Night Is a Sharkskin Drum (Talanoa: Contemporary Pacific Literature) [Paperback]

Haunani-Kay Trask (Author)

Book Description

Series: Talanoa: Contemporary Pacific Literature | Publication Date: October 1, 2002

Night Is a Sharkskin Drum is a lyrical evocation of Hawai'i 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 Hawai'i, this collection is a haunted and haunting love song for a beloved homeland under assault.

"The experience of reading this collection is nothing short of swimming in fire.... Night is a Sharkskin Drum is a testament to Trask's poetic mana. With these poems, she shows us once more that despite the ugliness she has seen, the ugliness that has pierced her, stabbed her, wounded her, scarred her and her people, there is beauty still." --- Sia Figiel

"An important addition to the growing body of work coming out of Oceania by Polynesian writers.... The poetry is beautiful and brutal, subtle and direct, courageous and respectful -- but most of all, it is honest. The poet's deep and profound love for her country and people is central to the work." --- Reina Whaitiri

"A perceptive and astutely profound commentary on Trask's life and the life of her country,... [the poems] are rich with irony and a passionate love of language." --- Albert Wendt

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Trask's From a Native Daughter: Colonialism and Sovereignty in Hawai'i is a classic of postcolonial studies, but Trask's poetry is also crucial to her activism. Her Light in the Crevice Never Seen is considered the first book of poems published on the mainland by a native Hawaiian, and this follow-up consists of three sections of lyrics, incantation and instigation. The first, "Born in Fire," contains a series of chant-like poems focused on the Hawaiian volcano goddess Pele, who in Trask's work represents a specifically Hawaiian feminine strength. The second, "A Fragrance of Devouring," has poems of complaint about "the common greed/ of vulgar Americans" and about the loss of Hawaiian sovereignty. The poem "Puowaina: Flag Day," begins with a focus on plants rich in Hawaiian symbol (a glossary is provided) as it urges readers to "Bring lei hulu,/ palapalai, pikake. Bring/ kapa, beaten fine" and then ends "and burn/ their American/ flag." Yet Trask doesn't find many takers for her exhortations, and laments what the poet perceives as apathy among Hawaiians: "The natives don't/ horde small fortunes/ for revolution's/ duty. They sit,/ observing the parade." Things get ugly in a poem that describes Daniel Inouye, the U.S. senator from Hawai'i, as the "Japanese senator, smugly/ armless from the great war/ preposterous manikin/ of empire, feigning an accent." Yet the third and strongest section, "Chants of Dawn," is composed of love poems and celebrations of the land-often in spare stanzas that travel "Into our sovereign suns,/ drunk on the mana/ of Hawai'i." It is these poems that best highlight Trask's craft and defiance.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Haunani-Kay Trask is one of Hawai'i's most recognized Native authors. She is the author of a best-selling collection of essays, From a Native Daughter: Colonialism and Sovereignty in Hawai'i, and a volume of poetry, Light in the Crevice Never Seen. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 84 pages
• Publisher: University of Hawaii Press (October 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0824825705
• ISBN-13: 978-0824825706
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,184,948 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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