Apt. 301 | Maori Tattooing

Hi Will:
Approximately twenty percent of our reviews come out in hard copy three months after they are put on-line. It's all very arbitrary: we are looking for the reviews that lend themselves to hard-copy, which has to do with the quality of writing, and how it blends with the other reviews chosen (we see each issue of the Folio as a unit of artistic, poetic, and comic, if not risible, sensibility).
In many cases this has little to do with the worth of the books, more to do with our writers.
You might look over the Folio link on our home page for more information. You might also enjoy pictures of the RALPH staff at
https://www.krabarchive.com/ralphmag/ralph-staff.html
--- Lolita Lark
Ed
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To: lolitalark@yahoo.com
Subject: Maori Tattooing
RALPH:
I saw on the net your inquiry
I have met a Maori man, in California, and his greeting to me was fascinating. He put his forehead and nose to mine and stated that this was his custom greeting.
I was curious as to the meaning behind this particular custom. If you could answer or point me in the right direction, I would appreciate it very much.
The greeting is called "hongi." The touching of the forehead is to draw two people close so that the touching of the nose allows them, if only briefly, to share the same air space.
Two people breathing from the same air space is as intimate a reality check that we all share this world together as equals.
--- Nick Tupara
nickt@gdc.govt.nz
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