In 1968, Kaʻū natives, Herbert Kūʻumi Kin In and Mary Kaewna Pukui, shared moʻolelo (stories) to Richard Kekumuikawaiokeola Paglinawan and Lynette K. Kaopuiki Paglinawan as they traveled through Kaʻū, the southernmost part of Hawaiʻi Island.
Nā Ala Kūpuna o Kaʻū: Place Names and Legends—is a special collection of memories about storied places, songs, and riddles that honors the traditions and people of this wahi pana (legendary place).

A reading, discussion, and q&a geared toward mākua and adults. The discussion will be centered around the erasure and mis-representation issues that the book addresses.

ABOUT KAPAEMAHU

An Indigenous legend about how four extraordinary individuals of dual male and female spirit, or Mahu, brought healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii, based on the Academy Award–contending short film. 
In the 15th century, four Mahu sail from Tahiti to Hawaii and share their gifts of science and healing with the people of Waikiki. The islanders return this gift with a monument of four boulders in their honor, which the Mahu imbue with healing powers before disappearing.
As time passes, foreigners inhabit the island and the once-sacred stones are forgotten until the 1960s. Though the true story of these stones was not fully recovered, the power of the Mahu still calls out to those who pass by them at Waikiki Beach today. 
With illuminating words by Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu, Dean Hamer, Joe Wilson, and and stunning illustrations by Daniel Sousa, KAPAEMAHU is a monument to an Indigenous Hawaiian legend and a classic in the making.

You've seen the animated film and have maybe watched the new documentary. On June 11, help celebrate the official Hawaiʻi launch of the new bi-lingual keiki-book, Kapaemahu, by Kumu Hina, Dean Hamer, and Joe Wilson.

Two readings with Kumu Hina:  10 AM and 11 AM

Reading will be followed by a Q&A and a book-signing. Perfect for keiki, mākua, and the whole ʻohana.

Light refreshments will be served. 

RSVP is recommended.

Author, historian, and filmmaker Tom Coffman discusses his most recent book, Inclusion.

When we ask the question, "What makeʻs Hawai’i unique in the world?" We know that many different things have contributed to the nature of our homeland—one inherited from the rooted culture is the practice of pilina, or seeking connection and relationships with others.

Historically Hawaiians by nature have looked for ways to establish this pilina, this inclusion. Surprisingly, many cultures do the opposite, they look for reasons to exclude, separate, and create “others.” Tom Coffman has written about the nature of life in the Hawaiian archipelago for quite some time. His most recent book, offers us another opportunity to discuss ways to connect with others. This is a difference worth expanding on and amplifying in today’s world.

Join Tom Coffman in a dialogue with some of the parties involved in making sure Japanese Americans were treated like true Hawai’i citizens during War II.

Ishle Yi Park is an award~winning writer who is the first woman to become Poet Laureate of Queens, New York.

Moderator: Lee A. Tonouchi

Speaker: Ishle Yi Park

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Scott Kikkawa is a fourth generation Japanese American and native of Hawaii. He is a federal law enforcement officer who writes detective noir fiction set in postwar Honolulu. His debut novel, Kona Winds, was released by Bamboo Ridge Press in November 2019. His follow up novel, Red Dirt, is forthcoming.

Moderator: Roger Jellinek

Speakers: Scott Kikkawa

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Moderator: Craig Howes

Speaker: Jamaica Osorio

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"Were it not for the Buddhadharma I'm convinced that, as a black American and an artist, I would not have been able to successfully negotiate my last half century of life in this country.”

Charles Johnson's National Book Award-winning masterpiece--"a novel in the tradition of Billy Budd and Moby-Dick ...heroic in proportion...fiction that hooks the mind" ( The New York Times Book Review )

Turning the Wheel: In this collection of provocative and intimate essays, Johnson writes of the profound connection between Buddhism and creativity, and of the role of Eastern philosophy in the quest for a free and thoughtful life. He looks at basic Buddhist principles and practices, demonstrating how Buddhism is both the most revolutionary and most civilized of possible human choices. Johnson moves from spiritual guides to spiritual nourishment: writing. In essays touching on the role of the black intellectual,Uncle Tom's Cabin, and Ralph Ellison, Johnson uses tools of Buddhist thinking to clarify difficult ideas. Powerful and revelatory, these essays confirm that writing and reading, along with Buddhism, are the basic components that make up a thoughtful life.

Moderator: George Tanabe

Speakers: Charles Johnson

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A challenge to the popular perception of fairy tales as narratives offering heteronormative happy endings that support status-quo values.

Moderators: Cristina Bacchilega and Jennifer Orme

Speakers: Joellyn Rock, Veronica Schanoes, Nisi Shawl

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The little-known women of Hawaii recruited after Pearl Harbor to staff the islands' radar stations

An extraordinary story inspired by the real Women’s Air Raid Defense, where an unlikely recruit and her sisters-in-arms forge their place in WWII history.

“A wow of a book…[that is] a captivating story of friendship, heartbreak and true love. Highly recommend!” —Karen Robards, New York Times bestselling author of The Black Swan of Paris

Amazon Editors’ Pick of the Month

Patrick Featherstone - hero of Sea of Fire - frantically tries to unravel a plot by North Korean terrorists to destroy the Tokyo Olympics.

Rings of Fire is another winner, a very current take on what’s going on in Japan. It’s a great follow up to Sea of Fire. Shepherd writes another fast paced, fast action, fast moving, hard to put down novel about Patrick Featherstone. If you loved Sea of Fire like I did, you’ll love Rings of Fire as well.

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Two women divers and lifetime friends on an island between two warring empires

“A mesmerizing new historical novel” (O, The Oprah Magazine)

"Lisa See is a New York Times bestselling author, a thorough researcher and a wonderful storyteller. In this novel, she seamlessly weaves history, tradition and culture into a heartfelt story about love and forgiveness. It’s an unforgettable read." —Toronto Star

"I was spellbound the moment I entered the vivid and little-known world of the diving women of Jeju. Set amid sweeping historical events, The Island of Sea Women is the extraordinary story of Young-sook and Mi-ja, of women’s daring, heartbreak, strength, and forgiveness. No one writes about female friendship, the dark and the light of it, with more insight and depth than Lisa See." —Sue Monk Kidd, author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings

"I loved The Island of Sea Women from the very first page. Lisa See has created an enthralling, compelling portrait of a unique culture and a turbulent time in history, but what's really remarkable about this novel is the characters—two women whose lifelong friendship is tested during impossibly difficult times. Compelling, heart-wrenching, and beautifully written, The Island of Sea Women will plunge you into a world and a story you've never read before and remind you how powerful women can and must be to survive." —Kristin Hannah, author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone

Moderator Connie Hale. Speaker Author Lisa See

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