Described as a “love letter to the islands of his birth,” “A Dream of Atolls” is writer-photographer Floyd K. Takeuchi’s first book about the Marshall Islands comprised solely of photos taken by the veteran journalist.
“A Dream of Atolls” is a large coffee table style book that features 26 of Takeuchi’s photographs of Majuro and Jaluit Atolls. The subjects range from islets framed by endless sky and glassy seas to a large, ocean-going Marshallese canoe under sail to residents of Jabor, Jaluit captured by an impromptu photo studio Takeuchi set up on the outside walkway of the Lieom Jaluit Hotel.
“There’s a delicate beauty to the Marshall Islands,” says Takeuchi, whose parents, Clarence and Sachiko Takeuchi of Hawaii, worked for the Trust Territory on Majuro during most of the 1950s. The family lived on Saipan from 1964 to 1982. “Unlike high islands, which often have waterfalls, and dramatic mountain peaks, atolls quietly make their beauty felt. It might be in how a palm frond casts its shadow, or the sound of surf breaking on a distant fringing reef,” he said.
Takeuchi’s other books
“A Dream of Atolls” is the latest self-published book or magazine by Takeuchi with a focus on the Pacific Islands, the Marshalls in particular. Among his other titles: “By the Grace of God,” a photo documentary in magazine format of Majuro’s Rairok Protestant Church; and, “Majuro: Essays from an Atoll,” a collection of essays and photographs (with fellow photographer Olivier Koning) that were originally done for the Marshall Islands Visitors Authority. Takeuchi’s other books include “Pasefika,” a photo documentary of the Festival of Pacific Arts; and, “School on the Hill,” about Xavier High School, the historic Jesuit boarding school in Chuuk.
“A Dream of Atolls” is the first in a planned series of projects Takeuchi would like to do to focus attention on the Marshall Islands and other small island states facing what he calls the existential threat of climate change. He’s working with former President Hilda Heine on the climate change initiative.
“There are many ways to combat the threat of climate change on our islands. Using the talents of photographers such as Floyd and his colleagues is an important way to draw attention to our country and other island states,” Heine said.
Takeuchi’s books and magazines, or ‘zines as they’re called in the publishing world, are available at either the Amazon.com or Blurb.com online bookstores. “A Dream of Atolls” is for sale at the Blurb.com bookstore at https://www.blurb.com/b/10908678-a-dream-of-atolls.
While he’s a prolific publisher using digital print-on-demand services such as Blurb.com, he acknowledges a downside is the relatively high cost for art book quality printing. “A Dream of Atolls” is a hardcover book 12 inches by 12 inches, with a linen cover and a separate dust jacket. It also uses photo quality paper.
“A Dream of Atolls” costs $96.43 plus shipping. Blurb.com delivers to the Marshall Islands. A full preview of the book is available at the Blurb.com website at no charge.
Written Resources
Here is a full shelf of books about the Marshall Islands that cover everything from history and culture to the darker sides of the nuclear legacy and war.
