawaii authors
Isle Pages
"Kahana -- How the Land Was Lost"
by Robert H. Stauffer
(University of Hawaii Press, $38)This is what original scholarship is all about. Stauffer, of Alu Like's Hawaiian Language Legacy Program, performs a detailed appraisal of a single scale model of Hawaiian land transfer, Kahana Valley on the windward side of Oahu, and discovered that the "Great Mahele" wasn't quite the land grab it's commonly thought of, but rather a radically new concept of viewing land and title that splintered Hawaiians for some time, and still does. The original research here is tremendous, as is the author's thoughtful, thorough analysis.
."Buke Mele Lahui Book of National Songs"
edited by M. Puakea Nogelmeier
and Amy Ku'uleialoha Stillman
(Hawaiian Historical Society, $30 and $60)Ancient Hawaiians supposedly had no concept of "music" other than chant and rhythm, but they certainly absorbed the art quickly. By the late 1800s, music and songwriting was abloom among the native population, and many of the tunes were slyly political. This volume is a facsimile reprint -- marred pages and all -- of a previous compilation of 105 such tunes, first printed in 1895 by editor Francisco Jose Testa. There's no musical charts and no English translation, so think of it as a lyrical companion.
"Christmas Talk Story"
by Honolulu Theatre for Youth
(Bess Press, $14.95)Destined to become a favorite stocking stuffer this year, this volume is written -- and performed on the attached CD -- by the many talented creators at HTY. Director Mark Lutwak's high concept was to create a cabaret atmosphere for performers to tell Christmas stories. The catch was that the tales had to come out of the performer's own memories. With Hawaii's wide range of cultural and religious backgrounds, that means quite a rollicking scope of funny, insightful and moving vignettes. Brilliant and highly recommended.
"Hina and the Sea Stars"
by Michael Nordenstrom
(Bess Press, $9.95)Not so much a story but a series of colorful events featuring Hina, the mother goddess of Hawaii. Nordenstrom's painted collages outstrip his storytelling ability -- the pages of this well-printed book are beautiful to look at, at times creating a kind of reticulated and busy 3-D effect.
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