It is a rare privilege to sit at the feet of Hawaii's elders--to hear their stories firsthand. Such wisdom and knowledge are seldom passed beyond Hawaiian communities, but now, with this book, their expertise is available to us all. Described by The Maui News as “a brilliant book of interviews with amazing photographs,” Voices of Wisdom is a book that explains Hawaiian culture through the lives of 24 Hawaiians, each an expert in some facet of Hawaiiana. It is not just the stories and personalities of these 24 that are featured; through each individual we learn about a discipline, talent or skill valued in Hawaiian culture. These 24 are leaders of the cultural renaissance that awakened the Hawaiian spirit in recent decades. These are people who have led lives that matter, and what matters most to them is to keep lit the flame of a culture that nearly died. Through their efforts, Hawaiian culture will live on into the next century.

Softcover, 239 pages
Published:  1999
Price:  $24.95

After traveling the globe for years as a freelance travel writer, MJ Harden settled on Maui where she has written a travel guide to Maui, published a feature magazine for Maui residents, started an arts and cultural magazine for Maui’s cultural center, and written a medical magazine for Maui’s hospital. As a journalist, she has researched and written about the Hawaiian culture since the early 1980s.

After graduating from Art Center College of Design in photography, Steve Brinkman moved back to Hawai‘i where he had previously earned his undergraduate degree. In 1984 he opened a photo studio in Wailuku Maui, where he still is today. Steve generally works with commercial clients, and has been published both nationally and internationally.