‘Glimpse the deeper currents that shape a life’: Beloved Kona professor shares lifetime of adventures in new book

Richard Stevens has been more than a professor to generations of students in West Hawaiʻi.

He is the teacher whose lessons rarely ended when class did. He taught through stories of adventure, hardship, discovery, resilience and the people and places that shape a life.

Now, after decades of sharing those stories with students, friends and the community, Stevens finally put them into a book.

“Storyland” was released Thursday, May 21, and is available now on Amazon and from Stone Compass Press.

It is more than a collection of memories. It is a deeply personal reflection on a life lived with purpose, a journey that carried Stevens from battlefields of Vietnam to mountains, coastlines and ancient pathways of Hawaiʻi Island.

Stevens spent years inspiring students inside and outside the classroom at Hawaiʻi Community College-Pālamanui in Kona.

He is known to many in the West Hawaiʻi community as an educator, mentor, environmentalist and expert on ancient Hawaiian trails. But to those who know him best, he is a storyteller — someone who spent a lifetime helping others see the world differently.

His stories became part of his teaching through the years. Students often left his classes with more than lessons or assignments. They left with perspectives on courage, stewardship, curiosity and what it means to live a meaningful life.

Now, those stories that once lived only in classrooms, on trail walks and in conversations are written down.

“Storyland” for Stevens represents not just a personal achievement, but the preservation of memories, experiences and life lessons that might otherwise have existed only in passing moments.

His journey has been anything but ordinary.

A Vietnam veteran whose experiences shaped his understanding of resilience and purpose, Stevens later devoted much of his life to protecting and restoring Hawaiʻi’s landscapes and helping others understand the history beneath their feet.

His work uncovering and preserving ancient Hawaiian trails and dedication to environmental stewardship left a lasting impact around Hawaiʻi Island.

His new book for many in West Hawaiʻi feels less like a book release and more like a local treasure finally being shared. Because some people teach lessons that last beyond a classroom. Some stories stay with us for years. And sometimes, the people who shape a community leave behind more than memories; they leave a legacy.

The stories that inspired generations finally belong to everyone.

“Whether the reader believes in God, ancient spirits, both or neither, you will be enchanted by Dr. Stevens’ book, a journal of his life from an Iowa innocent youngster with impossible ambitions to a toughened Marine vet in Vietnam, world wanderer and so much more,” said University of Northern Iowa Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders professor emerita Judith Finkel Harrington. “You will be swept along through his journeys, both physical and mystical — definitely a good read.”

Windward Community College Dean of Academic Affairs Melanie Dorado Wilson said there is a thread running through people’s lives, connecting experiences, encounters and moments of wonder; however, they rarely see that clearly until looking back on life.

“Most of us catch only glimpses of its magic. Few are able to reveal the full tapestry,” said the O‘ahu community college dean and author of the forthcoming book “A Beautiful Life.” “In this remarkable book, Richard Stevens does just that. If you want to glimpse the deeper currents that shape a life and the joy that comes of a commitment to seeking and the dedication to love, read this book.”

“Storyland” also will be available at select local bookstores on Hawaiʻi Island.

More about the author

Richard Stevens is an author, teacher, tree planter and hunter and restorer of ancient trails. He grew up in Prairie City, Iowa. Stevens joined the U.S. Marines soon after high school, served in military and civilian roles during 3 years of the Vietnam War, was wounded twice and missing once, coming home wiser.

He has been a Foreign Service officer, refugee advisor for the U.S. Agency for International Development and college teacher in Japan, Guam, California and Hawaiʻi. Stevens lives on an agroforestry farm in Kona, and with his students, focuses on native Hawaiian species and cultural restoration.

“I remember Pearl Harbor …”

So begins his epic journey — a story about a young boy drawn to war and wilderness after his uncle disappears in the Amazon jungle during World War II. The life of Stevens is one lived around the world, frequently in the heart of wild nature “looking for Uncle Laurel.”

He relates “Storylands” of love, narrow escapes, revelations and transformation.

“We see how extraordinary, even miraculous, it is to be alive, and that the hidden way is already within us, waiting to be recognized,” says the description of the new book on its back cover. “You will be swept along through these mystical journeys in a world of shining possibilities, coming ever more alive and growing conscious of a responsibility to life itself, and to the Earth.

News reporter Nathan Christophel contributed to this story.