This month's featured poet is Eric Gamalinda and his “Two Nudes.” Eric is one of the poets featured in Meritage Press' 2004 release, the PINOYPOETICS anthology edited by Nick Carbo. Eric was born and raised in Manila, where he worked as a journalist and published a collection of poems, a collection of stories, and four novels, the latest of which ( My Sad Republic ) won the Philippine Centennial Prize in 1998. In the U.S., he has published a collection of poems, Zero Gravity , winner of the Asian American Literary Award, as well as an anthology of Filipino-American writing, Flippin' , with co-editor Luis Francia. He is currently at work on a new collection of poems, stories, and a novel. He is a video artist as well, and is working on a script for a full-length independent feature.

Two Nudes

She was cruelest to me in April, when the monsoon stifled
The little devotion left between us. I blame
The monsoon, not her. Coasting southwest
From Sarawak the air reeks of cardamom,
Crab roe, corpses. Soldiers are bombing Pikit,
Three thousand Moslem refugees pour into
The Christian churches. She doesn't see the irony of it,
How we always wind up nursing the ones
We wound the most. We make love infrequently now,
Once a month if ever. She lies in bed
Like my weather-beaten republic, too sad to respond
To how badly I touch her, to how too fast or too slow
I come. You might think I'm making this up,
But this morning she told me, Money
Is the most beautiful object in the world.
She's looking for something to believe in,
Beyond the obvious that's too bright, too close
To see. Dear Eric, he writes , I run to you
Only when I'm on the verge of disintegrating.
Summer in the tropics is all Lent, all repentance
And resurrection, and I'm sick of it. She loves to stick her thumbs
Into the scabbed stigmata of my hands. I feel no pain.
She tells me war is inescapable. You must bomb
A few towns if you want peace. If we have children,
They will be among the nine out of ten
Who will never speak in the future tense.
For some reason she finds this comforting.
When she lies like this, fetal, one arm stretched out
To touch my face, she reminds me of the crook
Of the northern tip of Sulawesi. She showed it once to me
On a map: a jungle island almost human in form,
Teeming with terror, incredibly poor.

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September 11, 2003 Reading for Meritage Press in New York City

Meritage Press highlights Eric and PINOYPOETICS because he is among several PINOYPOETICS poets, along with Luis H. Francia, who will be reading during this groundbreaking event that will kick off the Fall Season in New York City! Come one, come all -- the public is invited and it's free and yummy snacks and wine will also be provided!

"d.a. levy lives: celebrating the renegade press in america" reading series featuring Meritage Press!

Thursday, September 11, 6-8 p.m., free admission
ACA Galleries
529 W.20th St., 5th Floor
(between 10th and 11th avenues)
New York City
Directions: C/E to 23rd St., 1/9 to 18th St.

Curator David Kirschenbaum shall provide an introduction. The event will be hosted by Eileen Tabios. The readers are:

Poet, novelist and visual artist Eric Gamalinda , author of the deservedly award-winning collection Zero Gravity .

Poet, editor and critic Luis H. Francia , whose e-chapbook Selections From The Museum of Absences was published by Meritage Press

Patrick Rosal , author of the recently-released Uprock Headspin Scramble and Dive .

2003 National Poetry Series Finalist Sarah Gambito

Poet, critic and publisher Paolo Javier

New York Foundation of the Arts Poetry Awardee Joseph O. Legaspi

Award-winning poet Oliver de la Paz , author of Names Above Houses .

Musical offering will be provided by the hauntingly lyrical Simone White, about whom more information is available at her lovely web site: http://www.simonewhite.org/simonewhite/ .

Free wine and cheese afterwards.

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GOING HOME TO A LANDSCAPE: WRITINGS BY FILIPINAS, CO-EDITORS VIRGINIA CERENIO AND MARIANNE VILLANUEVA

Congratulations to Virginia Cerenio and Marianne Villanueva for co-editing another needed anthology to feature the writings of Filipina poets and fictionists. Here is its Table of Contents!

Preface [or Foreword] Rocio G. Davis
Introduction Marianne Villanueva
Introduction Virginia Cerenio

Section I: Las Dalagas

The Big I Am (poetry) Maria Stella Sison
For the Women (poetry) Dawn Bohulano Mabalon
Mary Tyler Moore Meets Las Dalagas (novel excerpt) M. Evelina
Galang
That Age (poetry) Alison de la Cruz
The Dozens (spoken word) Pinay M.A.F.I.A.
A Poem/Tribute (poetry) Dawn Bohulano Mabalon
Some Women (poetry) Bunny Ty
Pinay Pioneers (poetry) Holly Calica

Section II: Landscapes

Going Home to a Landscape (poetry) Shirley Ancheta
Chinatown, Moon Festival (poetry) Luisa Igloria
April in Stockton (poetry) Dawn Bohulano Mabalon
Mang Tomas (short story)
Cartographer (poetry) Conchitina R. Cruz
Kauai 1 and 2 (poetry) Barbara J. Pulmano Reyes
Homecoming (short story) Reine Arcache Melvin
We Go Back to Manila in 1999 (poetry) Angela Narciso Torres
Odysseus Cripple at Bantayan Island (poetry) Merlie M. Alunan
Cicada Song (short story) Alma Jill Dizon
The Stone (poetry) Isabelita Orlina Reyes
Summer Rains (poetry) Fran Ng
Cold (short story) Noelle Q. de Jesus
Tired (poetry) Maiana Minahal
Meteors (poetry) Terry Rillera

Section III: Traveling Over Water

White Turtle (short story) Merlinda Bobis
ThePainting (short story) Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo
Grandma Sakamoto's Gun (poetry) Arlene Biala
Tall Grasses (short story) Henrietta Chico Nofre
Mermaid (poetry) Conchitina R. Cruz
In Whispers (poetry) Michelle Macaraeg Bautista
Haze (poetry) Fran Ng
Poet Traveling Over Water (poetry) Merlie M. Alunan
Notebook (poetry) Fran Ng

Section IV: Testament

Picture (short story) Marianne Villanueva
Longing (poetry) Luisa Igloria
Loreto, Alone (short story) Linda Ty-Casper
Kristine (poetry) Shirley Ancheta
Cloister (poetry) Mabi Perez David
Testament (short story) Katrina Tuvera
Invasion by Jack Fruit (poetry) Isabelita Orlina Reyes
In Late (poetry) Catalina Cariaga
No Sleep (poetry) Catalina Cariaga
Apollo & Junior Grow Up (short story) Veronica Montes
Fools (short story) Susan Evangelista
excerpts from Bahala Na! (poetry) Catalina Cariaga
Eureka 2000 (short story) Nadinne Sarreal
An Expatriate to her Sister (poetry) Lewanda Lim
Prayer Rug (poetry) Lewanda Lim
The Color of a Scratch in Metal (poetry) Eileen Tabios
Dream (poetry) Fran Ng

Section V: Next Door

Tango (poetry) Angela Narciso Torres
My Father has Stopped Eating (poetry) Virginia Cerenio
Touch (short story) Lakambini Sitoy
Ironing (poetry) Elda Rotor
Smoky Mountain (novel excerpt) Grace Talusan
Baby Brother Grown (poetry) Malou Babilonia
Christmas (short story) Henrietta Chico Nofre
Bandit Banjao II (poetry) Sherlyn Jimenez
Piranhas in the Kitchen (short story) Maloy Luakian
Next Door (poetry) Isabelita Orlina Reyes
Another Day (short story) Erma M. Cuizon

Section VI: Roots

Roots (poetry) Conchitina R. Cruz
Daughter (poetry) Conchitina R. Cruz
Vigan (short story) Cecilia Manguerra Brainard
What Ditas Left (poetry) Justine Uy Camacho
Bahay Kubo (poetry) Melissa Aranzamendez
The Mango Summer (short story) Lilledeshan Bose
To a Merchant Seaman/
Who has Forgotten His Name (poetry) Jean Vengual Gier
Tending the Earth (poetry) Elda Rotor
Once We Were Farmers (poetry) Elsa E'der
Talk Story (poetry) Jean Vengua Gier
balikbayan box (poetry) Virginia Cerenio
The Power of Adobo (poetry) Leny Mendoza Strobel

For your reading pleasure, here is a sample from the anthology by Alison de la Cruz:

THAT AGE
Performance Poetry Memoir, excerpted from "Sungka"
by Alison de la Cruz

When you get to be that age, they'll say
You be princess Leia and I'll be Han Solo, wait here... I'll rescue you.

When you get to be that age, they'll say
Pssht, hoy - getting to big to run outside by yourselp'. Take your
cousin wit'
you.

When you get to be that age, they'll say
Barbie's dumb. GI Joe's better! Go Joe!

When you get to be that age, they'll say
Wow! Getting so big now. I remember when you were dis e'small.
(Holds her hand at knee height).

When you get to be that age, they'll say
(Teasing) I can see your panties!! I can see your panties!!

When you get to be that age, they'll say
Stop playing outside. Gonna get too dark.

When you get to be that age, they'll say
I heard you could get pregnant by tongue kissing. (sticks tongue out
and wiggles it).

When you get to be that age, they'll say
Now class, let's talk about great American leaders, let's talk about
great
American men.

When you get to be that age, they'll say
(whsipering) Eh! I heard Susie got her period, yuck!!

When you get to be that age, they'll say
Come on, come on. Eat some more! Eat some more! Plenty of
pancit. (Pause) Hoy
wait. Not you! Getting too big now... no more eating!

When you get to be that age, they'll say
You're a tomboy, not a girl.

When you get to be that age, they'll say
I told you. Come home straight after school. I need you to watch your
sister.

Then they'll say
Ha'come you don't play with us anymore?

When you get to be that age, they'll say
Why haven't you clean yet? Look at this mess.

When you get to be that age, they'll say

Dang, everybody has a bra, but YOU!

When you get to be that age, they'll say
Honey, don't worry, you'll pind a good husband to take care of' you.
You'll
get married, you'll be okay.

When you get to be that age, they'll say
My brother told me, you're not REALLY Filipino. You're only HALF!

When you get to be that age, they'll say
Don't you have any respect for the family?

When you get to be that age, they'll say
(almost chanting or song-like) Girls who sit like this get none (holds
out left hand with middle and index fingers crossed like legs), girls
who sit like this get some (uncrosses fingers, but keeps them
together), and girls who sit like this (spreads 2 fingers apart), get
this (flips-off the audience), like this (snaps fingers).

When you get to be that age, they'll say
Thanks for the suggestion, but we're going to go with Eric's idea.

When you get to be that age, they'll sign your yearbook
(as if holding up to sign the book) Oh mah god! I can't believe the
year has gone by sooo fast. Okay truth?! (pause) When I first met
you, I thought you were such a bitch, cuz you talked sooo much.. but
like now I know you and
you're cool. Take care, cuz I care! K?!!

When you get to be that age, they'll say
Wow, look at your cousin : just crowned Miss Sampanguita, she's
going to UCLA,
she's gonna be a doctor. What about you? What are you gonna do?

When you get to be that age, they'll say
Hey baby, what's your name? ... Damn, you look good... I think you
and I would
look good together... wait, i just wanna talk to you for a minute, just
for a minute... I said, just wait a MINUTE..... eh!! I'M TALKIN TO
YOU........ WELL
FUCK YOU THEN BITCH!!!!

When you get to be that age, they'll say
Dar-ling. It's not that we don't trust you... it's the crazy people out
there we don't trust.

When you get to be that age, they'll say
Come on baby please. I'll just die if I don't get some... it's like
biological, guys just need it me. PLEASE. (pause).... I love you!!!?

And when you get to be that age, sometimes you say, "No."

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GRACE TALUSAN'S ANGEL GABRIEL”

Congratulations to Grace Talusan who just had an excerpt from her novel, The Angel Gabriel , featured at the respected http://webdelsol.com/Del_Sol_Review/ #

Grace Talusan earned an MFA in fiction at the University of California, Irvine, and a BA at Tufts University. Grace was awarded a Massachusetts Artist Grant and other grants to support research, travel, and writing. She has published fiction in various anthologies and nonfiction in Asiaweek, the Boston Globe, and the San Diego Reader. Currently, Grace is Scholar in Residence at Tufts University and serves on the board of directors of the Writers' Room.

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HAY(NA)KU!!!

The Hay(na)ku is the first Filipino poetic form invented in the 21st century. Eileen Tabios has created a blog about it entitled "HAY(NA)KU" at:

http://eileentabios.blogspot.com/

The Hay(na)ku Blog takes poetry submissions, and other hay(na)ku-related tsismis, jokes and various sundry....