Education
UOG Press celebrates the launch of Signs of Being by C.T. Perez
By
University of Guam Press November 27, 2024
Via Justine De Fant, Publicist
University of Guam Press November 27, 2024
(Signs of Being)
The University of Press is launching Signs of Being by C.T. Perez, a collection of poetry, prose, and commentary that explores CHamoru cultural identity through the lens of ec(h)o literature, or literature that interprets signs in the natural environment as echoes from ancestors.
For Perez, this collection is a heartfelt attempt to articulate the unexplainable—the essence of CHamoru consciousness and spirit.
“It’s an effort to reach that level of expression of what is in the heart and the soul of a terminal being,” says Perez. “I’m facing closer to passing than I am to living. I’ve lived more than half my life and I’m quite comfortable saying that. It’s beautiful to age. It’s hard. It’s a challenge, but we could say the same for CHamoru people—that we survived the many challenges and struggles, but we also are in the joy of life and the joy of being.”
(C.T. Perez)
Perez has appeared in Indigenous Literatures from Micronesia, Indigenous Women: The Right to a Voice among other collections and is considered by many a foregrounding voice in CHamoru famalao’an (women) poetry.
Signs of Being is the second and final title published through UOG Press’s Famalao’an Poets Project that seeks to amplify and celebrate poetry written by CHamoru women. The project is made possible through the support of an Equity in Verse grant awarded to the Press by the Poetry Foundation, an independent literary organization that is committed to the increasing and strengthening the presence of poetry within the United States.
The book launch will be held at the Guam Museum on Friday, December 13, 2024, from 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM. The event is open to the public and will include a poetry reading by the author, interactive displays, and free refreshments.
Signs of Being is available for pre-order online at uogpress.com, nyupress.org, and Amazon, and in-store at UOG Press for $20. The book will be made available at local bookstores following the launch.
For more information, contact UOG Press Publicist Via De Fant at defantv@triton.uog.edu or +1 (671) 735-2153.