"Honored" is a word I cannot use enough, when referring to the multitude of intellectual and literary opportunities where I have the honor and privilege of participating. Even as institutions both here in our adopted home and in the Philippines continue to cause misery and hopelessness, Filipinos can find solace in the process of creating, and in the creative output of our beloved kapwa, writing away pain by focusing on pride in culture.
Prolific writer, poet and editor Eileen Tabios is among these creative giants who are keeping hope alive: someone who tirelessly carves out spaces for Filipino/FilAm artists, poets, writers and others to showcase their brilliance. Through The Halo Halo Review, Eileen curates book reviews, author love letters and various other engagements to put the spotlight on Filipino/FilAm literature in English, written in the homeland, the United States, and other places in the global Filipino diaspora.
In the November 2019 edition of Halo-Halo Review, I was delighted to share my review of Renee Macalino Rutledge's The Hour of Daydreams. Here's an excerpt:
"In The Hour of Daydreams,
Rutledge makes the commendable and courageous step toward seizing the
literary moment of peak revival of interest in indigenous ways of
knowing among Filipino readers. Showcasing her familiarity and insight
into popular Philippine folklore, Rutledge capitalizes on the renewed
interest among Filipinos and others to deepen their understanding of
pre-colonial mythos that codified ancestral world views and wisdom."
"When
Filipinos in the U.S. meet each other for the first time, an unavoidable
question comes up: “Taga-saan po kayo sa atin?” which roughly
translates to: “What is your family’s province of origin in the
homeland?” Centuries of colonization and imperialism failed to abolish
the distinct cultural characteristics of diverse tribes and communities
that make up the archipelago. Regionalism defines the Filipino
identity: there is no singular way to be a Filipino, and every flavor of
Pinoyness is rooted in place. In the Philippine islands, supernatural
beliefs and their practical manifestations take on peculiar attributes
depending on their origins."
Read more on The Halo Halo Review
Prolific writer, poet and editor Eileen Tabios is among these creative giants who are keeping hope alive: someone who tirelessly carves out spaces for Filipino/FilAm artists, poets, writers and others to showcase their brilliance. Through The Halo Halo Review, Eileen curates book reviews, author love letters and various other engagements to put the spotlight on Filipino/FilAm literature in English, written in the homeland, the United States, and other places in the global Filipino diaspora.
In the November 2019 edition of Halo-Halo Review, I was delighted to share my review of Renee Macalino Rutledge's The Hour of Daydreams. Here's an excerpt:
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| Renee Macalino Rutledge |
Read more on The Halo Halo Review
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| Cover art for "The Hour of Daydreams" |