A Hope in Hell: A Review of Mouths to Speak, Voices to Sing by Kenneth Yu

 

Book image from: https://www.penguin.sg/book/mouths-to-speak-voices-to-sing/

I enjoyed this collection of short stories very much. I love reading science fiction and horror. There was something in every story to delight in, from a heartwarming AI house program to a Lovecraftian tale of an unspeakable musician-monster to an epic short fantasy with sweeping, universal themes.

One of my favorites is Sampaguita Breeze, not just because it realistically portrays the impact of climate change in a third-world country like the Philippines, but also because it poignantly captures what hope looks like in the bleakest of situations.

In the end, that is what I take away from this collection of stories, an irrepressible hope that "one more good person" in this chaotic and cruel world can lend their support and be "a pillar of the world." (quote from another favorite, the titular Mouths to Speak, Voices to Sing). You don't have to be a sci-fi or horror reader to enjoy Yu's stories.

A Loving Portrait and a Love Story: A Review of Assembling Alice by Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta

 

Book image from: https://www.penguin.sg/book/assembling-alice/

It's a beautiful retelling of a courageous woman's life, full of little details that capture the era and the staunch nationalism and feminism of the main character.

I relate to it very much because I lost my mother at a very young age and I have been playing the game of "Assembling Ditas" all my life. I understand the curiosity and the frustrations of the author. Left with little physical documentation, one has no recourse but to turn to imagination. The author does so with grace and also unflinching scrutiny when it comes to the pain, tragedy, and humanity of Alice. It is tempting to put the main character on a pedestal, but the author avoids this and doesn't spare us from Alice's self-loathing and deep depression.

When my daughter read the blurb, she asked, "Well, who does she end up with?" I replied, "It's not as simple as that." It isn't, but I can tell you that it *is* a love story. It's a loving reconstruction of a life and it's a woman's love for her country and a just and equal world. It's about the people who loved Alice (including the author) and it's about the people she loved. Go read it.

The Age of AI: Intro Video Created with Generative Artificial Intelligence

I was amazed to discover Artflow.AI which allowed me to "shoot" a video without any production requirements (other than my "actor" which I created with my own pictures). I uploaded my own audio (cleaned up with Media.io) and voila! I have an intro video for this blog. 

Some Stories Need Telling: A Short Review of Some People Need Killing

Some People Need Killing by Patricia Evangelista, Random House, 2023

Photo from patevangelista/Instagram

I was bewildered by Rodrigo Duterte’s popularity. I cringed every time he opened his mouth. When he gave the order for the drug war, I wondered why there was no public outcry. Was this the same country that ousted a dictator?

Now that the president of my country is that ousted dictator’s son, nothing can surprise me anymore. 

I was afraid that the casualties of Duterte’s war would be silenced. So, when I saw that Patricia Evangelista had written a book, I knew I had to read it. This took a mountain of courage to write. I know because I was very afraid during Duterte’s presidency. It was not okay to talk about the drug war. My family told me not to be so vocal on social media. If I wanted to be safe, I needed to shut up. It took me a while to start reading the book even if I purchased it in December of 2023. I needed to prepare myself psychologically. 

Evangelista effectively gave a voice to the voiceless. She wrote with compassion while still being able to report the facts. It was interesting to read the dynamic equivalence of Filipino translated into English. Sometimes, English diminishes the dirt and the malice of the original language. I understood that she did her best to capture what could be captured.

All I can say is: Thank you, Pat (not Trish haha — nice anecdote about this in the book). Thank you for risking everything to tell this story. Thank you for being a stand for justice and human decency. 

There is a chapter called Requiem in the book. It is a reckoning. For all those who brought Duterte to power, intentionally or unwittingly, I want to ask: Was it all worth the toll? 

What I wish for: that more Filipinos read this book. I don’t care about the rest of the world. However, with the state of our education, I don’t think there will be a lot. But we have to start somewhere.

Homo Sapiens

Homo sapiens

We think we

are conquerors

when we venture

out into the

sea. We forget

how vast it is,

how dark. And

further out,

when we look

at stars, we

think we are

so brave. Little

motes floating,

tiny grains.

Surrender is

our base

state, helpless,

awed. We

enter the

world cold,

thin-skinned,

squalling, micro-

scopic miracles

that beat

the

odds.

August 5, 2021

Image by Christian Bowen of Unsplash

Day 4, poem no. 9 for The Writing Oasis (Summer 2021) with Beth Kempton

The Uses of Time

The Uses of Time

We all know that

not all moments

are equal. We use

the thirty seconds

of gargling mouth

wash to do other

things, like washing

our faces or wiping

off a countertop. And

there are some moments

that are pointed,

complete,

the split second

to land a kiss

on his forehead

or the eternity

of entering

a stream,

digging your

heels in the

mud, and

letting God’s

finger touch

your

face.

August 5, 2021

Image by Karim Sakhibgareev of Unsplash

Day 4, poem no. 8 for The Writing Oasis (Summer 2021) with Beth Kempton, no particular prompt. I find that writing... just prompts more writing.

Philippine Lemon

Philippine Lemon

We call it

calamansi.

Even that last

syllable tastes

sharp and sour.

Scorching days

are a dime

a dozen in

my city. At

eleven o’ clock,

when I can’t

sleep, I go

to the kitchen

and squeeze

a dollop of the

concentrate into

a glass and

fill it to the brim

with chilled

water. Even the

tinkling of the

soda spoon

is part of it.

I close my eyes

and I am

engulfed

in a cool

citrus

garden.

August 4, 2021

Image by The Little Epicurean

Day 3, Poem no. 7 for The Writing Oasis (Summer 2021) with Beth Kempton

Glucose Tolerance Test

Glucose Tolerance Test

I want nothing else,

even if it isn’t cold,

even if it is in

a tiny plastic cup,

even if it was just

boiled or left

on the counter

for an hour.

Waking up parched,

I had a dream

of it. As soon

as I’m done,

I’ll drink

the whole

world and

it will taste

like

forgiveness.

August 4, 2021

Image by Manki Kim of Unsplash.

Day 3, Poem no. 6 for The Writing Oasis (Summer 2021) with Beth Kempton