Bøger udgivet af UNIV OF HAWAII PR

"Navigating Islands: plays from the Pacific brings together three plays by distinguished playwright Victoria Nalani Kneubuhl. The islands of Såamoa-often called the "Navigator Islands" on nineteenth century maps of the Pacific-emerge to the fore, fully dimensional, in this dynamic collection. Of both Hawaiian and Såamoan ancestry, Kneubuhl spent formative years in the islands as a young adult. Her love of Såamoa, its culture and its people, is woven into the fabric of every scene. In the front matter of this book, fans of the author's theatrical productions, media work, and novels will be pleased to learn about her creative process and her broad influence on Pacific literature and storytelling. Two of the plays are set at Vailima, Såamoa, the former home of Robert Louis Stevenson and his family. Aitu Fafine portrays the final days of Stevenson's life in an unusual historical fantasy. Through myth and stage magic, the play examines the demonization of women, an author's role in shaping social attitudes, and the timeless power of story. Fanny and Belle explores the mother-daughter relationship of Fanny Stevenson and her daughter Belle Strong, two intrepid bohemian women who defied the coventions of their time and lived daring and adventurous lives. Set in American Såamoa in the early twentieth century, The holiday of rain reimagines Somerset Maugham's visit to Pago Pago when he wrote his famous short story "Rain." While the play is a satirical romp that includes time travel, mistaken identities, and a play within a play, it thematically reviews the portrayal of Polynesian women by Western writers, and the fictionalization Pacific places and people of color to suit perceived Western audience demands. All three plays scrutinize how non-Polynesians interact with Polynesians when attempting to navigate through the subtleties of island life. They also ask readers and viewers to think about how the outside world's impressions of Polynesians were shaped by the perceptions and stories of foreigners. Perhaps the plays' most compelling connections involve women as they fight to achieve individuality in the face of unfair expectations, negative societal projections, and historical misrepresentations of female characters in literature"--

Here was Once the Sea features poetry, fiction, and nonfiction guest edited by Rina Garcia Chua, Esther Vincent Xueming, and Ann Ang. While many of these works are comprised mostly of anglophone texts, which reflects the aspirations of regional writers to speak across borders and to the globe at large, several native languages appear on these pages. Here, Southeast Asia refers to the constituent nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), namely, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, as well as their associated diasporas. The writers and the peoples of the region live and remember more profoundly than we know. Their work explores the ecological across a multiscalar spectrum, featuring both geological landscapes and visceral botanical or animal entanglements, inheriting histories and spiritualities that defy and disrupt modern epistemologies. Together they represent a chorus of offerings, first and foremost to the land and the sea; and secondly to you, our readers, as an invitation to attend to the urgencies and travails of our homes. These are the stories we share and the stories we carry in our pasiking (basket) as we follow movements towards our destinies. These are the stories that sing of hope--for ourselves and for our world; ones that we whisper silently to ourselves as we touch our lips to the familiar earth and wait for the incoming monsoon rain to fall gently on our backs, our fields, our rivers.

"The first Okinawan language textbook written for English-speakers, Basic Okinawan: From Conversation to Grammar is a groundbreaking work that will help students develop conversational skills and build a solid foundational understanding of the language's grammar and vocabulary. The lessons are geared for students learning in the classroom or on their own and do not assume knowledge of Japanese. The ten learner-centered units in Part I systematically and incrementally introduce grammar and vocabulary through the story of Niko, an American exchange student in Okinawa. Each unit offers authentic dialogues focused around cultural themes, followed by concise grammar and vocabulary explanations, ample exercises, and situation-based applications. Lessons conclude with cultural notes that advance the unit's themes, linking language learning with a wide range of disciplines such as history, geography, literature, religion, and popular culture. The last unit ties Niko's final experiences in Okinawa to a well-known saying: Ichariba choodee (Once we meet, we are friends forever). Woven throughout the story are humorous and thoughtful anecdotes that will inspire students to explore Okinawan language and culture further. Part II's eight sections explain the grammar introduced in Part I-for example, parts of speech and sentence types-arranged by topic. This topical organization allows students to review grammar points from a fresh perspective that both augments and reinforces what was learned in Part I. In addition to the Appendix, which contains comprehensive vocabulary and construction lists with cross-references to sections in Part I, students should consult the companion dictionary and grammar, Mitsugu Sakihara's Okinawan-English Word Book. A references section lists resources for further reading and study. Basic Okinawan presents a natural yet structured approach to the language that will engage students and connect them with Okinawan culture. An answer key to the exercises and audio files for lesson dialogues will be available online"--

Erift's Journeys: The Dark Messengers is the second book in this fantasy and adventure series for middle grade readers. It follows a teenager who answers a call to adventure that leads him down a long road of self-discovery, danger, and magic.