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MELE KALIKIMAKA a me HAUOLI MAKAHIKI HOU!

December 12, 2022 4 Comments

As 2022 ends, I look back with aloha and gratitude to the many people who have made such a difference in my writing life.

Interview with Author/Illustrator Caren Loebel-Fried

November 28, 2022 1 Comment

Our ongoing series with Native Hawaiian and local Hawaiʻi writers continues this week with Caren Loebel-Fried, the talented, award-winning author/illustrator from Volcano, Hawaiʻi. Her beautiful block-printing focuses on conservation and the natural world.

Ka Poʻe Kiaʻi, The Guardians of Mauna Kea, Photographs by Kai Markell

November 8, 2022 3 Comments

Protests about the building of huge astronomical telescopes at the summit Mauna Kea have been going on for decades. They’ve only recently been brought into focus because of the planned Thirty Meter Telescope. As descendants of the earliest Polynesian voyagers, the kanaka ʻoiwi have always understood the importance of astronomy. But for a people who have long suffered the loss of their country and autonomy, desecration of their sacred mountain and the natural environment must end. As seen through the lens of Kai Markell,

March On, a Short Film by Courtney Takabayashi

October 24, 2022 4 Comments

Come along with Joe and Mara as they hunt for the night marchers in March On, the hilariously spooky video by my friend, the writer and storyteller Courtney Takabayashi. Be sure to watch through the credits for the lovable eccentric, Uncle Kimo. Courtneyʻs video is a past winner of the Halloween Video Contest sponsored by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser and Hawaii News Now.

Interview with Native Hawaiian Writer Adam Keawe Manalo-Camp

October 17, 2022 2 Comments

Our ongoing series on Native Hawaiian and local Hawaiʻi writers continues this week with Adam Keawe, the talented Native Hawaiian writer and blogger. If you’re a regular reader of Ka Wai Ola O OHA, then you’ve no doubt read Adam’s wonderfully interesting, well-researched articles about the history and culture of our people.

Moke Action, by Award-Winning Native Hawaiian Filmmaker ʻĀina Paikai

October 10, 2022 4 Comments

One of the most popular videos we published at Pūpū was this little gem, Moke Action, an early film directed by the talented Native Hawaiian filmmaker ʻĀina Paikai. Not surprisingly, ʻĀina would go on to make many award-winning short films, including the wonderful Hawaiian Soul in

Interview with Author Dani Hickman

October 3, 2022 2 Comments

Welcome to our latest interview with Native Hawaiian and local Hawaiʻi writers! Author Dani Hickman is the author of four delightful children’s books published by Island Heritage. Hi, Dani. For those who haven’t met you, could you please tell us a little about yourself? I’m a married local girl with four adult children. My youngest, who co-authored

Fishing for Grandma by David Manu Bird

September 26, 2022 3 Comments

Some of my favorite popular posts when I published Pūpū A ‘O ‘Ewa Native Hawaiian Writing and Arts at Leeward Community College were personal essays by students and faculty. Fishing for Grandma, by my colleague and longtime friend, Dave Kaʻapuwai “Manu” Bird, was first published in 2014. About this essay, one of our readers wrote, “I especially loved reading Manu’s

E Heluhelu Kākou: No ke Anilā

September 19, 2022 8 Comments

The Hawaiian language — ʻŌlelo Hawaiʻi — is a beautiful, rich language. Thanks to the internet, ʻōlelo can now be heard across the globe. Read-aloud versions of childrenʻs books in English are readily available online. And now thanks to Kamehameha Publishing, books in ōlelo are, too.

Interview with Writer Brandi-Ann Uyemura

September 12, 2022 1 Comment

Our ongoing series on Native Hawaiian and local Hawaiʻi writers continues this week with my friend, author Brandi-Ann Uyemura. Writing coach, blogger, coach and author, Brandi does it all. Her articles and essays inspire hope, courage and compassion. An Asian American