Niles Jordan Breis’ book on Tabaco is off the press

SAVAGE Mind, Naga’s creative heart, is releasing a new book series that will feature selected town and cities in the Bikol region. Called Pangalagkalag (from kalag-kalag, Bikol word for searching or to look in the general direction of something), the project aims to present the local places in an intimate gaze rendered and reframed by its contemporary writers and scholars who are in one way or another has a special affinity to these locations. Unlike history books, Pangalagkalag highlights the role of the personal in the historical, and exploring this in the essayistic forms allows the writers of this series to create new and open spaces that invite conversations and dialogues among its readers. European and colonial paintings depicting the town’s patron saint will be used as cover art for the whole series with Ryan Cuatrona as cover and book designer. Each book will feature three to five essays English and Filipino.

The first in the series will be on the city of Tabaco by award-winning writer Niles Jordan Breis who also sits as Southern Luzon Representative in the National Committee for Literary Arts, National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Tabaco: Tatlong Sanaysay, gathers three essays of Breis, two of which won for him the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature including the top prize for his essay on the poet Angela Manalang Gloria. The book carries an introduction by Cordero.

Writers who are included in the Pangalagkalag include Emman Barrameda (Virac), Nap Arcilla (San Andres), Juan Escandor, Jr. (Gubat), Maryjane Guazon Uy (Bula), Fr. Andrew Recepcion (Nabua), Frank Penones Jr. (Iriga), Tito Genova Valiente (Buhi), Abdon M. Balde, Jr, (Oas), En Villasis (Milagros), Christine Bellen-Ang(Bacacay), among others. Book is P 275.00 and is available at Savage Mind Bookshop located at 5 Peninsula St. Mayon Avenue, Naga City.