Sa Bahagi Mo Ng Kama

Hindi na lang sana magising
o makagat ng lamok,
o manginig sa ginaw.

Basta, huwag maantala ang pagkakahimbing
nang hindi ko mapagpag nang hindi sinasadya
ang iniwan mong init sa bahagi mo ng kamang
mas alam pa kaysa sa akin
ang bigat mo sa bawat alon at pagkagusot,
sa bawat paghinga ng kumot.

Bumulong ka na lang
sa iyong pagbalik. Ipaghele ako
sa halip na humalik.



- a nine-year-old poem to celebrate as many years of having each other.

ADAM DAVID WINS BEST FIRST BOOK AWARD

Congrats kay Adam!

Here's the press release from panitikan.com.ph:

The Likhaan: UP Institute of Creative Writing is pleased to announce the winner of the 9 th Madrigal Gonzalez Best First Book Award. Adam David's The El Bimbo Variations , a collection of 99 retellings of the first line from the lyrics of the song “Ang Huling El Bimbo” by the Eraserheads, bested three other finalists to win the prize. The book was published by The Youth & Beauty Brigade in 2008.

Described as "one of the most experimental and avant-garde poets of his generation" ( The Routledge Concise History of Southeast Asian Writing in English , 2009), David joins the ranks of Angelo Lacuesta, Elen Sicat, Ma. Felisa Batacan, Luna Sicat-Cleto, Vicente Groyon, Kristian Cordero, Rica Bolipata Santos, and Zosimo Quibilan, Jr., whose first books are winners of the prestigious award. David is a zinester, bookmaker, and freelance writer.

The rest is here.

Best First Book 2009

It's that time of the year. The Best First Book Award is something new authors look forward to not only because of the prestige but also because of the hefty purse the winner gets.

Having won last year, I feel for this year's nominees. The anticipation must be killing them. Hahaha.

I personally root for Adam David's El Bimbo's Variations which is not only brilliant book of poetry, but more importantly, a bold statement in the local publishing industry. Kudos also to this year's panelists. The fact that the nominees come from various points of literary styles and intentions shows that Philippine literature is vibrant and promising.

Here's the intro of the article from Panitikan.com.ph.

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UP ICW ANNOUNCES BEST FIRST BOOK NOMINEES FOR 2009

Arvin Abejo Mangohig

The UP Institute of Creative Writing and the Madrigal-Gonzalez family are pleased to announce the nominees for the Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award for 2009. The nominees are: The Proxy Eros by Mookie Katigbak, Stories From Another Time by Benjamin Bautista, Antisipasyon by Victor Dennis T. Nierva , The El Bimbo Variations by Adam David , Girl Trouble by Alan Navarra, Trese: Murder on Balete Drive by Budjette Tan and Kajo Baldisimo, I Hate My Mother by Perpilili Vivienne Tiongson and Playing It Safe by Gerry T. Los Baños.

Read the full article here.

Philippine Literature Today - by Isagani R. Cruz

Got mentioned by respected lit critic Isagani R. Cruz in his Philstar.com column. Here's an excerpt:

"Philippine literature is alive and well and living on the Web.

Excellent books of fiction, poetry, criticism, and creative nonfiction continue to be published. Through PowerPoint slides, I showed the covers of some National Book Award finalists of the last few years, such as Rebecca T. Añonuevo’s Saulado, Teo T. Antonio’s Pagsunog ng Dayami, Eros S. Atalia’s Taguan-Pung, Abdon M. Balde Jr.’s Hunyango sa Bato, Lito Casaje’s Mga Premyadong Dula, Bienvenido Lumbera’s Sa Sariling Bayan, Rogelio G. Mangahas’ Gagamba sa Uhay, Victor Emmanuel Carmelo D. Nadera Jr.’s (H)istoryador(a), Tony Perez’s Sitio Catacutan series, Benjamin Pimentel’s Mga Gerilya sa Powell Street, Zosimo Quibilan Jr.’s Pagluwas, Frank G. Rivera’s Oyayi, Ellen L. Sicat’s Paghuhunos, and Alvin B. Yapan’s Ang Sandali ng mga Mata."

Here's the rest of the article.

Dehin na 'Tol

Stephen Dunn (salin "Don't Do That" mula dito)



Dehin na ‘Tol
ni Stephen Dunn

Kung gusto mo ng matapang-tapang na alak,
Kanya-kanyang dala, kaya bitbit ko si Johnny Red
At ilang sama ng loob na kinipkip ko nang
Ilang linggo na, na lalo pang nagatungan nang makita ko
Ang pinagtutusok na kung anu-ano sa mesa o ng mga usapang
Tatagal ng ilang dekada. Pero pumayag akong pumunta at alam
Ko naman kung saang bahagi ng bahay naroon ang mga alaga,
Yong mga kasundo ko. Ano pa bang masasabi ko,

Kundi yong nagtatanim ng sama ng loob,
Yong batang ako, na di ko pa rin nawawaglit –
Daladala ko rin. Pumunta ako rito para
magtrip. Binati ako ng may-ari ng bahay, pero
Di na tinanong tungkol sa kalooban ko, nang eksaktong oras
Nang yayain ako ni Johnny Red para hanapin ang angkop
Na baso at tumagay. Nakipagtagayan ako sa hangin, kinumusta
Ang dingding, at dinaanan ang mga bebot na bihis na bihis
Na isa-isa kong hinubaran at umakyat ako kung saan

Naroon ang mga Rottweiler, sina Rosie at Tom,
At nakituwad ako kasama ng mga aso. Hinimod nila
Ang mukhang inalay ko, at binasa ang buhok ko ng laway
Nila, at di nagtagal, naramdaman kong mabangis na hayop
Na rin ako, handang wasakin ang party, sunggaban
Ang hors d’oeuvres. Pero sabi ng mga aso, Dehin na ‘Tol. Easy
Ka lang, ilang saglit lang bubuksan nila ang pinto at palalabasin ka,
Hihimashimasin nila ang ulo mo, at lahat ng hinanakit mo sa kanila,
Maglalaho, at magkaibigang matalik na ulit kayo. Steady-lamig, sabi nila.

Q

"No one was quite sure where it had come from, but it had travelled with the K..."

Q: Sharon Olds (The New Yorker)

Shared via AddThis

Read and Heard But Still not Seen

Thomas Pynchon is still camera shy.

For his new novel (Inherent Vice, Penguin 2008) though, he's become marketing savvy if we're to believe that he lent his voice to this online advertisement. He even included an online soundtrack list for the novel.



This is already on my reading list. Now, if I could only finish Gravity's Rainbow...

Dambana (Salin mula sa...)

Etong bulag, dati nang kaibigan ng asawa ko, dadalaw siya at magpapalipas ng gabi. Kamamatay lang ng asawa niya. Kaya dinadalaw niya ang mga kamag-anak ng asawa niya sa Connecticut. Tinawagan niya ang asawa ko doon sa mga biyenan niya. Nagkaayusan. Sasakay daw siya ng tren, limang oras na biyahe, at susunduin siya ng asawa ko sa istasyon. Hindi pa ulit sila nagkikita mula nang nagtrabaho ang asawa ko sa kanya isang tag-araw sa Seattle, sampung taon na ang nakalilipas. Pero patuloy naman silang nakikipag-ugnayan. Nagrecord sila ng mga tape at nagpadala sa isa’t isa. Di ako gaanong interesado sa pagdalaw na ito. Hindi ko siya kilala. At di rin ako kampanteng bulag siya. Mula sa mga pelikula galing ang konsepto ko ng pagiging bulag. Sa mga pelikula, mabagal kumilos ang mga bulag at hindi sila tumatawa. Minsan akay-akay sila ng aso. Kahit kailan, hindi ko naisip na may bulag na dadalaw sa bahay ko.

...more in a few...

How do you perpetuate poverty?

Keep the people in the dark.

I'm outraged after reading Robin Hemley's The Great Book Blockade of 2009. He is the Director of the Nonfiction Writing Program at the University of Iowa and currently in the Philippines on a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Corruption has to be addressed. Now!

Here's an excerpt:

Over coffee one afternoon, a book-industry professional (whom I can't identify) told me that for the past two months virtually no imported books had entered the country, in part because of the success of one book, Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. The book, an international best seller, had apparently attracted the attention of customs officials. When an examiner named Rene Agulan opened a shipment of books, he demanded that duty be paid on it.

"Ah, you can't be too successful in this country," I said. "If you are, then people start demanding a cut."

"Even before you are successful," she said. "But, yes, I'm a Filipino, but I have to admit this is true. Have you heard of 'crab mentality'?"

Read the article here.

The Cruellest Month

So we're almost half way through April and I've forgotten it's poetry month. I had planned to translate a poem everyday and post them here. I just thought against it because I realized what would that have accomplished. Really?

Instead of the poems, here's an interesting link about this cruellest month.

NPR.org:

Poems in Song: Turning Words into Jazz

WDUQ, April 6, 2009 - April is Jazz Appreciation Month, as well as National Poetry Month. This week's Take Five celebrates both art forms in the same place.

Each of the five songs featured here was originally written as a poem to be read, not as lyrics to be sung. The jazz artists here transformed the poems into lyrics that fit their particular style and phrasing, and then composed music to round out the interpretations. You won't find any examples of "jazz poetry," or poetry spoken over a jazz-music accompaniment — those are entirely different subjects and styles. (read more)