Jolography Retconned: Poems

“The current scene of writing in the Philippines is lively and alert . . . from which several young poets stand out for their talent, among them Paolo Manalo, author of the experimental freewheeling Jolography (2003) . . .” RAJEEV S. PATKE AND PHILIP HOLDEN THE ROUTLEDGE CONCISE HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN WRITING IN ENGLISH (2010) Paolo Manalo’s debut collection Jolography received the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for Literature and the UP Diliman Gawad Tsanselor para sa Natatanging Likha ng Sining. Described by National Artist for Literature F. Sionil José as “poetry that is transcendental, with music and nationality,” the book explored an extraordinary approach to Philippine poetry that used transliterations and code switching to reach its imaginative utterances. More than a decade later, Jolography is back in circulation —a book with more than half of its contents new in an improved sequence that demonstrates linguistic inventiveness tempered by formal skill. “How fa Manalo