This week’s feature is Kristiana Kahakauwila’s debut, This is Paradise, which is out today from HOGARTH, a Random House imprint. Kahakauwila is a graduate of Long Beach Polytechnic High School and Princeton University, where she earned a B.A. in Comparative Literature and Creative Writing. She received an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and is currently an Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Western Washington University.
In Tyler McMahon’s recent interview with Kahakauwila, the two talk about the origins of the stories in this collection, the importance of coming back to her Hawaiian-ness to write this book, and the ways that the stories function collectively to capture how she experiences Hawai`i’s multitude and diversity. In response to a question about the epic sweep of some of her stories, Kahakauwila replies:
I am secretly writing novels—very short novels masquerading as stories. I love the messiness of novels, the multiple strands and ensemble cast and movements across time that novels can contain. My short stories tend toward that vein. They’re the most fun for me.
We’re happy to announce that we’ll be giving away a copy of This is Paradise to three of our Twitter followers. To be eligible for this giveaway (and all future ones), simply click over to Twitter and “follow” us (@fictionwriters).
To all of you who are already fans, thank you!
Further Links and Resources:
- Read the rest of McMahon’s interview with Kahakauwila.
- For more about Kristiana Kahakauwila and her work, please visit the author’s website.
- You can also visit her Random House author page to read an excerpt from the book, purchase a copy, or check out the reader’s guide for the collection.
