Kirby's Wright's Weblog

PUNAHOU BLUES in Silent Auction @ Punahou Carnival 2010

Did you ever check out the cover of PUNAHOU BLUES?

Well, it's got an artist's depiction of the Punahou Carnival, back in the 70s. And guess wot. The theme of the 2010 Punahou Carnival is the 70s. Talk about coming full circle.

You can bid on all 3 of my books @ the Silent Auction in 2010. I've signed them and they're awaiting your bid. Check me out in the Malasada Booth on Friday morning and I'll slip you a free malasada.

Kirby Wright selected as Visiting Writer for 2009 International Writers Conference in Hong Kong

Kirby Wright will join fellow US poet GARY SNYDER at the International Writers Conference in Hong Kong this November. Wright was selected as Hawaii's representative and will join a panel of 6 fellow Pacific Rim writers at the month long conference, which includes excursions into Mainland China. His poems and short stories have appeared locally in Hawai'i Review, Chaminade Literary Review, and Honolulu Magazine. He is the author of the companion novels PUNAHOU BLUES and MOLOKA'I NUI AHINA as well as the award-winning poetry collection BEFORE THE CITY.

Kirby Wright heading to the Big Island

Kirby will appear at Borders Hilo at noon on April 19th to sign copies of his companion novels MOLOKA'I NUI AHINA and PUNAHOU BLUES. Borders is located in the Waiakea Shopping Center. The address is 301 Maka'ala Street, Hilo, HI 96720.

MOLOKA'I NUI AHINA is based on the life and times of his grandmother, who was the first woman paniolo (cowboy) on the island of Moloka'i. This novel was praised by the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, Maui Weekly, Honolulu Weekly, and the San Francisco Chronicle.

ps. Kirby will also be lecturing at the Kona Library on April 15th @ 11 a.m.

MOLOKAI VACATION RENTAL Beach House & Cottage

If anyone's looking for a great escape from the Rat Race, check out the setting for my novel MOLOKA'I NUI AHINA: http://www.molokaiparadise.com

There's a Beach House just like in the book and a sweet cottage overlooking Pailolo Channel. The water is pristine and the view of the outer islands is breathtaking. Have to admit it, Maui is the best island to look at from a distance.

This is Old Hawaii, not a place overrun with hoards of tourists.

The whales are migrating right now and you can see them breach right off the coast; also, the endangered monk seals can be seen basking on the coast. If you're into surfing, write me and I'll let you know about a secret spot where there are some great lefts--don't want to go right because of a lava pinnacle!

MOLOKA'I NUI AHINA novel Hot off the Press!

Howzit! Chy check out my new book and what the critics are saying with this review from the venerable Book Editor over on Maui:

http://www.mauiweekly.com/the_bookshelf/story4914.aspx

This book actually started out in third person, in a writing class I was taking from Harry Petrakis @ SFSU. This was my first prose writing class in graduate school and boy did I struggle just trying to craft the opening paragraph. Over time I realized my strength was first person so I changed my first story in that class around about a year later. It was difficult for me to make the adjustment from poetry to prose, but I'm glad I did. Professor Petrakis was instrumental in teaching me how to edit...edit...edit. He told me former students called him THE BUTCHER because they got so many red marks on their workshoped stories from him. Yes, I got the red treatment too! :-)