Talanoa: Contemporary Pacific Literature – serie

An epic spanning three generations, Leaves of the Banyan Tree tells the story of a family and community in Western Samoa, exploring on a grand scale such universal themes as greed, corruption, colonialism, exploitation, and revenge. Winner of the 1980 New Zealand Wattie Book of the Year Award, it is considered a classic work of Pacific literature.

Hawai'i Nei brings together three plays by one of Hawai'i's finest playwrights. A compassionate portrait of early nineteenth-century Hawai'i, ""The Conversion of Ka'ahumanu"" charts the lives of five women during the traumatic, transforming events that followed Western contact. Set in post-World War II Hawai'i, ""Emmalehua"" tells the story of a young Hawaiian woman struggling to preserve a cherished cultural heritage in a world eager to forget the past and embrace the new American dream. Through history, humor, and a whodunnit plot, the past and present collide in ""Ola Na Iwi,"" which explores the issues surrounding the treatment of indigenous human remains.

This is a lyrical evocation of Hawaii by a Native poet whose ancestral land has been scarred by tourism, the American military and urbanization. Grounded in the ancient grandeur and beauty of Hawaii, this collection is a love song for a beloved homeland under assault.

In an all-too-brief life and literary career, Wayne Kaumualii Westlake produced a substantial body of poetry. He broke new ground as a poet, translated Taoist classical literature and Japanese haiku, interwove perspectives from his Hawaiian heritage into his writing and art, and published his work locally, regionally, and internationally. The present volume, long overdue, includes nearly two hundred of Westlake's poems - most unavailable to the public or never before published.

In the best Rabelaisian tradition, this brilliant satire weaves a tale of improbabilities around the seat of the last great taboo. Oilei Bomboki wakes one morning with an excruciating pain that sends him anxiously searching for a cure. Unsuccessful treatments at the hands of various healers and doctors, culminating in a bizarre operation, lead the desperate Oilei to seek the help of Babu Vivekanand--sage, yogi, and conman. Through Babu's teachings, Oilei learns to love and respect the source of his own complaint. By turns savage and absurdly comic, this brilliant satire allows Hau'ofa to comment on aspects of life in a small Pacific community perched precariously between traditional and modern ways.

Hawaii Nei brings together three plays by one of Hawaii's finest playwrights. A compassionate portrait of early nineteenth- century Hawaii, ""The Conversion of Kaahumanu"" charts the lives of five women during the traumatic, transforming events that followed Western contact. Set in post-World War II Hawaii, ""Emmalehua"" tells the story of a young Hawaiian woman struggling to preserve a cherished cultural heritage in a world eager to forget the past and embrace the new American dream. Through history, humor, and a whodunnit plot, the past and present collide in ""Ola Na Iwi,"" which explores the issues surrounding the treatment of indigenous human remains.