Ivy Alvarez’s fifth collection, Diaspora: Volume L, is made up of beautiful vignettes with Filipino sayings at their cores, which portray charged moments in romantic relationships and everyday interactions with the world. Each title is an idiom, and acts as the linguistic scaffold around which a poem is deftly built. In this way, Alvarez is able to deconstruct and interrogate language and contextual meanings at a highly granular level, and craft a series of compelling re-interpretations. The brevity of each poem is perhaps a testament to Alvarez’s knack for delving straight to the core of a moment, whether domestic or public. Each vignette is a distillation – a quick, intense flash of experience.
On 12 and 13 October 2019, Ivy Alvarez features at the 5th Filipino American International Book Festival, held at the San Francisco Public Library, alongside Filipino and Filipino American authors Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Melinda Luisa de Jesus, and Leny Strobel.
Thanks to Paloma Press (comprising editors Aileen Cassinetto and C. Sophia Ibardaloza) for publishing Diaspora: Volume L; the Philippine American Writers and Artists (PAWA) for inviting Ivy Alvarez to attend; and to the Philippine American Literary House and other organisations for making this festival possible.
Isang Mundo (One World): Humanity, Diversity, and Resistance in the Arts
Event description: In celebration of Filipino American History Month, the San Francisco Public Library hosts the bi-annual Filipino American International Book Festival. The all-ages festival showcases Filipino talent in literature and other art media. Revellers can attend film screenings, literary workshops, panels and lectures. Throughout the festival, books are available for purchase, and book-signings are offered by authors in attendance. All events held at the Public Library culminate in a balagtasan, a poetic joust that is unique to the Phillippines.
The Festival’s theme is “Isang Mundó: Humanity, Diversity, and Resistance in the Arts”. Isang Mundó means One World.
On Saturday, 12 October, Ivy Alvarez participates in two group events and one book signing.
KORET AUDITORIUM 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM “If You Want to Know What We Are”* [*Title of a poem by Carlos Bulosan]. —Panelists: Angelo R. Lacuesta, Ivy Alvarez, Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta, R. Zamora Linmark, Randy Ribay, Yves Lamson. Moderator: Lily Ann Villaraza
EASTWIND BOOK SIGNING Latino/Hispanic Meeting Room 1:30 PM Ivy Alvarez (author of Diaspora: Volume L)
HORMEL CENTER, 3RD FLOOR 4:00 – 5:15 PM Filipinx Diasporic Poetry Authors read from their work followed by a Q&A. —Authors: Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta, Ivy Alvarez, Cristina Querrer, Elmer Omar Bascos Pizo, Jason Bayani, Jan-Henry Gray, Eugene Gloria Moderator: Karen Llagas
Theresa Senato Edwards, editor of the American Poetry Journal, recently nominated Ivy Alvarez’s poem, Nagkabuhul-buhol ang hininga, for both the Best of the Net, and The Orison anthologies. Fantastic news!
