New England Tiki
New Englanders are as far away from the South Pacific as any American can be, yet when tiki fever gripped the country in the mid-twentieth century, even they were not immune. Tropical-themed restaurants and bars sprang up in the unlikeliest of places, from coastal cities to far-flung suburbs. Places like the Hu Ke Lau, the Aku-Aku and the Kowloon were packed every night. Decades after the fever ended, it re-emerged as a new century dawned, and New Englanders took up the mantles of Polynesian pop to escape to places of tropical leisure in their own backyard. Local author Kevin Quigley dives deep into the region's unusual history with tiki culture.
Kevin Quigley
Kevin Quigley is the author of the novels Meatball Express, I'm On Fire and Roller Disco Saturday Night , as well as the short story collections Damage & Dread and This Terrestrial Hell . His stories have appeared in the Cemetery Dance anthologies Halloween Carnival and Shivers , the bestselling Shining in the Dark anthology, the thriller collection Death of a Bad Neighbour and Lawrence Block's upcoming Playing Games . Quigley is also known for his monographic work on Stephen King (including The Stephen King Illustrated Movie Trivia Book, Chart of Darkness and Stephen King Limited ) and for The Sound Sent Shivers Down My Back , a deep exploration into the Oregon folk-rock band Blitzen Trapper and their seminal album, Furr. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts, with his husband, Shawn.
