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Sacada: A Catalog of Commodities for a Period of Glorious Tumult
309 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2016
2 people are currently reading
11 people want to read
About the author
Alan Navarra
11 books25 followersNominee for 2007 Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award for "Girl Trouble" • Design Finalist in the 32nd National Book Awards for “Ang Panlimang Alas Ay Nakabaon Sa Iyong Dibdib”
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 8, 2023
I purposely didn't read the foreword (of Angelo Suarez) and the introduction (of Alan Navarra) at first so as I will read the book with no idea whatsoever what will I read.
Well, I didn't know what to think after the reading few pages. It has doodles, poems, one-liners, quotable quotes, random phrases, etc. And it was written/layout in an unconventional way. Which I actually liked. I'm not new in reading unconventional or experimental novel/book since I've read a few. It's fresh and different in a way and it's good to see writers/authors bending the rules when writing a book.
Digging in more to Sacada, I realized that its contents especially the texts are like the edgy or shit posts of some meme pages I follow on Facebook. The shade. The rage. The intent. Truth to be told, the way i perceived it, Sacada is a rant book fueled by anger and disposition counter-balanced by the aesthetic, dizzying doodles so as to mellow the strife in every word.
Though some texts and even the drawings are random, it makes sense. Some are contradicting, ironic, sarcastic but they voice out an intense emotion. And surprisingly, connects to me and stir up emotion in me.
Lastly, after reading the foreword and introduction (of this book) and attending the book discussion with the author, I got a new perspective of what this book is all about.
Well, I didn't know what to think after the reading few pages. It has doodles, poems, one-liners, quotable quotes, random phrases, etc. And it was written/layout in an unconventional way. Which I actually liked. I'm not new in reading unconventional or experimental novel/book since I've read a few. It's fresh and different in a way and it's good to see writers/authors bending the rules when writing a book.
Digging in more to Sacada, I realized that its contents especially the texts are like the edgy or shit posts of some meme pages I follow on Facebook. The shade. The rage. The intent. Truth to be told, the way i perceived it, Sacada is a rant book fueled by anger and disposition counter-balanced by the aesthetic, dizzying doodles so as to mellow the strife in every word.
Though some texts and even the drawings are random, it makes sense. Some are contradicting, ironic, sarcastic but they voice out an intense emotion. And surprisingly, connects to me and stir up emotion in me.
Lastly, after reading the foreword and introduction (of this book) and attending the book discussion with the author, I got a new perspective of what this book is all about.
October 6, 2017
A whiff of fresh air in the local poetry in English. It is upping the ante making poetry less boring and readable especially for us non-lit grads/readers. With the poems' accompanying visuals and the book presenting itself as a smooth glossy catalog, Alan Navarra could be this generation's avant garde in Philippine poetry.
I started reading this book with doubt. I had this for more than a year now but it just sat on my bookshelf. I browsed it when my friend, who came from this book's launch in Morato, handed it to me. Wow, with dedication to me and signed by no less than Alan Navarra. I read a few pages and I thought it was pretentious: teenage angst peppers most the pages. The 50ish me is so over the James Dean era of my glorious dad's generation. But I have to read this book because that same friend pushed this book for our book club's monthly read. I started from page one, took time in understanding how to properly read this book (pages 2-4) and went on reading going back from time to time to the icons on page 2. It was nice at the start until my brain became saturated with the abstract doodles that I started to care less. Then came the "real" poetry and so, I just focused on them: chew the words, lick them with my tongue and let the taste linger inside my mouth. Alan Navarra's poems became better and better as I flipped the pages. The angst at the start became love and hope in the end. Doubt became admiration and the desire to meet the author in person.
This book aches to be read and appreciated. Just hold the book and you know that there was a lot put in it: talent, creativity, style and bravado. This is a game-charger only if it is read by many.
This book was published in 2016 but never saw this displayed in NBS shelves. So, there. How can this be a game-changer?
I started reading this book with doubt. I had this for more than a year now but it just sat on my bookshelf. I browsed it when my friend, who came from this book's launch in Morato, handed it to me. Wow, with dedication to me and signed by no less than Alan Navarra. I read a few pages and I thought it was pretentious: teenage angst peppers most the pages. The 50ish me is so over the James Dean era of my glorious dad's generation. But I have to read this book because that same friend pushed this book for our book club's monthly read. I started from page one, took time in understanding how to properly read this book (pages 2-4) and went on reading going back from time to time to the icons on page 2. It was nice at the start until my brain became saturated with the abstract doodles that I started to care less. Then came the "real" poetry and so, I just focused on them: chew the words, lick them with my tongue and let the taste linger inside my mouth. Alan Navarra's poems became better and better as I flipped the pages. The angst at the start became love and hope in the end. Doubt became admiration and the desire to meet the author in person.
This book aches to be read and appreciated. Just hold the book and you know that there was a lot put in it: talent, creativity, style and bravado. This is a game-charger only if it is read by many.
This book was published in 2016 but never saw this displayed in NBS shelves. So, there. How can this be a game-changer?
November 5, 2017
Look at those with the Php100 and below and you will realize that these are the tidbits of life that you live by.
That, and if tsismosa ka, those with the face icon.
Or if you find inspiration in writing, those with the bottles. Because as the author mentioned, he used to find wisdom in drunken thoughts
That, and if tsismosa ka, those with the face icon.
Or if you find inspiration in writing, those with the bottles. Because as the author mentioned, he used to find wisdom in drunken thoughts
December 13, 2018
Relatable and witty
Swirls of self-aggrandizing sacrasm and plaintive brilliance
Swirls of self-aggrandizing sacrasm and plaintive brilliance
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews