Under my hashtag eileenreadsbooks on Facebook, I occasionally place Notes to my acquisitions as the library progresses. Here are selections in reverse chronological order from January 1, 2024 which is when I began inputting them on this blog. To see older book acquisition Notes, go to Facebook and look up the hashtag. Acquisitions from Jan.-March 2025 are HERE, October-December 2024 are HERE, July-September 2024 are HERE, April-June 2024 are HERE, Jan.-March 2024 are HERE.
6/27/25
I try hard not to edit my reads (because poems can come from anywhere), but this can result in the latest additions to the library reeking of randomness, from Sonny San Juan's gift for the just-passed Philippine
Independence Day to Huma Abedin's pre-billionaire marriage memoir. Tis what tis. So with my personal library’s’ target of 15,516 books (a number that replicates the number of books lost to a wildfire), that’s 1,297 books down, 14,219 books to go. Good evening.
6/21/25
I’m pleased to see that poems using the monobon form appear for the first time in a book, in this case Sheila E. Murphy’s newest poetry collection, ESCRITOIRE, whose music--as ever with Sheila--is impeccable! More information on the monobon is at https://eileenrtabios.com/projects/monobon/
In addition to Sheila’s, I’m sharing images of the latest additions to my library. All these books were sourced from Little Free Libraries (LFLs), which is the topic for my next poetry column for my local newspaper. There are at least five LFLs in my town.
So with my personal library’s’ target of 15,516 books (a number that replicates the number of books lost to a wildfire), that’s 1,290 books down, 14,226 books to go. Onward!
6/15/25
I always appreciate receiving books from publishers. From the most recent batch, I recently read FENCE and found quite useful the Fiction Editor Angie Sijun Lou's essay about what makes for "experimental fiction." I find quite useful its idea that the category could be defined, not by what the writing does but, by what it refuses to do--I show an excerpt below. As well, my gratitude to Black Ocean, a publisher I respect, for sending me its recent books.
So with my personal library’s’ target of 15,516 books (a number that replicates the number of books lost to a wildfire), that’s 1,275 books down, 14,241 books to go. Onward!
5/28/25
Last weekend’s Sonoma affair was just chockfull of blessings. Another was the chance to pick through books in Leny Strobel’s library for some gifts… including a book I was so sorry to lose to the wildfire: Gaston Bachelard’s THE POETICS OF SPACE. What was fun—and I’m not sure Leny knew this—was how one of the books came with a bookstore’s marketing tiny book that is perfect for my Miniature Book Library. This book was created by ye olde craft of turning a single page into an 8-page book. The bookstore then created a graphic novel or comics approach. If you’d like to know how to turn a single 8.5 X 11” page into a book of 3 x 4” pages, Experiment With Nature provides a helpful guide.
So with my personal library’s’ target of 15,516 books (a number that replicates the number of books lost to a wildfire), that’s 1,272 books down, 14,244 books to go. Good Morning!
5/26/25
This weekend with finding books in boxes left for “Free” for any interested passersby. Along with pickups from two Little Free Libraries, I had an eclectic and welcome haul. Robert B. Strassler’s THE LANDMARK THUCYDIDES is a score. Some books replace books I lost in the wildfire, such as Tracy Chevalier’s GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING which is the book I often cite when I talk about my love for ekphrasis in the form of the novel. I picked up Robert Hass’ SUMMER SNOW because I’ll rescue any poetry book out there from homelessness—it’s my spiritual thing.
So with my personal library’s’ target of 15,516 books (a number that replicates the number of books lost to a wildfire), that’s 1,266 books down, 14,250 books to go. Good Morning!
5/11/25
Part of rebuilding my library inevitably means finding books where my works appeared. This weekend I managed to find a copy of the first anthology in which I appear, FLIPPIN' edited by Eric Gamalinda and Luis Francia. Since I often forget or lose track of older poems, it also was interesting to read/remember my first anthologized poem, "Parallel Universe" which I share below. With two decades between me and that poem, I can respond to it as a reader vs author... but I won't share my opinion of it today :)
I'd also forgotten that FLIPPIN's cover image is a painting by Venancio C. Igarta, the artist who inspired my THE BALIKBAYAN ARTIST (go to link for another of his artworks on my novel's cover: https://eileenrtabios.com/fiction/the-balikbayan-artist/ )
FLIPPIN' is part of a 4-book acquisition, of which I can share that IMAGINING ARGENTINA is a desaparecido novel that's part of my research for my new novel GENESIS. So with my personal library’s’ target of 15,516 books (a number that replicates the number of books lost to a wildfire), that’s 1,256 books down, 14,260 books to go. Onward!
5/9/24
When publishers publish my work, I try to support them by acquiring their other books. Here is my modest collection so far of Penguin Random House SEA's contemporary fiction (I had a few other books that were taken by the wildfires) that grew faster once Penguin published my THE BALIKBAYAN ARTIST. Today, another book joined the group, Jet Tagasa's short story collection THE SECRET LIVES OF OFWs (I recommend it).
While Jet's book normally would increase the number of books in my library-in-progress, I did deaccession books for the first time so that I can boost the offerings of a local Little Free Library (LFL). I think LFLs are a great idea--I wouldn't mind hosting one once my home situation gets resolved. If you don't know what LFLs are, they're small "libraries" where passersby can "Take One, Bring One" book, usually run (successfully) on an honor system (see 3rd image for example).
With the above adjustments, and with my personal library’s’ target of 15,516 books (a number that replicates the number of books lost to a wildfire), that’s 1,252 books down, 14,264 books to go.
5/4/25
As a poet, I developed—grew up—with certain other poets: Mark Young, Jukka Pekka Kervinen, Eric Gamalinda, Catherine Daly, all the poets in my first prose book BLACK LIGHTNING, among others. Though I met William Allegrezza later, he could be in that category, too. So I am very grateful that Bill sent a huge package of his books—including three that I had published through Meritage Press (I’d lost much of his early books in the wildfire and I needed those Meritage books for my archives!). How nifty, too, to see evidence of my prior life as a publisher: PORT LIGHT, FRAGILE REPLACEMENTS and STEP BELOW.) Such gems in his package, including his Blue Lion Books, IN THE WEAVER’S VALLEY. Blue Lion, managed by Peter Ganick (RIP, ye poetry angel) and Jukka, had so impressed me years ago when the press touted its vision of books in excess of 250 pages. The length went against—and something needed to!—the grain of ever slimmified poetry books, and I felt really blessed later on when they also published my 402-page book, SILENCES: THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF LOSS (this SILENCES might be my most obscure book yet; when the wildfires took my copies, I had to go to a reader and beg him to give me his copy—that may be the only existing copy in the world today).
Anyway, gratitude to Bill along with Susan Schultz and Scott MacLeod who bulk up the latest addition to my library-in-progress. With the library’s’ target of 15,516 books (a number that replicates the number of books lost to a wildfire), that’s 1,253 books down, 14,263 books to go. Good morning!
4/26/25
It was a convulsive act to buy this 1.5 inch book on a keychain. One of my many regrets from the wildfire is how it took down my first miniature book collection, which contained a beloved category of books so tiny they hung from keychains. So now I have a keychain book in the library I'm rebuilding, a Webster speller. I picture it in the first image. But the rest of the images show keychain books I lost in the fire--from books on Russian cosmonauts to French & Greek mini postcards to Confucius. How I miss them! C'est la vie: for now, Webster's will have to do.
So with my library-in-progress’ target of 15,516 books (a number that replicates the number of books lost to a wildfire), WEBSTER'S KEY CHAIN SPELLER makes it 1,240 books down, 14,276 books to go.
4/23/25
I’m grateful for friends, including literary friends.
My latest batch of library additions all come from beloved fellow writers. This includes what I know is a critical read for me since I am fundamentally a poet despite putting out work in other genres (a simplistic statement since I believe the “genre” of poetry is everything). That timely read is Arthur Sze’s new collection of prose about his poetics, THE WHITE ORCHARD. I’m humbled that my 2021 poetry-in-progress conversation with him (commissioned by AAWW) is part of this gorgeous book (stellar book design!) as well as that he includes my poetry in a 2020 talk he’d delivered at the Library of Congress. But what’s personally significant is how his book is a timely reminder for me that it can be difficult—but appropriately so—to be a poet. His described arduity is, for me, a light of encouragement on how next I can develop my poetry—it’s a search I’ve been afflicted with for years now, and one reason I started writing novels because I wasn’t happy with the kind of poems I was making. With Arthur’s inspiring book, I believe I discover a way to move ahead. Difficulty, too, can be a means towards greater reward.
I am also delighted to receive personalized copies of two of Jose Elvin Bueno’s three novels, the latest of which is GIGANTVM PENISIVM for which I’d blurbed, “Jose Elvin Bueno is not just an intelligent writer but a creator of one of the most energetic fiction styles out there. His books contain a propulsiveness that makes reading enjoyable.” Jose’s book is a timely read given the ongoing power-grabs by the minority “elites” in our world.
I haven’t yet had a chance to crack open the other books but they are promising, coming from writers whose intelligence deserve more recognition: Scott MacLeod, Jim Leftwich, and Sandy McIntosh. I’m also happy that Edric Mesmer continues to share SUNY Buffalo’s additions to the lovely chapbook series, “Among the Neighbors.” I hope my writer-friends continue to keep me in mind as a reader.
(In the images of the signed title pages below, the male doll is the avatar on my writing desk for V.C. Igarta which inspired THE BALIKBAYAN ARTIST's primary protagonist, Vance Igorta.)
So with my library-in-progress’ target of 15,516 books (a number that replicates the number of books lost to a wildfire), that’s 1,239 books down, 14,277 books to go. Thank you, writers—may your work continue to thrive!
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