A Way with Water

Abstract

A Way with Water, a dual narrative, traces my mother's journey from England to the United States and from California to Hawaiʻi with three children in tow to escape a physically abusive relationship; and my stepfather's journey from Black Bottom, Detroit, to the Air Force, and finally to Hawaiʻi island, as one of the first black men and jazz musicians there. The narrative examines notions of identity within a counter-cultural lifestyle often interacting with Hawaiian and local cultures--a dynamic that requires not only respect for the host culture, but also an awareness of how my narrative is in dialogue with other Hawaiʻi writers. A Way with Water explores non-fiction, poetry, and prose to create hybrid and evolving forms within the field of memoir and biography.