Henry W. (Henry Walsworth) Kinney

Born in Wailuku, Maui, in 1879, Henry Walsworth Kinney built a varied career as a teacher, chemist, reporter, editor, and author. Records tied to his books show him as a Hawaii writer whose published work included the novel Broken Butterflies as well as nonfiction such as The Island of Hawaii.

Kinney's background in newspapers seems to have shaped his writing style: direct, observant, and interested in places undergoing change. Bibliographic records also connect him with later books on Manchuria and the South Manchuria Railway, suggesting a career that extended well beyond Hawaii and into international reporting and commentary.

He is not a widely remembered literary figure today, but his books still offer a window into the early 20th century worlds he knew firsthand. For listeners interested in overlooked authors, his work carries the appeal of both storytelling and lived experience.