Filipinas Textos Cercanos Poemas (Philippines, Closer Texts: Poems)
The Mexican writer, Javier Sicilia wrote: [I]n Philippines, Closer Texts, Tomás Calvillo has abandoned all the certainty that was characteristic of his previous poetic works, and having assumed the historical paradigm shift of the times, he allows a unique poetic resonance to be heard amidst all the disconcert, suffering, and emptiness. Calvillo’s work is an unreachable mystery that travels through our collective memory brilliantly deciphering humor and tenderness. This current bilingual edition encompasses 55 of the 179 poems published in the original Spanish edition. It is also the first volume of work from the author to be presented in the Philippines. *
El escritor mexicano Javier Sicilia escribió:[E]n Filipinas, textos cercanos, Tomás Calvillo ha abandonado todas sus certeza de sus trabajos poéticos anteriores, y asumiendo el parteaguas histórico en el que hemos entrado, deja resonar, en medio del desconcierto, del sufrimiento y del vacío, el misterio como una presencia inasible que se dice a través del humor, de la memoria, y de la ternura.La presente edición bilingüe reúne 55 poemas de los 179 publicados en la edición original en español y es el primer volumen que se presenta del autor en Filipinas.
About the author
Tomás J. Calvillo Unna was born in México City in 1955. He has a BA in International Relations and a PhD in Social Science major in History. In 1997, he founded the El Colegio de San Luis in the state of San Luis Potosi; an institution for which he served as dean for ten years. Academic, writer, historian, and painter, he also served as Ambassador of Mexico to the Philippines from November 2008 to May 2013. In recognition of his efforts to strengthen the relations between México and the Philippines, he was conferred the Order of Sikatuna with a Rank of Datu by the Philippine government.
As a writer, he has published several poetry books, a novel (El epistolario de Angelina), a collection of short stories (Palabra que es la llave), and a conceptual book on football (Enseñanzas de Futbol).
During his term as Ambassador to the Philippines, he wrote and published two poetry books in México, Philippines, Closer Texts and Tabing Dagat (By the Sea).
He currently works as professor and researcher at the El Colegio de San Luis, centro público de investigación, where he founded and coordinates the seminar The Forgotten History: México-Philippines (La Historia Olvidada: México-Filipinas).
About the Translator
Tomás Calvillo Amoore, 29.
Born in Mexico City, he became closely acquainted with both English and Spanish at an early age. His mother, being of British descent, spoke to him in English while growing up in a native Spanish speaking country. At ten, he attended school for a year in San Diego, California. He studied high school in an American boarding school in India and film production in the university of Northridge State, L.A. CA. He has done translation in different fields. He also writes poetry, short stories, movies scripts, and experimental literary works.