James Michener - 100 year birthday today

Tip your hat, take a sip of your mai tai, and take a few moments to pause, remember, and give thanks.

James Michener was born 100 year ago on this date. He was born on February 3, 1907.

With no James Michener, there would have been no 'Tales of the South Pacific', no 'South Pacific' musical, and likely no tiki restaurants named 'Bali Hai' So much of the tiki culture we love can be traced back to him and his works.

Vern

So James Michener was born 100 years ago? I just read "Return to Paradise" about 6 months ago. It's a great book. I found it interesting that in the book, which is essays and short stories, he laments the changes in the South Pacific since he had visited and written "Tales of the South Pacific." It's kind of sad to think that no one can visit the places that James Michener loved. You can physically go to Tahiti for example but the time is past. It's that old and familiar theme - you can't go home again.

February 3, 1907-October 16, 1997

James Michener is one of my favorite authors and I have read and re-read many of his books. Favorites of mine being Hawaii, Rascals in Paradise (co-written with A Grove Day), Caribbean and Mexico. Reading his books made me feel like I had traveled back in time and witnessed first hand the adventures and events he wrote about. When reading one of his books I feel a little more smarter and I always regret coming to an end of a Michener novel and wished they just kept going.

Here are a few James Michener Links:

Wikipedia

It Happened in History

What a great fun fact..Thanks for the post Vern!

-- In an age of anxiety men seek a refuge. Because of some deep urge, constant throughout history, troubled men traditionally dream of islands, possibly because the smallness of an island invites the illusion that here the complexities of continental societies can be avoided, or at least controlled. This is a permanent, world-wide dream.
James A. Michener

Lost-Isle
Coconut Wired Podcast
Barefoot bloggin'

[ Edited by: Chongolio 2007-02-03 07:17 ]

If you like Michener, you're gonna love Louis Becke.

Becke has an amazing biography - he was basically a pirate for a while - and crafted the toughest, most accurate real life tales ever about South Pacific life. They're also funny as hell.

Michener basically modernized Becke's style & subject matter and made a big name for himself, he admitted so many times later in life. Not to take anything away from him, let's just say he was a real big Becke fan...

Read them for yourself, bro, they're killer. Free versions of the texts are all over the internet.

Louis Beck;
"Pacific Tales"
"By Reef and Palm:
"By Rock and Pool"

With my Mai Tai in hand, I offer a toast to James Michener and his great writings.
Tiki owes much to him.
1907 was also a good year for tiki. Donn Beach has his 100th on Feburary 22,2007.
Guess I'll make a Zombie that night.

[ Edited by: Ojaitimo 2007-02-04 00:27 ]

i raise my glass, and celebrate tomorow at my weekly tiki event.

great grande from berlin germany 4 aloha luau

http://www.myspace.com/aloha_luau_lounge