Lillianhowan - Lillian Howan

Agnes Martin, Falling Blue, 1963; painting; oil and graphite on canvas. (via SFMOMA | Explore Modern Art | Our Collection | Agnes Martin | Falling Blue)

Island of Mo’orea from Tahiti

POLYNESIA: PARADISE LOST?

In this two-part feature, Lillian Howan, author of a powerful novel set in Tahiti, offers a revealing interview and a lyrical essay describing her cultural heritage, her creativity and her experie…

Thank you author & literary shaman Leslie Stuart Tate for interviewing me on my childhood in Tahiti and my novel The Charm Buyers, as well as chronic illness, and lupus. Thankful to Francoise Holozet-Howan for the spectacular photos - this interview begins with a translation of her message re why she shares these photos: to bring more awareness to the environmental vulnerability of these islands, on the frontlines of climate change.

Huahine and Bora Bora

photo: Bruno Leou-on

island of Moorea from Matavai Bay, Tahiti

Baobob Tree, Manoa Valley

orchid blooming beneath bai yu lan tree

October Rose

photography: Colleen Neff

Colleen Neff was born in Grand Forks, North Dakota, and has lived all over the country courtesy of having a father who worked for I.B.M. She discovered a love of photography and art history at Beloit College in Wisconsin. Starting out with a pinhole camera she constructed herself, Colleen now uses a Leica D-Lux 5 as it fits perfectly into her small backpack. She currently lives in Berkeley, California, and photographs life as she walks and hikes in the Bay Area.