Well Wisher

In the few remaining hours of the year, let us set ourselves, however briefly, to a solemn look back on the things that we have done for the last twelve months. And may we orient ourselves in the coming of the New Year to our newfound resolves. There is nothing wrong with being organized with our personal endeavors. Instead, it endows our lives a more coherent form. Let us then celebrate in the safest way we could!

Kabyawan Chapbook (Kilometer 64)

Just found this among the lines of messages in the group. Thought it would be better if people could easily access this. Go download KABYAWAN: Mga Tula Para sa mga Manggagawa ng Hacienda Luisita at LagosZine 4Shared Page (lagoszine.4shared.com).

Call for submissions for High Chair 12

High Chair 12 is a special issue devoted to the Maguindanao Massacre.

We are inviting poets and artists everywhere to submit responses to the following questions:

1. What did you feel upon hearing about the Maguindanao Massacre?

2. How could poetry be written/art be made so that it has value to the event?

We are interested in poems (whether old or new, unpublished or previously published) that offer ways of thinking about terror, horror, and other pertinent ideas/terms.

We are interested in essays and reviews that examine the role and state of Philippine poetry and art in the context of the Maguindanao Massacre.

We recognize the need to engage with the Maguindanao Massacre immediately and to ensure, through an ongoing discussion, that the event remains current and urgent. Thus,High Chair 12 will take on the format of a work in progress, with content uploaded by installment from mid-December to mid-February.

The deadlines for submission for possible inclusion in the four installments of High Chair 12 are: December 10, 2009, December 26, 2009, January 15, 2010, and January 30, 2010.

We welcome submissions in Filipino and English. Please visit our site (highchair.com.ph) to get a more comprehensive idea as regards the work we do and the poetry and essays we publish. Please send no more than five pages of poetry. There is no page limit for essay contributions.

Please email your submissions or queries to highchair@gmail.com (subject heading: High Chair Issue 12). Feel free to circulate this call for submissions to other interested parties. Thank you.

Conchitina Cruz and Adam David (Issue Editors)

KM64: JUNK VFA! Chapbook

Kilometer 64, a group of artists based here in the Philippines, has recently released the JUNK VFA! Chapbook, a collection of literary works and art works against the Visiting Forces Agreement. VFA is an issue that has been making noise again here in the country. A background is introduced in the chapbook followed by the contributed works. You can download the chapbook for free at the LagosZine 4Shard Site at lagoszine.4shared.com or you could use the links found in the side bar.