Kalani Kapahua ’13, Creative Writing, Featured by The International Examiner
The International Examiner, the oldest and largest nonprofit, pan-Asian Pacific American publication in the Northwest, recently profiled Kalani Kapahua ’13, creative writing and urban studies, describing his journey as a professional bookseller in Seattle, WA.
“In a city of bibliophiles,” the article begins, “Kalani Kapahua has earned himself a professional niche many of us could only dream of.” Kapahua is the general manager of Ravenna Third Place Books, where he trains and supervises staff, orders new books, oversees a used book trade, and coordinates author events.
At Canisius, Kapahua took workshops in fiction writing, writing for young adults, and playwriting. He was an editor on the staff of Quadrangle and contributed his own writing and photography to the magazine.
As a student in ENG 388, Literary Publishing, Kapahua heard a guest speaker, Jonathon Welch, owner of Talking Leaves Books, describe the critical role that independent, community booksellers play in nurturing a diverse literary culture.
Kapahua now sees promoting and celebrating literary diversity as central to his mission. Last year, he served on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council of the American Booksellers Association.
“Having representation is certainly something I think about a lot and it’s very top of mind for a lot of people on staff – what books get faced out, what books get promoted space, what books we’re all reading and recommending, some of the authors we have speaking,” Kapahua said. “There’s definitely an effort to be a little more mindful about the whole subject. It’s something I’ve been trying to think about and be more deliberate with because I know there’s a lot we can do to be better.”
Among the books Kapahua is currently recommending are Megan Kamalei Kakimoto’s short story collection Every Drop is a Man’s Nightmare and Thien Pham’s graphic memoir Family Style.
You can read the entire article here:
You can see a full list of Kapahua’s recommended books here:
https://www.thirdplacebooks.com/staff/kalani
Submitted by: Mick Cochrane, Professor, English
