From Powells.com
Our favorite books of the year.
Staff Pick
This is a devastating work. [Lukao] is the fourth in an interconnected series by native Chamorro poet Perez about his homeland, the unincorporated US territory of Guam (Guahån). Its focus is on processions and the ceremonial passage of time — creation, birth, and marriage, destruction, extinction, and militarization. Perez is a powerful voice of indigenous Pacific Island resistance. Recommended By Britney T., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
The fourth installment in the Chamorro poet’s series on the history, ecology, and mythology of Guam From Unincorporated Territory [lukao] is the fourth book in native Chamorro poet Craig Santos Perez's ongoing series about his homeland, the Western Pacific Island of Guahan (Guam), and his current home, Hawai i. He utilizes eco-poetic, decolonial, diasporic, indigenous, documentary, epic, and avant-garde modes to weave stories of creation, birth, migration, food sovereignty, and parenting. This work not only protests the devastating impacts of colonialism, militarism, and environmental injustice across the Pacific, it also expresses a vision of a sustainable and hopeful future.
Review
"Native Chamorro poet Santos Perez unveils the fourth book in his series about his homeland, Guåhan (Guam), and his current home, Hawaii. He utilizes eco-poetic, decolonial, diasporic, indigenous, documentary, epic, and avant-garde modes to weave stories of creation, birth, migration, food sovereignty, and parenting." Alex Crowley, Publishers Weekly
Review
"Santos Perez writes 'Hinasso' (imagination, thought, memory, or reflection) painted forwards+backwards and out-scribed in multiple dimensions. Yes, it is true and possible in the land of the Chamorro, in the terrain, mind, culture once colonized, 'kidnapped,' and now re-called and re-created by its own will-spirit walk here, in this 'procession,' in this knowledge-song, carved Chamorro walk-talk-map. An impossible sacredness in this book, drawn from the collective-body-cartography, is written. Ground-shaking, delight of breath and ecstatic heart." Juan Felipe Herrera, Poet Laureate of the United States
About the Author
Craig Santos Perez, a native Chamorro from the Pacific Island of Guåhan (Guam), co-edited three anthologies of Pacific literature and authored three poetry books: from unincorporated territory [hacha] (2008), from unincorporated territory [saina] (2010, PEN Center USA/Poetry Society of America Literary Prize recipient), and from unincorporated territory [guma’] (2014, American Book Award recipient). He holds an MFA from the U of San Francisco and a Ph.D. in Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley. He is an Associate Professor in the English Department at the University of Hawai i, M noa.