The Hawaii Book and Music Festival, while retaining its core program of books and authors, is successfully morphing into a festival of ideas, an indispensable public forum for the issues that will shape “Hawai‘i 2.0.”

Executive Director Roger Jellinek approached me eight years ago and asked if I would develop a wellness program. It’s been a fascinating and rewarding run since then with wide-ranging topics that seem to capture the art and science of health with a focus on priority concerns of the day. The wellness panels I moderated this year were:

>> Red Hill Crisis, Medical and Legal Implications: This public health crisis of epic proportions concerns tanks at Red Hill built in the 1940s that can hold up to 250 million gallons of jet and ship fuel. The tanks sit 100 feet above Oahu’s main aquifer with known spills into the water table of many thousands of gallons. The focus to date has been to defuel the facility and avert future spills. However, thousands have suffered ill health effects from the exposure. Over the long term, cancer risk is substantial. This represents the next major health crisis after COVID-19 and may be the greatest public health issue of our generation in Hawaii. Health effects of fuel exposure will hit the news cycle furiously and often next year.

>> Blending the Art of Food and Cooking With the Science of Medicine: A family medicine physician with a fellowship in integrative medicine recently joined Manakai o Malama. For the panel, she teamed up with a professor of economics who focuses on food security and agriculture. There was laughter, joy and relief at the prospect of managing obesity and diabetes in a manner that reduces the risk of so many preventable illnesses. Yet it is accomplished not with pills or injections, but by delicious, affordable food. Patients learn how to shop and prepare meals that are healthy and ono.

>> Raising Awareness of Autism, Inclusion and Family Support in Hawaii: The panelists at this session all had joy in their hearts and included a pediatrician, a psychologist, a resource specialist at the Department of Health and two parents of autistic children who provide support services for other parents and families. The take-home message was about the vast array of biodiversity otherwise described as “people on the spectrum” and the many unique strengths they bring to this world.

>> Breakthrough for Safer Gene Splicing: Initially, I thought that this panel would be too technical for the public, but I was wrong. The three panelists were brilliant and incredibly accomplished. They also know one another well from past and current collaborations. What were remarkable were not only the rarefied advancements in this field, but also how clearly the panelists were able to describe their work to mere mortals.

At the end of the panel on gene editing, there was an important announcement that HBMF in 2023 will return as an in-person event, which will require major funding. We had a good laugh when I asked the panel on gene splicing whether they could create a genetic modification that would make a person more likely to donate. They said they would “work on it.”

Historically, the HBMF has been presented over a weekend in May on the civic grounds by Honolulu Hale. In 2019 a decision was made to shift it to the campus of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, as an October event, with additional themed programs of Hawaiian culture, sustainability and innovation. Alas, the planned first year at the new site coincided with COVID-19, and the past three years have been done by Zoom. This year’s program just concluded, and all 70 events that ran through October were recorded and are available in the Better Tomorrow Speaker Series YouTube channel.

“There’s just no substitute for the wonderful serendipity of an in-person event,” Jellinek says. “People come to hear a particular author or speaker, or to support a panelist friend, and discover they are still there three or four hours later. Many come back for more the second day. Next year, barring any fresh surprises, the festival will be hybrid, both in person at UH, with VIP speakers available by Zoom. And it’s all free.”

HBMF will launch its funding campaign with an amazing musical event Jan. 26.

———

Ira Zunin is a practicing physician and medical director of Manakai o Malama Integrative Healthcare Group and Rehabilitation Center: manakaiomalama.com. Submit questions to info@manakaiomalama.com. The column appears the first Wednesday of each month.