Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc.
Reviews
Review: Lysley Tenorio’s Monstress
Via the Rumpus: Lysley Tenorio’s linked short story collection, Monstress, organically ties together stories of the misfits and outcasts of both the Philippines and Southern California. The eight stories that comprise Monstress, the very-good-verging-on-excellent debut collection from San Francisco’s Lysley Tenorio, aren’t connected in the usual ways readers have been trained to expect. There are … Continue reading
Review: Bindlestiff Studio and PMSTA’s “Death of a Player”
Bindlestiff Studio and PMSTA’s “Death of a Player,” reviewed by Bruce Reyes-Chow: The main reason that I took my daughter to see the show was not only because it was a production by PMSTA, but because I want to support the work and mission of The Bindlestiff Studio especially upon their return to operation. From the Bindlestiff Website: … Continue reading
Review: Barbara Jane Reyes, DIWATA
From Rattle: Poetry for the 21st Century: Barbara Jane Reyes is busy (re-)creating a culture. In Diwata, she dreamweaves what is and isn’t remembered through prose and line broken poems. Her third collection explores metamorphosis amid two cultures and tongues. [...] Reyes is a storyteller. Her motifs are intricately woven and the arc is unmistakable. Half … Continue reading
Review: R. Zamora Linmark’s LECHE
From the Neworld Review: Leche is a book about contradiction: the title, the country it takes place in, and the quest Vince finds himself on without even realizing it. The word leche in Spanish means “milk,” while in the Philippines, it is a curse word, “shit”. Leche both provides nourishment and is filth. Throughout the book, Linmark strategically … Continue reading
Book Review: ‘Moonface: A True Romance’ by Angela Balcita
From Hyphen magazine: Abigal Licad reviews Moonface: A True Romance by Angela Balcita I don’t usually read memoirs. For the most part, I distrust memoirs in the way that any person should distrust a half-baked pickup line delivered in some seedy dive. The handful that I’ve read have tended to (a) evince extreme narcissism by … Continue reading
Review: Donna Miscolta, When the De La Cruz Family Danced
Via PLOP! When the De La Cruz Family Danced Author: Donna Miscolta Review: Josie E. Davis Publisher: Signal 8 Press, June, 2011 eISBN: 978-988-19895-2-9 Pages: 342 Price: $16.35 When the De La Cruz Family Danced is a breathtaking portrayal of acceptance, longing, and loss – as one family learns forgiveness with each other and with the past. … Continue reading
Review: Jessica Hagedorn’s Toxicology
Jessica Hagedorn’s addictive Toxicology: The wretched lives of struggling New York artists make for vivid reading from the author of Dogeaters By: Ruel S. De Vera, Philippine Daily Inquirer An excerpt: This certainly isn’t for everyone. As a novel, “Toxicology” is all sharp edges and extended elbows. It’s an unconventional book that seeks to blindside … Continue reading
Review: Miguel Syjuco, ILUSTRADO
From Book Sexy Review: Ilustrado is as much about Miguel as it is about Crispin. The similarities between the two men only highlight their differences. There is a certain nostalgia for Crispin’s generation and the Philippines’ revolutionary past. There is an obvious disgust with the present. The novel attempts to relay some of that history, … Continue reading
Reviews: Eileen R. Tabios Megapost
From Stephen H. Sohn at asianamlitfans: With reflections on Nota Bene Eiswein (Ahadada Books, 2009), Silk Egg: Collected Novels (Shearsman Books, 2011) and Footnotes to Algebra (BlazeVox Books, 2009). I doubt many can match Eileen R. Tabios’s publishing record in the last two decades, with more collections and artistic works that I can possibly count … Continue reading
Review: R. Zamora Linmark’s LECHE
From KGB Bar Lit Magazine: Linmark makes some excellent points about identity. Vince struggles with a dilemma familiar to many first- and second-generation immigrants: where do I fit in? In Hawaii, he feels Filipino, but in the Philippines he is deemed too American. His exploration of his heritage, in turn, brings even more complications to … Continue reading
