Volcanoes, Palm Trees, and Privilege: Essays on Hawai'i

by Liz Prato, Cole Gerst (Illustrator)

Overview

A 2019 New York Times Top Summer Read Finalist, Oregon Book Award 2020 Liz Prato combines lyricism, research and humor to explore her role as a white tourist in a seemingly paradisiacal land that has been largely formed and destroyed by white outsiders. Hawaiian history, pop culture, and contemporary affairs are masterfully woven with her personal narrative of loss and survival in linked essays, offering unique insight into how the touristic ideal of Hawai‘i came to be, and what Hawai‘i is at its core.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781732610309
Publisher:	Overcup Press
Publication date:	04/16/2019
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	702,670
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Liz Prato is also the author of the short story collection Baby's on Fire: Stories published in 2015 (Press 53). Her work has appeared in over two dozen literary journals, including The Rumpus, Baltimore Review, and Salon. She is Editor at Large for Forest Avenue Press. Liz teaches in Portland and at literary festivals across the country. She lives in a house in the woods with her husband, an indie bookseller and writer.

Table of Contents

To 'Okina, or Not to 'Okina 1

Da Kine 7

Flying Under Assumed Names 9

Da Kine | The Kahako 21

A Haole Guide to Hawaiian Taxonomy 22

Da Kine | 'Aina 32

Bombs Away 34

Da Kine | Kama'aina 49

Reverend Jim's Ten Commandments for Growing Up Haole on O'ahu 51

Da Kine: 'Ohana 57

Descendant(s) 58

Da Kine | The Big Five 80

Island for Sale! 83

Da Kine | The Forbidden Isle 90

Pass the Tabu: Here's the Story of the Brady Bunch in Hawai'i 92

Da Kine | Aloha Spirit 115

On the Tail of 'Iniki 118

Da Kine | Pidgin 126

Real Hawai'i 128

Da Kine | 'Ukulele 144

Volcanoes, Palm Trees, and Privilege: The Self-Contained Paradise of the Hawaiian Resort 147

Da Kine | Honu 193

Ho'ihi: The Meaning of Respect 195

Da Kine | 'Aumakua 208

Return to the Kahala 210

Da Kine | Mana 231

Return to Maui 233

Epilogue 249

Appendix A 253

Appendix B 255

Appendix C 256

Mahalo Nui Loa 265

About the Author 271

Editorial Reviews

[Prato's] book is a rebuke to cultural appropriation, combined with tribute to a place she loves too much to make her own.

The New York Times Book Review - Liesl Schillinger

02/25/2019

This essay collection from short story author Prato (Baby’s on Fire) begins in off-puttingly strident fashion, but soon finds itself on firmer ground. Prato’s initial, undoubtedly well-intended focus—on expressing indignation over the colonial expropriation of native Hawaiian lands in the 19th century—smacks a little of grandstanding on others’ behalf. However, once she starts interweaving her own memories into her discussions of Hawaiian history and culture, the work becomes far more assured. As Prato explains, she first visited the islands as a youngster, accompanied by her crumbling family, and has returned at different moments in her life. Prato shares what she has learned about traditions, such as the “Aloha Spirit” of kindness and the emergence of the ukulele as a national instrument. She also delves into thornier subjects: the economic inequities between tourists and residents, and the subtle, and contested, ethnic distinctions which Hawaiians make among themselves. Meanwhile, Prato explores her own troubles—by 44, she had lost her entire immediate family—and how visiting Hawaii became a balm (“This is my Eden.”) Prato’s work stays winningly informal and idiosyncratic throughout and, after a rocky start, coalesces into an intriguing and informative journey through the 50th state. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

This book is a love letter to the land and people of Hawai‘i, a secular devotional to a place that has woven its way into Liz Prato’s heart. Breathtaking.” –Lidia Yuknavitch, author of The Chronology of Water and The Book of Joan



“A brilliant meditation on cheeseburgers in paradise, Liz Prato’s fearless and tender investigation of our complex relationship with Hawai‘i will blow your mind. Hula dancers, aloha shirts, surfing, and the idyllic tropical vacation will never look the same.” –Karen Karbo, author of In Praise of Difficult Women, and the Kick Ass Women series



“For fans of Sarah Vowell and Kaui Hart Hemmings, Liz Prato's essay collection is a must-read that explores the islands’ mythos and reality. In Volcanoes, Palm Trees, and Privilege we witness a deeply personal tale of love, loss, and honest accounting as the author comes to understand her relationship with the islands through the crucible of family.” –Kristiana Kahakauwila, author of This Is Paradise

From the Publisher