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A review by arielreads
The Salt-Wind: Ka Makani Pa'Akai by Brandy Nalani McDougall
4.0
"English could never replace / the land's unfolding song, nor the ocean's / ancient oli, giving us use again."
this poetry book is the first book i've read by a native hawaiian author, and it was truly amazing. obviously, the poetry wasn't written for me, and there was a language barrier (google translate wasn't super helpful) that made it difficult for me to fully understand, but that didn’t take my enjoyment away. but the words were still beautiful and captivating. it was a really heartfelt, heartbreaking, and raw book. i highly recommend it!
"So now, though the television and radio instruct us to Speak / American. Think American. Act American, as the 50th state, I / know better than to think that such goodness could ever be / rewarded. But, like I tell my daughter, if you keep your na'au / Hawaiian it is easier to accept our bitter inheretence - we / must become them to overcome them."
my favorite poems include: po, the history of this place, pele, how i learned to write my name, tiny rebellions from the kamehameha tales, ku’ulei 1960, natives wanted, on cooking captain cook, kukui, and ka 'olelo.
here's a link to brandy mcdougall giving a ted talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K69_kuqBiX8
this poetry book is the first book i've read by a native hawaiian author, and it was truly amazing. obviously, the poetry wasn't written for me, and there was a language barrier (google translate wasn't super helpful) that made it difficult for me to fully understand, but that didn’t take my enjoyment away. but the words were still beautiful and captivating. it was a really heartfelt, heartbreaking, and raw book. i highly recommend it!
"So now, though the television and radio instruct us to Speak / American. Think American. Act American, as the 50th state, I / know better than to think that such goodness could ever be / rewarded. But, like I tell my daughter, if you keep your na'au / Hawaiian it is easier to accept our bitter inheretence - we / must become them to overcome them."
my favorite poems include: po, the history of this place, pele, how i learned to write my name, tiny rebellions from the kamehameha tales, ku’ulei 1960, natives wanted, on cooking captain cook, kukui, and ka 'olelo.
here's a link to brandy mcdougall giving a ted talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K69_kuqBiX8