Next month will be a great time for new and interesting Hawaii books! Hawai’i publisher Bess Press (www.besspress.com) will be releasing six new books on October 1, 2010. The books range from a keepsake journal featuring beautiful Hawaiian petroglyphs to a collection of real-life tales from the friends and family of the Queen of Makaha to a couple of comic book graphic novels. One way or another you’re bound to find something interesting among these new releases. Here’s a breakdown of each book straight from the publisher:
Stories of Rell Sunn: Queen of Makaha
Author and surfer Greg Ambrose has collected a moving series of stories about the legendary water woman and pioneer of women’s professional surfing, Rell Kapolioka’ehukai Sunn. Sunn was renowned throughout Hawaii and many parts of the world for her skills as a lifeguard, diver, spear-fisher, and, most of all, as a top female surfer. At the heart of Rell Sunn were her spirited enthusiasm, her passion for life, and her extension of aloha to all she met.
This book is a real tribute to Duke Kahanamoku’s female counterpart, the “Queen of Makaha.” Through these memoirs, readers can now journey with the water woman, and new generations can learn about her legend.
Find more info (including page samples) and purchase Stories of Rell Sunn at besspress.com
Arts and Crafts of Micronesia: Trading with Tradition
Sometimes it takes an outsider to show the rest of the world the obvious. For 35 years Barbara Wavell, author, researcher, cultural anthropologist, and lover of Micronesian Art, has collected material that offers a detailed window into the little known world of arts and crafts from some of the world’s most remote islands, those of Micronesia.
With over 130 photographs and other graphics, Arts and Crafts of Micronesia provides valuable information about the material culture and traditions of some of the Pacific’s oldest island nations and communities. The book explores the hidden world of art in Micronesia and provides a wealthy resource for collectors, historians, researchers, and general-interest readers.
Find more info (including page samples) and purchase Arts and Crafts of Micronesia at besspress.com
Waikiki Tiki: Art, History and Photographs
Bess Press introduces a stylish history of Waikiki tiki. Featuring a collection of archived tiki ephemera, carvings, and photographs, author Phil Roberts gives an evocative pictorial documentation of the past and present Waikiki tiki and the new found popularity of its culture. The collection presented throughout the pages of this book detail over three decades of research.
Beginning with an introduction by local Hawaii musician Henry Kapono, the book features original and rare photographs documenting tiki art and the burgeoning scene that blossomed after WWII. As this pop-culture and art has evolved today, many images captured no longer exist. Much of the ephemera and archival material displayed resides only in the author’s private collection.
Find more info (including page samples) and purchase Waikiki Tiki at besspress.com
Tropica
Tony Clapes has released the contemporary science-fiction graphic novel, Tropica. Author Clapes and illustrator Li have created an intriguing and entertaining story about the mechanisms for change and the obstacles to economic development in an island society.
Readers will be amused by and local government officials possibly miffed at parallels drawn between the economic issues and problems in the fictional island of Tropica and those we face in Hawaii.
Uniquely presented in an action-oriented manga format, Tropica has appeal for readers of all ages. It pits good vs. evil in the format of young school kids battling against oppressive governing forces corrupting their lands. Tropica also offers isle educators a student friendly economic learning tool. It was accepted for publication after Clapes conducted a seminar for 5th and 6th graders which explored ways our island’s economic future could improve as a result of our own awareness and decisions.
Find more info (including page samples) and purchase Tropica at besspress.com
Hamakua Hero: A True Plantation Story
Bess Press introduces the first historic graphic novel depicting the life and tragic murder of Katsu Goto, a Japanese immigrant and plantation worker who rose to prominence as a merchant on the Big Island of Hawaii.
Author Patsy Iwasaki writes and illustrator Avery Berido intricately draws a story that details the racial and cultural problems Japanese immigrants like Goto faced on the Hawaiian plantations. The poignant biography is a powerful literary work that was originally printed in Japan in collaboration with The Hiroshima Society. Hamakua Hero has since been translated into English and is a highly engaging read for both general interest and educational purposes.
Find more info (including page samples) and purchase Hamakua Hero at besspress.com
Petroglyphs from Hawai’i Journal
This interactive journal incorporates a series of petroglyph drawings from around the Hawaiian Islands, each accompanied by a brief description that details some aspect about the graphic. Its unlined pages encourage you to draw, write, and paste materials onto its pages, with the petroglyphs there to provide inspiration and insight to the art, culture and history of Hawaii.
Lynn Cook, the author, often covers stories that share the arts and culture of the Pacific with a global audience. Her petroglyph research has taken her from Hawai’i to Tahiti and from the west coast of the U.S. to New Caledonia.
Find more info (including page samples) and purchase Petroglyphs from Hawaii Journal at besspress.com
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Look out in the next few weeks for reviews of all six of these new Bess Press releases here on Hawaii Book Blog!
Images and Summaries courtesy of Bess Press
