Like love and other things, writing lessons are where you find them. For example, want to read some good dialogue, and learn from it? Look no further than my favorite coffee mug. The mug, which was my favorite Christmas present last year, features text from UrbanDictionary.com.  To illustrate the phrase "moo point," there's this dialogue from an episode of Friends:

Joey: All right, Rach. The big question is, "does he like you?" All right? Because if he doesn't like you, this is all a moo point. Rachel: Huh. A moo point?

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In the New York Times Writers on Writing series, Miami novelist Carl Hiaasen wrote: "I can't tell you how often I get asked if Elian (Gonzalez) will turn up in my next book. The challenge is too daunting, and not because the real life drama defies satire. It is satire."
This quote came to mind as I read Wayfinding Through the Storm: Speaking Truth to Power at Kamehameha Schools 1993-1999. This book tells the story of the epic battle between Bishop Estate trustees and Kamehameha Schools faculty, students, and alumni in a series of quotes from the play [...]
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Mahalo to all who participated in the Hawai'i Book and Music Festival 2010! What parts did you like best? Read the rest of this entry »

Under Maui Skies, a book of short stories by Wayne Moniz, won the hearts, minds and votes of more than 1500 HawaiiReaders.com readers as the readers' choice book of 2009. The award was given as part of the Ka Palapala Po'okela awards at a gala event on April 30. Ben: A Memoir, from Street Kid to Governor by Benjamin J. Cayetano received the prestigious Samuel Kamakau award as best book from the members of the Hawai'i Book Publisher's Association. More about the awards.

BUSS LAUGH: Stand Up Poetry From Hawaii
Edited by Lee Tonouchi
Nationally recognized Pidgin author Lee Tonouchi, the "Pidgin Guerilla", presents a varied collection of stand-up poetry reflecting Hawaii's distinct diversity and cultural representation.
"The imagery and ideas in Buss Laugh: Stand Up Poetry From Hawaii really stay with you. What a delight to have a collection of ono poetry from such powerful, unique and witty writers."
- Lee Cataluna, Author of Folks You Meet In Longs
"These poems all say someting honest and impo [...]
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On July 30, 1889, Robert W. Wilcox mounted a failed attempt to overthrow the Cabinet of the time, and return the throne to powers that had been diminished through the "Bayonet Constitution" of 1887, which had stripped the Hawaiian monarchy of its power. Ka Buke Mo‘olelo o Honorable Robert William Wilikoki  is the account of that one-day battle, of the legal trials that followed, and of the man who led the only armed rebellion during the Hawaiian monarchy.
Thomas K. Nakanaela
Foreword by M. Puakea Noglemeier
$12.95
isbn 978-1- [...]
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A delightful and intriguing story introducing the shy Cassowary, one of the world's largest endangered birds whose feeding habits help create tropical rain forests for some of the world's oldest, most unusual and most endangered animals. Written in appealing poetic form for children aged 4 to 8 by Tamara Montgomery, with a short post-story section on animals by Jodi Parry Belknap, it is beautifully illustrated by Joseph D. Dodd.
As Cassowary treks through the uplands in New Guinea he dines on colorful fruit—red rambutan, orange pa [...]
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Sixty-five short stories and poems about Hawaii's people and their adventures, including local luminaries President Obama and Don Ho, the author's pure-Hawaiian friends, fishermen, sugar plantation life, German Oktoberfest at Waikiki, Chinese opera music at a funeral, war heroes, nuclear submarines and Kamehameha Schools.
Rath describes religious symbolism, explains Hawaii's music, and tells why Jewish tourists love Hawaii. He reveals Mrs. F. D. Roosevelt having her feet massaged by H [...]
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by Neil Dukas
Perfect for armchair historians, military enthusiasts, kama‘aina, and visitors eager to learn more about Hawai‘i’s indepth history and role in America’s landscape, A Pocket Guide to the Battle of Nu‘uanu 1795 is designed specifically for such a diverse audience with an equally diverse range of interests.
Toward the end of April 1795, a great battle was fought on the Island of O‘ahu between the forces of Kalaniküpule and Kamehameha.
Named for the st [...]
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Enjoy vegetarian dishes without sacrificing flavor with this comprehensive cookbook. Filled with recipes for salads, dressings, side dishes, soups, pastas, desserts and much more! This enlightening cookbook provides insightful tips on preparing the recipes, how to read nutrition labels and where to find the necessary ingredients.
The Blonde Vegetarian is a fun and user-friendly guide to preparing health-promoting meals that inspire readers to make permanent changes to their eating habits and lifestyles. This cookbook acts as a practi [...]
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Bill Teter, ed.
From the powerful opening words of the Kumulipo to the propulsive rhymes of contemporary slam poetry, Hāpai nā Leo celebrates a diverse range of voices that explore, carry, and regenerate Hawaiian culture. Editor Bill Teter created Hāpai nā Leo as a literary companion to Malcolm Nāea Chun’s historical and philosophical works, the Ka Wana series, published by CRDG, and No Nā Mamo, to be published by University of Hawai‘i Press. This anthology responds to Chun’s work with a wide range of voic [...]
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by Don J. Hibbard, Glenn E. Mason, and Karen J. Weitze
As a leading advocate for the development of a Hawaiian style of architecture, Hart Wood (1880–1957) incorporated local building traditions and materials in many of his projects and was the first architect in Hawaii to consciously blend Asian and Western elements in his designs. Lavishly illustrated with 200 photographs and illustrations, HART WOOD traces the life and work of this notable talent, from his beginnings in architectural offices in Denver and San Francisco to his arr [...]
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When an elderly couple’s daily toil for water during a drought fills them with despair, a mysterious dream reveals an unexpected source of water. With hard work and faith, the life-giving water gives way to hope to many in O‘ahu’s Mānoa Valley.

This is the third book in the Ku‘una Series, a collaboration between Kamehameha Publishing and Hale Kuamo‘o.
About the Author and Illustrator
Kawehi Avelino is a graduate of the Kahuawaiola Hawaiian Medium Teacher Education Program and currently [...]
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"One of the most engaging works of fiction to come out of Hawai‘i in a long while." - San Francisco Chronicle
In Under Maui Skies and Other Stories, Wayne Moniz offers seven tales of his island home, each in a different genre—love, detective, adventure, war, science fiction, and ghost stories, and a Western, each historically researched and creatively expressed. “In all of my plays, stories, poems, and lyrics,” Moniz writes, “I try to express my love for the land and people of Hawai‘i, to preserve the memory of a time that is slipping away [...]
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Based on historical events, Anshu is a tale of passion and human triumph in the face of extraordinary adversity, spanning the cane fields of Hawai‘i and the devastation in Hiroshima. A pregnant, unmarried Hilo teenager, Himiko Aoki, finds her Hawai‘i Japanese American identity clashing with Japan’s cultural norms when she is sent to live with relatives in Tokyo in 1941 and becomes trapped there with the outbreak of war. When America drops the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Himiko finds herself adapting in unexpected ways just to survi [...]
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Join Kau Kau: Cuisine & Culture in the Hawaiian Islands author Arnold Hiura at two upcoming events in May. Mother's Day is right around the corner...a personally dedicated book makes a great gift! Read the rest of this entry »