#BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy

Aklat #30: THE EL BIMBO VARIATIONS by Adam David

(The Youth & Beauty Brigade, 2016)



The first time I saw Adam David was during the BLTX (Better Living Through Xeroxgraphy) at the Lopez Museum in December 2013. We were selling pre-loved books for Typhoon Yolanda (Hainan) victims. Adam David, the organizer of the event, approached our table and picked, among the many other books, my copy of Milorad Pavic's "Dictionary of the Khazars." He knew what he was buying because he asked

"Kamukha mo si Paraluman

Nung tayo ay bata pa."

#BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoyAklat #30: THE EL BIMBO VARIATIONS by Adam David(The Youth & Beauty Brigade, 2016)The first time I saw Adam David was during the BLTX (Better Living Through Xeroxgraphy) at the Lopez Museum in December 2013. We were selling pre-loved books for Typhoon Yolanda (Hainan) victims. Adam David, the organizer of the event, approached our table and picked, among the many other books, my copy of Milorad Pavic's "Dictionary of the Khazars." He knew what he was buying because he asked me its gender. From then on, I look at him with high esteem.I've been hearing about "The El Bimbo Variations" since when it first came out online in 2008 (Thank you, Goodreads!) but since my Kindle and Nook friends were first into this, I said I would just wait for its printed version. Not sure why I missed the earlier releases in book form, but when I saw this fourth (and probably last according to David), I decided to get five copies (one copy for each version I missed!).This book is a strangely beautiful reading experience. First, I read the poems in normal way. The 29 retellings of the first two lines of Eraserheads' 1995 hit song, "Ang Huling El Bimbo." Those two lines are:I had to stop and admire the variations (poems and photos) but on page 54, I laughed out loud. On the next page, it got me thinking so I stopped laughing. Then right on the next page (p. 56), was a one liner and it got me laughing out loud again! It was good that all the people in our house were still asleep. Then I stopped because I had to go to the office and work.Then before retiring last night, I continued reading. I must admit that there were pages (what is lipogram? univocalism? tautogram? homovocalism? etc) that bored me and so I thought that this book could be a waste of my money and time. [I normally read on bed and reaching out for a dictionary is a nuisance. Yes, I know, I should buy me a Kindle.] Then I began thinking that probably "The Dictionary of the Khazars" incident was an accident.Then came the "Notes on These Pages." I had to use three fingers: first on the table of contents, second to reread the poems and third to read the notes. It was not only a good exercise for my arthritic finger joints but more importantly for my brain. I could relate to some of them like Getrude Stein's repeating rose like in "A rose is a rose is a rose is a rose" as I've read the novel that she dedicated to her girlfriend, Alice. I was surprised too that there is Joe Brainard's "I remember" when I thought that he is an unknown to many Filipinos. [I should probably start searching for a different set of bookish friends]. Then of course, who would not know Jose Garcia Villa, one of the National Artist of the Philippines for Literature. Reading and analyzing his poems was part of our college subject on Philippine Literature in English.Undoubtedly, Adam David is not only well-read. He is not only a good stylist writer. He is definitely a genius.Thank you, Sir Adam, for this clever book. I just learned so much that I want to go to Kamias and buy you a cup of coffee as gratitude for your brilliance. Keep on writing, please.Wonderful. What a way to cap the #BuwanNgMgaAkdangPinoy !#BuwanNgWikangFilipino (taglish po ito)#PinoyReadsPinoyBooks