The Joys of Dislocation : Mindanao, Nation and Region

by Patricio Abinales

The peripatetic nature of the essays in this collection -- representing over a decadof commentary on the affairs in the three zones of Mindanao, the Philippines, and the Southeast Asian region -- comes from being written by someone who has never settled down in any of these zones but who has always gone in and out of each of them. The reflect a peculiar position that doesn't exactly fit critics' black-and-white world of insiders and outsiders. Dislocation has given Patricio N. Abinales a chance to argue that Mindanao has always been central to the nation's formation, to think about Mindanao and the Philippines not from within but from without, and to view their stories comparatively and from a regional perspective. "Indeed (Abinales) is at his best or worst (as some would say) when he takes the bull by its horns. His essays are informed, sharp, and take a stand. Even his questions are to the point...You may or may not agree with his views, but his explorations into many conjunctural issues will surely gratify readers earching for a good and enlightening read." -- Macario D. Tiu Author, Reconstructing History from Text and Memory

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Published January 1, 2008