When we remember that honey bees die upon stinging, the title of Chuckberry Pascual’s short story collection starts to make sense. “The Gathering Bees” was originally published in 2015 as “Kumpisal : Mga Kuwento,” then re-released as “Mga Bubuyog na Nagkumpulan,” translated into English by Ralph Semino Galán in 2025. It is darker than the… Read More The Gathering Bees: Destruction and Desire in Nine Recurrences
Exploding Galaxies returns to its roots by publishing the short stories of Wilfrido D. Nolledo, whose novel “But for the Lovers” marked the audacious birth of the publishing company in 2023, focused exclusively on bringing lost Filipino classics to light. “I put a tongue to all the wounds.” Nolledo’s mastery of the English language can… Read More CANTICLES FOR DARK LOVERS : A Seduction in Sixteen Short Stories
“One foot ahead of the other. One shaky step at a time… Sometimes, that was all life asked of us. A bit of motion, so we could feel that we were heading somewhere worthwhile.” A good YA novel is a rare thing. Sometimes the characters come across as immature, and slightly annoying, to more mature… Read More Fudge My Life: A YA Novel Stuffed with Life Lessons
(Poster from Encore Theater) Mirrors abound in the latest offering of Encore Theater, a group of thespians who had worked closely with playwright Floy Quintos (gone too soon in 2024), and who last staged his final play, GRACE. His plays are known to reflect the social conflicts of our times, yet clarified and rephrased so… Read More Mirrors and Metaphors: “Miranda and Yolanda” Reflects on Filipinos’ Relationships with Leaders
“It is in the everyday experiences of ordinary women that we find true history – the texture of our nation as lived, felt, and dreamed,” writes Zea Asis, one of the contributors to this book about women “navigating a world ablaze.” There is much that makes this book special. The cover alone is a clever… Read More UNWRITTEN WOMEN: You Can’t Spell “Heroism” Without “Her”
“You become the story you tell yourself.” Weddings are full of drama, and in one of those intersections of real life and reading life, I found myself reading “Mirror Marked” the week after my brother got married. With a whole new appreciation for the chutzpah unique to wedding planners, I found myself thoroughly charmed by… Read More Mirror Marked: A Reflection on Authenticity
Do not be deceived by the cute, eye-catching cover (well-made as it is). Do not make my mistake of thinking that you’re in for a fun, light romp through the misadventures of a millennial Filipina. A closer inspection of the cover reveals the black blood of the dinuguan hinting at darker themes, the stressed-out cats… Read More Some Days I Wish I Was A Cat: Furious in Pink
The pleasure in realizing that you’ve been missing out on something absolutely wonderful usually comes when you close a book, sniffling back tears from the leaky teapot that is now your face. I had been hearing about Tori Tadiar for the longest time, as the bookish community was abuzz with joy and pride at her… Read More Twinkle, Twinkle: A Radiant Little Book
(Photo credits: Dulaang UP) Dulaang UP’s twin bill of Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero’s Kalahating Oras sa Kumbento and Rolando Tinio’s May Katwiran ang Katwiran in Para Kay Tony is a sparse, student-led production that attempts to go beyond an act of remembrance, into the claiming of identity. A Legacy of 48 Years While DUP is not… Read More Para Kay Tony: A Twin Bill On Remembrance and Identity
“For the world of tales is the land of legend and dream, even if the characters move and speak in the here and now. And sometimes, it seems to me that only sorcery and enchantment can capture the strangeness of ‘real life.’” ~ Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo It took reading this World Fantasy Award winning book… Read More MAPPING NEW STARS: The Theory and Practice of Filipino Speculative Fiction
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