asianamlitfans | Nov. 7th, 2010

Two weeks ago, some of the contributors and one of the editors of Walang Hiya: Literature Taking Risks Toward Liberatory Practice read at Saint Mary's College of California, which I had the privilege of attending with a friend. Although I did not have enough money to buy the book at the time, nor have I had the chance to read it yet, the poets and fiction writers who read were amazing.

In particular, one Filipina American performed her piece about banana leaves and the Maguindanao Massacre in the Philippines last year. She was shocked to see dead bodies of journalists wrapped in banana leaves, an image she'd previously associated with innocence and childhood memories of food. She decided to juxtapose the two in her poem: showing violence and imperialism on the one hand and singing verses of Row, Row, Row Your Boat to recall both dreams and childhood on the other.

Another poet read in the spoken word style, and the other three writers read sections from longer works of fiction or short stories, all of which were about the Filipino/Filipina American experience. I've been wanting to check this book out, so you all should take a look with me!

Here's a link to the website again: http://walanghiyaanthology.com/home