WAILUA HOMESTEADS — Jane Goldsmith is the winner of the green flash book-cover competition, held by author and owner of DAWN Enterprises/TropicBird Press, Dawn Fraser Kawahara.
Goldsmith, of Lawa‘i, submitted a photograph of the green-flash phenomenon taken from Shenanigans restaurant at the U.S. Navy Pacific Missile Range Facility at Barking Sands near Kekaha.
The photo will grace the cover of a new book coming from TropicBird Press, “‘Green Flash’ Chronicles, TalkStory of Kaua‘i, an Island in Time.”
In response to the call for entries, photographs and original art entries came from Kaua‘i, Hawai‘i, and as far away as Chicago, from one regular visitor who had captured the scientific phenomenon from Salt Pond Beach Park, Kawahara said.
“It was a tough call,” she added, “since the dramatic entries had to be culled to the final three, from which the choice was made. The winning entry was chosen for the simplicity of the bright ‘wink’ captured during sunset on an almost-cloudless horizon.”
Kawahara and her husband both had doubted that the phenomenon existed. However, they experienced an unexpected sighting of a green flash on the eve of the New Millennium. This in turn influenced the naming of Fraser Kawahara’s columns that appeared regularly in The Garden Island from 2014 to 2020.
“The ‘Green Flash’ title became a metaphor,” Kawahara said, “for ‘Believe in the unexpected,’” a theme of her naturalistic compendium of writings.
Excellent depictions of the green flash, runners-up to Goldsmith’s entry, came from Chris Stewart of Kailua-Kona, who is a retired news photographer “building ‘ukuleles for fun (and posting) mostly happy photos on my Facebook page,” and Kaua‘i artist Penny Nichols, known for her portraiture and Kaua‘i landscapes in a variety of media. She is the upper school art teacher at Island School for over 20 years. Artwork may be seen on Instagram @pennynicholslihue.
Kawahara wishes to thank all who entered photos and art and wrote of their interest in skywatching.
Goldsmith will soon be receiving the first part of her prize package, a gift set of Kawahara’s memoirs and travel tales: “Jackals’ Wedding” and “Burma Banyan,” retailing at $50; a pass to Kilauea Point National Wildlife Refuge, an optimal place for watching tropic birds and other birds; and a $50 credit with Kawahara’s TropicBird Press for editing, promotional writing or scripts for personalized wedding/vow-renewal ceremonies.
This will be followed with acknowledgment of the cover photographer within the book and on the new dawnkawahara.com booklovers’ website, and two copies of the “‘Green Flash’ Chronicles” after publication.
Good for Jane!!! And mahalo to Dawn for her numerous contributions to our island community. Fantastic photo Jane! Aloha.