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Love in a Time of Belligerence
To understand human history is to recognize the eternal presence of belligerence. Eileen R. Tabios’ Love in a Time of Belligerence surfaces a variety of wars and their collateral damage of nature, indigenous culture, pets and infants, democracy, teachers, the poor, even “sex dolls,” among others. Such spirals to more losses: innocence, ideals, loyalties, family, and hopes. Love can be an antidote… until it’s not. The world presented in Tabios’ poetry does not reduce humanity to problem-and-solution—her poetry is one of insistent lucidity, which is an accomplishment on its own when one wants to hide one’s eyes from the world.
“Eileen Tabios has been a grand force in U.S. poetry … and it’s difficult to think of our own time without acknowledging what a large psychic space she has made for us. The sheer volume of her writing is impressive, like the rivers of Tigris and Euphrates; among postwar Americans, maybe only Leslie Scalapino, Steve Jonas, Alice Notley and Lew Ellingham have written so much with such assurance and endless, difficult-made-easy experimentation.”
—Kevin Killian, poet, writer, playwright, critic, editor and Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer
“Eileen Tabios has been a grand force in U.S. poetry … and it’s difficult to think of our own time without acknowledging what a large psychic space she has made for us. The sheer volume of her writing is impressive, like the rivers of Tigris and Euphrates; among postwar Americans, maybe only Leslie Scalapino, Steve Jonas, Alice Notley and Lew Ellingham have written so much with such assurance and endless, difficult-made-easy experimentation.”
—Kevin Killian, poet, writer, playwright, critic, editor and Amazon Hall of Fame Reviewer
74 pages, Paperback
Published September 1, 2017
2 people want to read
About the author
Eileen R. Tabios
59 books16 followersEileen Tabios (born 1960) is an award-winning Filipino-American poet, fiction writer, conceptual/visual artist, editor, anthologist, critic, and publisher.
Born in Ilocos Sur, Philippines, Tabios moved to the United States at the age of ten. She holds a B.A. in political science from Barnard College and an M.B.A. in economics and international business from New York University Graduate School of Business. Her last corporate career was involved with international project finance. She began to write poetry in 1995.
Tabios has released eighteen print, four electronic, one CD poetry collections, an art essay collection, a poetry essay/interview anthology, a novel, and a short story book. Tabios has created a body of work melding transcolonialism with ekphrasis. Inventor of the poetic form called "hay(na)ku," she has had her poems translated into Spanish, Tagalog, Japanese, Italian, Paintings, Video, Drawings, Visual Poetry, Mixed Media Collages, Kali Martial Arts, Modern Dance and Sculpture.
Tabios has edited or co-edited five books of poetry, fiction and essays released in the United States. She also founded and edits the poetry review journal, "GALATEA RESURRECTS, a Poetry Engagement".
She is the founder of Meritage Press, a multidisciplinary literary and arts press based in St. Helena, California.
In addition to recipient of the Philippines’ National Book Award for Poetry, her poetry and editing projects have also received numerous awards including the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, The Potrero Nuevo Fund Prize, the Gustavus Meyers Outstanding Book Award in the Advancement of Human Rights, Foreword Magazine Anthology of the Year Award, Poet Magazine's Iva Mary Williams Poetry Award, Judds Hill's Annual Poetry Prize and the Philippine American Writers & Artists’ Catalagan Award; recognition from the Academy of American Poets, the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association and the PEN/Open Book Committee; as well as grants from the Witter Bynner Foundation, National Endowment of the Arts, the New York State Council on the Humanities, the California Council for the Humanities, and the New York City Downtown Cultural Council.
Born in Ilocos Sur, Philippines, Tabios moved to the United States at the age of ten. She holds a B.A. in political science from Barnard College and an M.B.A. in economics and international business from New York University Graduate School of Business. Her last corporate career was involved with international project finance. She began to write poetry in 1995.
Tabios has released eighteen print, four electronic, one CD poetry collections, an art essay collection, a poetry essay/interview anthology, a novel, and a short story book. Tabios has created a body of work melding transcolonialism with ekphrasis. Inventor of the poetic form called "hay(na)ku," she has had her poems translated into Spanish, Tagalog, Japanese, Italian, Paintings, Video, Drawings, Visual Poetry, Mixed Media Collages, Kali Martial Arts, Modern Dance and Sculpture.
Tabios has edited or co-edited five books of poetry, fiction and essays released in the United States. She also founded and edits the poetry review journal, "GALATEA RESURRECTS, a Poetry Engagement".
She is the founder of Meritage Press, a multidisciplinary literary and arts press based in St. Helena, California.
In addition to recipient of the Philippines’ National Book Award for Poetry, her poetry and editing projects have also received numerous awards including the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award, The Potrero Nuevo Fund Prize, the Gustavus Meyers Outstanding Book Award in the Advancement of Human Rights, Foreword Magazine Anthology of the Year Award, Poet Magazine's Iva Mary Williams Poetry Award, Judds Hill's Annual Poetry Prize and the Philippine American Writers & Artists’ Catalagan Award; recognition from the Academy of American Poets, the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association and the PEN/Open Book Committee; as well as grants from the Witter Bynner Foundation, National Endowment of the Arts, the New York State Council on the Humanities, the California Council for the Humanities, and the New York City Downtown Cultural Council.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 16, 2023
Eileen Tabios' "Love in a Time of Belligerence" is a bold and thought-provoking collection of poetry that explores the complexities of love and human relationships in the context of war, conflict, and social injustice.
Tabios' poetry is characterized by its emotional intensity, its richly layered imagery, and its complex use of language. The poems are often structured in short, fragmented lines that create a sense of urgency and immediacy. The language is both poetic and conversational, and it effectively captures the emotional weight of the issues being explored.
The first section is a series of poems that explore the idea of love in the context of war and violence. These poems are characterized by their raw, unflinching honesty, and they offer a powerful commentary on the human cost of conflict. The second section is a more introspective series of poems that reflect on the impact of love on the individual psyche.
The final section is a call to action, urging readers to take a stand against injustice and inequality. These poems are characterized by their social and political consciousness, and they offer a powerful reminder that love and activism are intimately connected.
Overall, "Love in a Time of Belligerence" is a compelling and deeply affecting collection of poetry. Tabios' language is precise and evocative, and her imagery is both haunting and beautiful. The collection is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the complexities of the human experience, and it is sure to resonate with readers who appreciate poetry that is both intellectually and emotionally challenging. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves poetry and is looking for a thought-provoking, engaging reading experience.
Tabios' poetry is characterized by its emotional intensity, its richly layered imagery, and its complex use of language. The poems are often structured in short, fragmented lines that create a sense of urgency and immediacy. The language is both poetic and conversational, and it effectively captures the emotional weight of the issues being explored.
The first section is a series of poems that explore the idea of love in the context of war and violence. These poems are characterized by their raw, unflinching honesty, and they offer a powerful commentary on the human cost of conflict. The second section is a more introspective series of poems that reflect on the impact of love on the individual psyche.
The final section is a call to action, urging readers to take a stand against injustice and inequality. These poems are characterized by their social and political consciousness, and they offer a powerful reminder that love and activism are intimately connected.
Overall, "Love in a Time of Belligerence" is a compelling and deeply affecting collection of poetry. Tabios' language is precise and evocative, and her imagery is both haunting and beautiful. The collection is a testament to the power of poetry to capture the complexities of the human experience, and it is sure to resonate with readers who appreciate poetry that is both intellectually and emotionally challenging. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves poetry and is looking for a thought-provoking, engaging reading experience.
December 30, 2017
I have just finished my first reading of this book, and already know that I want to read it again. In the last poem, Eileen Tabios writes, "I practice a poetics of lucidity. Everyone wants to be/ seen. Everyone deserves to be seen." She delivers on the lucidity and so, we have no excuse for not seeing what she shows us about the belligerence of our times. Her sweep is wide: pets, oceans, genocide, intimacy ...
She raises the big question: what do we do about these things? And I think that because she cares enough to raise the hard questions, that these poems, at least in part, represent the "love" that's the first word of the title. P.S. And there's an outstanding hay(na)ku [the poetic form she invented] chain-sequence-poem in the book.
She raises the big question: what do we do about these things? And I think that because she cares enough to raise the hard questions, that these poems, at least in part, represent the "love" that's the first word of the title. P.S. And there's an outstanding hay(na)ku [the poetic form she invented] chain-sequence-poem in the book.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews