It's there for the taking! Go to BORDERS in Kahului on Dairy Road and ask for RENE. She will take you to the magical spot in the store where you can find PUNAHOU BLUES. I actually read there back in August 2003 when I was promoting BEFORE THE CITY, my first book of poetry. I still write poems and have prose poems in recent issues of Hayden's Ferry Review and Sentence.
I think you'll enjoy the cover as much as the book--it was designed by Holly Lewis, who lives right there in Kihei! You can visit Hol's website at: http://www.tikiqueenarts.com
Wishing I was with you on Maui,
malama pono,
-Kirby
My publisher just sent a HUGE ORDER to Kohala Books so the book should be available this week or early next. Another COOL bookstore to place an order is BORDERS HILO and they should have PUNAHOU BLUES on their shelves soon too--go to Makaala Street and tell Kris I sent you. If schools on the Big Island want a copy for their library, have the head librarian contact my publisher at lemonsharkpress@yahoo.com and he may send a complimentary copy!
Bobby Wright, Jr., my cousin, used to manage the Volcano House back in the 70s. One night he fell over that low lava retaining wall surrounding the restauarant and ended up 500 feet down in the crater. LifeFlight rescued him and, after spending 2 years in rehab, he was able to walk again and that's when he opened the Civic Restaurant in Honolulu. More later! :-)
I just received an email from someone waiting for a pizza outside Pizza Bob's in Honolulu saying it was his life's mission to track down a copy of Punahou Blues. Well, the COOL stores caring the book on Oahu are BookEnds in Kailua, Borders at Ward Centre(1200 Ala Moana Blvd.) and Borders Waipahu. If you want a signed copy of the 1st edition, contact my publisher Kristof Thibaud at http://www.lemonsharkpress.com.
I'll be coming to Hawaii in October so if you want to throw a luau for me that'd be great! I'm going to be making the rounds locally so check the newspapers or else back at this site for updates. Maybe we can all go to Maks or Sandy's or hang out at the Crouching Lion?! My brother liked Pat's at Punalu'u best because he'd leave the table and go digging around for pennies and nickels in their Wishing Well. Once I tossed in a quarter and he dove into the well to retrieve it. "Sucker," he told me and pocketed the coin.