IMR: People: Martha

Shade, Martha Aliases: Paisley Princess E-Mail: marthashade@hotmail.com Web: None

Martha is without a doubt one of the most dizzyingly fun and excitable people I know. She and I go back to my earliest days at Ka Leo. I don't know when we first met, or what our respective positions were at the time, but it could have very well been my first semester at UH in the fall of 1992. A fast-talking, quick-witted megablonde from Victoria Island, Canada, she makes no apologies for fitting in like Marilyn Manson at a Boy Scout picnic. She doesn't hesitate to speak her mind. Martha says things most people are afraid to even think, and says them so well... it's amazing. She was the only Ka Leo staffer to fully embrace my "Hug Your Editors" program, and was among the last human beings to be subjected to my unique brand of fiction and slam-poetry. One essay in particular, documenting the decline of the high plains paisley, quickly became a manifesto of sorts for our relationship. She was probably one of my first college crushes, but at the time she had a musician boyfriend who could have easily twisted me into a pretzel. In time, though, I realized that simply knowing someone so delightfully unusual was blessing enough. She remains fast friends with many Ka Leo survivors, including Donica, Mio, Kim, Jennifer Dawn and Wai Kee. They often travel and lament the passing of milestone birthdays together. In February 2001, she reluctantly moved from Hawai`i to Los Angeles to pursue more lucrative career options. She is, at least temporarily, sharing quarters with Wayne.

Vitals:

Birthdate unknown. Alma mater unknown. Currently lives and works in Los Angeles. Most recently employed as a news producer for KHNL, Hawaii's NBC network affiliate.

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