On this special episode of Long Story Short with Leslie Wilcox, we look back at conversations with three of Hawai‘i’s contemporary authors: Chris McKinney, Susanna Moore and Gavan Daws. These “wordsmiths” have built careers weaving stories of Hawai‘i in distinctive, personal ways and have proven exceptional at bringing these stories to the page. Hear how they approach their craft and get a glimpse into their literary lives.

Leslie Wilcox sits down with Chris McKinney, a Kahaluu-raised author who is best known for his novel, The Tattoo. As a teenager with a strict upbringing, Chris was initially content with honoring his mother's wishes in pursuing a stable, lucrative law career. Instead, Chris discovered writing and now enjoys a successful career - The Tattoo is on student reading lists across the US. In this episode, he also opens up about the internal conflicts he experiences as he raises a daughter of his own.