Eileen R. Tabios is a poet working in multiple genres and in-between. She also loves books by writing, reading, publishing, critiquing, romancing and advocating for them. This blog will feature her bibliophilic activities with posts on current book engagements and links to her books and projects related to books.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

THIS PINAY TRYING TO PUT HER MONEY WHERE HER MOUTH IS...

In this marvelous article about Elda Rotor, a Filipino-American who runs Penguin Classics (yes, did you know that?), there’s this quote by her:

"If you want Filipino writers to be published, you must support their publications. Publishers, marketers, etc. look at comparative titles and their sales. My ability to publish “El Filibusterismo” is connected to the success of “Noli Me Tangere.” The opportunity to publish Jose Garcia Villa is informed by the community who buys Rizal. There is no obligation to read exclusively but there are many reasons to read supportively."

Every so often I’ve found myself in a situation of advocating for Filipino-authored books. But I’ve never really looked at my own buying habits—I have assumed I’ve been supportive but never checked. So I checked and here are my buying results below. I was able to find records for 2015 and 2014 purchases but they’re likely incomplete because they’re focused on poetry or books of other genres but authored by a poet.  But even if I accept my numbers are understated, I discover my results are not as high as I thought: four books to date in 2016, 18 in 2015 and 5 in 2014. This result, though, also shows why I'm a fan of listssometimes the actual list reveals something under your nose but which your eyes have not dropped to see...

Dear advocates for Filipino literature (you know who you are), What does your record show?


BOUGHT FILIPIN@-AUTHORED BOOKS:

2016 (so far): 4
AGE OF BLIGHT: STORIES by Kristine Ong Muslim

KALI’S BLADE, poems by Michelle Bautista

VINCIGUERRA, novel by Elaine Castillo (an author directed to me by Elda Rotor through her article)

POETRY IS: JOSE GARCIA VILLA’S PHILOSOPHY OF POETRY Edited by Robert King (I want to purchase this though there seem some logistical difficulty…)




2015: 18* 
HOLLYWOOD STARLET by Ivy Alvarez

BEYOND LUMPIA, PANSIT and SEVEN MANANGS WILD, edited by Evangeline Canonizado Buell

EVERYDAY THINGS by Fidelito C. Cortes

THE BEAUTY OF GHOSTS by Luis Francia

THE DESCARTES HIGHLANDS by Eric Gamalinda

STAGE PRESENCE: CONVERSATIONS WITH FILIPINO AND FILIPINO-AMERICAN PERFORMING ARTISTS edited by Theodore Gonzalves

COLLECTED VERSE by Nick Joaquin

PRIME TIME APPARITIONS by R. Zamora Linmark

#30 COLLANTES STREET by Lisa Suguitan Melnick

LITTLE ANODYNES by Jon Pineda

APOLOGY: a novel by Jon Pineda

TO LOVE AS ASWANG by Barbara Jane Reyes

NOT SO, SEA by Mg Roberts

COOL DON’T LIVE HERE NO MORE: A LETTER TO SAN FRANCISCO by Tony Robles

THE MANGO BRIDE by Marivi Soliven

SPARSE ANATOMIES OF SINGLE ANTECEDENTS by Felino A. Soriano

FLIPS 2015: A FILIPINO AMERICAN ANTHOLOGY (a reprint) edited by Serafin Syquia and Bayani Mariano w/ new introduction by Juanita Tamayo Lott

MONSTRESS by Lysley Tenorio


2014: 5  
AMULET by Jason Bayani

POST SUBJECT: A FABLE by Oliver de la Paz

ODE TO THE HEART SMALLER THAN A PENCIL by Luisa A. Igloria

THE DAY OF SHELLY’S DEATH by Renato Rosaldo

RELIQUARIA by R.A. Villanueva 



* No doubt 2015's result was improved by my having attended the Filipino American International Book Festival. 





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