Oh, hey there. Aloha. So happy you found me! And just in time too, I was just writing a little back story about myself. (How convenient!)
Picture this. Hawai'i, 1980's. So, there I was, seven-years-old, walking home from school with a Beverly Cleary-Ramona Quimby story in my hands, trying to focus on the words while stumbling across the street when it hit me: I had no clue what kind of lives the characters lived, couldn't relate to one damned thing or another. I didn't know how it felt to have a father who lived in the same household, or one who even truly cared about me. I didn't have a big sister I wanted to look up to or gentle family members who were willing to take me aside and kindly show me the ropes. I didn't have any of that. So I made the decision right then and there: I was going to be an author and write stories that I could relate to. Stories that I wanted to read.
Starting from second grade I wrote and wrote, had my poems and stories floating around in public libraries and malls, tested into gifted and talented and upper English classes and was told by teachers and faculty that they believed I was going to be a writer. So I went to college and wrote for the paper...
And then I got sidetracked.
I never stopped writing, just cooled my jets for a while I hustled and focused on making money. Modeled. Acted. Got married. Settled down. But I wanted more. You know how it is. Went back to school, five small children in tow, and worked my butt off while earning my Bachelor of Arts in English. After too many tears, late night worries, daily struggles, and gray hairs I finally achieved my goal. (Thanks in large part to the cheers and support of my soulmate and our kiddos.)
And now I'm in graduate school, working towards my MFA. Seriously excited about crafting stories again.
I write all kinds of things but my favorite genre to write is humor. When people ask me how I write the way I do, I tell them that it helps that I had a really traumatic upbringing. I feel like, if I had a, "normal" childhood, I wouldn't have such a f*cked up, comical way of looking at things so I'm actually grateful for all of the heartwrenching lessons and horrible people I've had to endure (or maybe who had to endure me) since birth.
Anywho, if you're still here (and I hope you are) thank you for making it this far. I promise that I'm almost done with my Sophia from The Golden Girls style monologue.
Ending this weird bio by saying that I saw a couple of great vocal writers who listed their writing works, and thought it was an awesome idea so I decided to put one together for myself.
Without further ado, I'd like to introduce...
The Things I've written:
(with clickable links!)
Short Stories:
Good Sexts (⭐️Top Story, October 2023)
Da Fall in da Usher House, an adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's, "The Fall of the House of Usher"(Previously published by Vice-Versa Journal)
Soul : a vampire story (originally written in 1999)
Microfiction:
Every Day Something New (⭐️Top Story, January 2024)
The Stalker
Truth Is (⭐️Top Story, March 2024)
Illogical Fear (⭐️Top Story, May 2024)
Essays:
Savor Some Real Hawaiian Flavor (⭐️Runner up, Nourish Challenge)
My life starting... now. Wait, no. Now. Actually...
5 Things that are said to bring good luck during Chinese New Year
Poetry:
I Cannot Live With You a 21st century Emily Dickinson Redux
The Trendtanglement of Connie and Blythe
Love Pain
You (⭐️Top Story, February 2024) (⭐️Runner-Up, Inverse)
Song lyrics:
Keep Your Head Up (bg instrumentals in vid. by Kolusola on Tiktok)
On other websites:
Leaving Instagram? Here’s how to save your photos before you go
10 Inspiring Native Hawaiian Female Athletes
Help the Victims of the Maui Fires
Previously Published Books:
(also with clickable links!)
Novels:
Poetry Chapbooks:
Short Story Collections:
Previously Published by Literary Journals:
(in no particular order)
Fingernail Hawaiian ('Oiwi: A Native Hawaiian Journal, Vol. 4: Kūpa'a Māhope 'o ka 'Āina, 2011)
The Feast ('Oiwi: A Native Hawaiian Journal, Vol. 4: Kūpa'a Māhope 'o ka 'Āina, 2011)
The Cow's Fault (Five2One Magazine, 2015)
Taste (Five2One Magazine, 2015)
Da Fall in da Usher House (Vice-Versa Journal, 2010)
Dass Why Hahd (Hawai'i Review, Issue #73, Winter 2010)
Be the Goddess (Luna Station Quarterly, 2012)
Nigerian Prince (Nat. Brut, 2014)
Makakilo Mascot (Bamboo Ridge, Journal of Hawai'i Literature and Arts, Issue #126, 2024)
Songwriting:
(albums I helped write lyrics & melodies for)
Kūkahi (Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award Winner) (LP, 2016)
Human (LP, 2017)
Jam (LP, 2018)
Heaven on Earth (single, 2017)
Hawai'i My Home (single, 2019)
Nothing Compares (EP, 2017)
Stuck by Your Side (single, 2021)
Other places I’ve written:
Yelp (current elite reviewer)
Examiner (former parenting examiner)
Ka Mana’o newspaper (former music columnist & staff writer)
(To be continued...)
Writing Entertaining Stories is Not Enough; They Need Purpose
Recently, I started writing stories about my dog. Seems natural since retiring. I spend more and more time with her, Dagney. Because of the bond we share, I notice her attention to detail, her enthusiasm for simple activities, her protective nature, and her humorous behaviors. So much pleasure comes from our interactions. Stories sharing the experiences formed in my mind and then took shape on the page. While rereading the tales, I laughed and at the end of many of the stories discovered lessons Dagney taught me about life.
By Brenda Mahler6 days ago in Writers
The Whiskered War
A domestic drama; rather, you're witnessing a millennium-old conflict over the fate of the entire planet (and possibly just a smA titanic struggle between wits and strength has been raging in the shadows for millennia: The Great Nibble vs. The Purrsecution. The cats, the furry fighters, the fascists of the feline world, occupy one corner. In the other, mice make up the squeaky squad, the small militia. The reward? Domination over the entire world (and possibly an especially tasty cheese wheel).
By Richard Weber2 days ago in Humor
Comments (2)
Ah, so this is the result! Sorry I missed this, but wow, you've written in so many different areas! Song writing is too cool. I gotta catch up on your profile, M! BTW, I already love your humor writing, so this will be fun. :D
This speaks to me...and I have so much to read... 📚