📚 A Bookish Chat with Audiobook Narrator Suzanne Ford: BLACK ROCKS AND RAINBOWS by Susan C. Riford #Interview
Suzanne Ford is an actress and writer working in film, television, and theatre. She has performed in more than 100 stage productions in New York and Los Angeles, on tour and in regional theatres around the country. Her many film credits include the Duplass Brothers’ recent hit Manson Family Vacation; You, Me and Dupree and The Apparition, and she has appeared on such television shows as Grace and Frankie, Grey’s Anatomy,Criminal Minds, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia and Friends. She has been an advertising copywriter, has written a biography of Mel Gibson, screenplays, and cookbooks, and has ghostwritten memoirs. She and her husband live in the Hollywood Hills.
WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:
WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK
Welcome to The Writer's Life! How did you come up with the idea to write your book?
The author of Black Rocks and Rainbows: The True Adventures of Henry Opukahaia, the Hawaiian Boy Who Changed History was Susan Riford, my mother. Her fascination with the amazing tale of the young Hawaiian boy Henry Opukahaia began when she and my Dad moved to Maui, Hawaii in the late 1980s. The novel was her final work before she died in Maui in 1997, but not until she had participated in the event that brought the story full circle: the successful crusade in 1993 to bring Henry’s remains home to Hawaii from his grave in Cornwall, Connecticut where he had died in 1818, and reinter him at Kahikolo Cemetery on the Big Island of Hawaii, near the spot where he was born. After my mother’s death I took on the unfinished manuscript, wrote the last chapter based on her extensive notes, had a few copies printed, just for family, and recorded the audio book. A published print version is in the works, and will include original illustrations.
Susan C. Riford was a writer, philanthropist and entrepreneur who was also a passionate proponent of theatre education for children. In 1958 she founded a theatre company in my home town, Auburn, NY, that is now one of the preeminent Equity companies in the country dedicated to musical theatre and children’s performing arts education (The Rev Theatre Company). She wrote over 50 children’s plays and books during her 30-year tenure there. In honor of her dedication to arts education for children, all proceeds from the audiobook and the printed version, when it is published, will be donated to the Susan C. Riford Children’s Arts Education Fund.
As soon as I began the manuscript I knew the book was just made to be read aloud. As an actor, I was drawn to it for that reason, and as my mother's daughter and an avid reader all my life, I was driven by its very personal meaning to me.
Your readers might be interested in the trailer for the audiobook, which is found here.
How would you describe your book’s ideal reader?
The story is such a fascinating and compelling adventure, fun to listen to for anyone, but especially for children and young adults. The language is accessible and straightforward, while capturing the time period (early nineteeth century) and exotic locations. The main character, Hiapo, later called Henry, was a real person, revered in the Hawaiian culture, and my mother's interpretation of his story is both suspenseful and deeply sympathetic. It is noteworthy that there has never been a full-length historical novel about Opukahaia (pronounced Oh-poo-keye-ee-uh), who is such a major figure in Hawaiian history and whose story carries a timeless message about the importance of education. Especially in this era of the dawning of deeper recognition of indigenous peoples and their heritage, this as yet unfamiliar but universal coming-of-age story is resonant and relevant to youth of any culture.
What part of the book was the most fun to write?
The part that was the most fun to
read as a narrator was the last few paragraphs of Chapter 15: Discovery,
into the first paragraphs of Chapter 16: The Big Canoe:
Opukahaia decided to
take the path along the cliff overlooking the ocean. He liked to watch the
brilliant colors of the late afternoon sky dance in the dark water below. But
as he came out of the forest and onto the bluff, he suddenly stopped stock
still and stared, frozen in amazement.
Out in the bay below
him drifted an enormous canoe. It had great white wings like a magnificent
bird. As he watched, the boy saw tiny figures of men scurrying around on it.
Some of them climbed up the tall poles that held the wings. Where had they come
from? Were these the strange men with light skin his uncle had described?
Opukahaia was
overwhelmed with curiosity. He wished the canoe would come closer to shore so
he could see it better. Soon it would be dark, and tomorrow it might be gone.
Quickly, he
unfastened his kahuna cape and laid it on the ground. He would swim out to the
big canoe and see it for himself! Then he could tell his uncle and the other
priests about these men who had come to their island. He scrambled halfway down
the rocky cliff and dove off into the water below.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: The
Big Canoe
Opukahaia swam swiftly
toward the ship. The distance was greater than it had seemed from the cliff,
but his strong, even stroke finally brought him to the side of the vessel. It
rose high above him and was longer than ten war canoes. He swam back and forth
along the length of it, looking for a handhold - some way to climb up the side
- but could find nothing.
Then he heard a
man’s voice and the sound of feet running. A head appeared over the edge of the
boat above him. It was a light-faced man and he called down to him, but the
words were strange to the boy’s ears. Opukahaia raised one arm from the water
and waved. The light-faced man ducked out of sight and then returned.
A dark, friendly
face appeared beside him and called to the boy in his own language, the
language of Hawaii!
“Do you want to come
aboard? Here. Take hold of this and climb up.”
The two men threw a
rope ladder over the side, holding it fast between them. Opukahaia reached with
both hands and pulled himself up to gain a toe-hold. When he had climbed to the
top, two pairs of strong hands pulled him over the edge and onto the floor of
the boat, where he sat, sprawled and wet, looking up at them. He decided to
grin.
The dark-skinned man
returned his smile and gave him a hand up.
“I am Makani
Nakolo,” he said, “and I am from these islands. The others call me Mak. I have
sailed for two years with this ship. What is your name, boy, and where is your
home?”
“My name is
Opukahaia - and I live with my uncle, who is Kilopano, the kahuna nui of this
island.” He gestured toward the cliff.
The man’s eyes
widened as he relayed this information in the strange language of the other
man. Then he turned back to the boy.
“You must come with me, Opukahaia, to see the chief of this canoe, which is called the Triumph. He is a good man. His name is Captain Britnall.”
How did you come up with the title?
Black Rocks and Rainbows refers to the lava rocks and beautiful rainbows of the Big Island, the vision of which, after leaving, Henry carries with him for the rest of his life. The subtitle, The True Adventures of Henry Opukahaia, the Hawaiian Boy Who Changed History, describes the story's core: an irrepressibly curious native boy in 1807 Hawaii dives into the sea and swims to an American merchant ship anchored offshore, embarking on an extraordinary adventure that will lead to an amazing accomplishment: the invention of a whole written language. My mother thought that "true adventures" was a neat way to describe the fact that the story is about a real person, and I actually added "the Hawaiian boy who changed history" to provide a little more detail.
What’s one fact about your book that would surprise people?
I think it's surprising that the written Hawaiian language was invented by this young boy, whose quick mind was apparently able to grasp and photograph the written word so thoroughly and efficiently that he was able to create an entire written language based on the ancient verbal vernacular of his homeland. It's also surprising that although he was so relatively inexperienced in the ways of the world, and so far from home, he nevertheless had the courage and determination to do what he did.
What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book?
Although I don't consider myself a writer who's qualified to give advice, the first thing I would say is what many authors and teachers have advised: simply get something on the page. Anything. The way Stephen King puts it is, "The scariest moment is always just before you start. After that, things can only get better." He goes on to say, "It boils down to what Satchel Paige said: 'Don’t look back, something might be gaining on you.' There will be people who like what you do and people who don’t. But if they’re picking over the last thing and you’re working on the next thing, that’s all yours." In other words, don't dwell on the past but keep looking forward. I think that's great writing advice.
How do you use social media as an author?
I think of social media as a way to have conversations with readers and listeners, to create virtual relationships. I'm fond of Instagram because it's the easiest and most attractive platform on which to communicate, for me, anyway. And I appreciate the aesthetic of it more than Facebook or Twitter.
Finally, what message are you trying to get across with your book?
I think the fundamental message of Black Rocks and Rainbows: The True Adventures of Henry Opukahaia, the Hawaiian Boy Who Changed History is that if you have the courage to follow your heart, to do what you love and pursue it with your whole being, miracles can happen.
If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose?
I'd love to spend some time with Kate Atkinson. I'm a rabid fan of her novels and can never get enough, so that would be a treat. I'd want to ask about her process, of course, but also about her view of the world, which I suspect is uniquely her own.
Thank you again for this interview! Do you have any final words?
Only to thank you for providing this interesting and valuable forum for authors, readers (and listeners) to find literary viewpoints, information and advice.
Title: BLACK ROCKS AND RAINBOWS
Author: Susan C. Riford
Publisher: Blackstone Publishing
Genre: YA / Historical
BOOK BLURB:
The journey of a lifetime told in the audiobook BLACK ROCKS AND RAINBOWS begins with a ship: “An enormous canoe, with great white wings like a magnificent bird.” This is the merchant schooner Triumph from New England, anchored offshore by what is now known as the Big Island of Hawaii, and in 1807, the sight of it captivates a young Hawaiian boy’s imagination and spirit of adventure. Fifteen-year-old Hiapo Opukahaia, orphaned as the result of a war between two rival island chiefs, has been contemplating his future. He dives into the sea and swims to the ship, where he is invited to stay for dinner. When the captain asks if he would like to go to America, he nods Yes.
The audiobook BLACK ROCKS AND RAINBOWS, an historical novel for young adults, edited and narrated by actress Suzanne Ford, was written by her late mother, Susan C. Riford. The audiobook chronicles the gripping story of Hiapo – renamed “Henry” by his fellow crewmen – whose literal and figurative journey leads to the greatest adventure of all: a hunger for knowledge which ultimately changes Hawaii forever. The title refers to the lava rocks and beautiful rainbows of the Big Island, the vision of which Henry carries with him for the rest of his life.
Working as a cabin boy, Henry does encounter true-life adventures – pirates, storms – during the ship’s year-long voyage, via the Seal Islands and China, back to its home port of New Haven, Connecticut. He also learns to read and write English, unlocking his quest for further knowledge; upon arriving in New Haven, Henry realizes he desperately wants to keep learning, but has no idea how.
Weeping one day on the steps of Yale College, he is found by a kind student, a relative of the school’s president. Taken under the president’s wing, Henry becames a scholar. He wants to translate written works from English into Hawaiian, but at the time, there is no such written Hawaiian language. So he begins to apply the principles in an American spelling book – devised by Noah Webster, of dictionary fame – to the sounds of his native tongue. In doing so, he creates the alphabet-spelling-grammar system that is the basis for the Hawaiian written language in use to this day.
Sadly, Henry dies of typhus fever in 1818 at the age of 26. He is buried in Cornwall, Connecticut, until 1993, when he makes one final journey: a group of Hawaiian residents has successfully crusaded for the return of his remains to the Big Island for permanent burial. Hiapo Opukahaia has come home.
Suzanne Ford was inspired to create the audiobook BLACK ROCKS AND RAINBOWS originally written by her late mother, Susan Riford, a prolific author of children’s books and plays and founder of what is now known as the Rev Theatre Company in Auburn, New York. Her mother became fascinated with Henry’s story when she moved to Maui. “The novel was her final work before she died,” Ford says. “I took on the unfinished manuscript, wrote the last chapter, had a few copies printed and recorded the audiobook. The story is such a fascinating and compelling adventure, fun to listen to for anyone, but especially for young adults.”
Ford is working on an updated, illustrated book version of BLACK ROCKS AND RAINBOWS. “It’s noteworthy that there has never been a full-length historical novel about Opukahaia, who is such a major figure in Hawaiian history and whose story carries a timeless message about the importance of education,” she observes. “Especially in this era of the dawning of deeper recognition of indigenous peoples and their heritage, this as yet unfamiliar but universal coming-of-age story is resonant and relevant to youth of any culture.”
Praise
“This adventure story is riveting from start to finish and the action keeps coming. The ending, though sad because it’s a true story, was very uplifting and inspiring. A very satisfying audiobook experience.”
–-Amazon
Listen to a sample of the audiobook here:
And here:
https://soundcloud.com/user-158936241/black-rocks-and-rainbows
Leave a Comment