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The Properties of Perpetual Light
The Properties of Perpetual Light is an homage to the work of the activist-writer, which author Julian Aguon describes as "the work of bearing witness, wrestling with the questions of one's day, telling children the truth." With prose and poetry both bracing and quiet, Aguon weaves together stories from his childhood in the villages of Guam with searing political commentary. Throughout the book, Aguon grapples with one heart-breaking loss after another by immersing himself in the beauty of his island, the magic of Micronesia, and the wisdom of his favorite books and elders. "A powerful, beautiful book. Its fierce love--of the land, the ocean, the elders and the ancestors--warms the heart and moves the spirit."
- Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple , Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction "A breathtaking book and I mean it--this book took my breath away. The Properties of Perpetual Light is so alive with passion, wisdom and heart, you can almost feel its pulse. A call not only for justice but for a brand-new covenant with our world."
- Junot Díaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao , Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction "I did not know I needed this book until it had me in its embrace like the oldest and dearest of friends, from the very first page. Overflowing with warmth and wisdom and defying all categorization, The Properties of Perpetual Light is philosophy, poetry, memoir, history and self-help for humanity. With bottomless love for his people and place, Aguon guides us through a portal to the Pacific, sharing deep insights earned from life on the existential knife's edge."
- Naomi Klein, Senior Correspondent at The Intercept and author of The Shock Doctrine and This Changes Everything
- Alice Walker, author of The Color Purple , Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction "A breathtaking book and I mean it--this book took my breath away. The Properties of Perpetual Light is so alive with passion, wisdom and heart, you can almost feel its pulse. A call not only for justice but for a brand-new covenant with our world."
- Junot Díaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao , Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction "I did not know I needed this book until it had me in its embrace like the oldest and dearest of friends, from the very first page. Overflowing with warmth and wisdom and defying all categorization, The Properties of Perpetual Light is philosophy, poetry, memoir, history and self-help for humanity. With bottomless love for his people and place, Aguon guides us through a portal to the Pacific, sharing deep insights earned from life on the existential knife's edge."
- Naomi Klein, Senior Correspondent at The Intercept and author of The Shock Doctrine and This Changes Everything
128 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 29, 2021
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1185 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
March 29, 2021
To confess, I made a profile here specifically to rate and leave a review for this book. I must also say that my nose and eyes are still recovering from the abuse they endured when I became too emotional from reading (it was cathartic though).
I remember reading Julian Aguon's "The Ocean Within" in my EN110 class at GCC (shoutout to Ms. Desiree). That day, I was not prepared for the emotional turmoil that would erupt nor did I ever think one of my first college experiences would consist of almost ugly crying at 9am.
Today...I was still not prepared.
Holding this book, I felt like I was 8 years old again, grasping one of the classics from my mom's collection (Little Women was my favorite to pretend that I was reading), knowing that whatever was inside was important and had meaning far beyond what I could comprehend.
Reading this book was everything I hoped it would be. It was an incomparable experience, yet so familiar with every intimate detail, story, poem and essay. It was poignant, and wonderful, and exactly what I needed to wake up and look through the fogginess that had settled over me this past year. It makes me want to be creative, and to write again, to engage the cobwebbed gears in my mind and force them to start grinding. It makes me want to be more involved in our local issues, and to use my voice to bring awareness to all the injustices we are currently facing.
And it also makes me want to reflect, and be quiet, and have the conversations with myself that I dread.
I was so rapt with every page that every time I put it down (which I would only do when I was overwhelmed, so like every five seconds), I had to pick it back up. I think that my only problem here is I finished it too quickly, but that's a personal issue.
To sum it up, it was a damn good book. SYM Julian Aguon for rekindling my interest in reading and writing, and for the stellar recommendations in your footnotes.
I can't wait for your next one!
I remember reading Julian Aguon's "The Ocean Within" in my EN110 class at GCC (shoutout to Ms. Desiree). That day, I was not prepared for the emotional turmoil that would erupt nor did I ever think one of my first college experiences would consist of almost ugly crying at 9am.
Today...I was still not prepared.
Holding this book, I felt like I was 8 years old again, grasping one of the classics from my mom's collection (Little Women was my favorite to pretend that I was reading), knowing that whatever was inside was important and had meaning far beyond what I could comprehend.
Reading this book was everything I hoped it would be. It was an incomparable experience, yet so familiar with every intimate detail, story, poem and essay. It was poignant, and wonderful, and exactly what I needed to wake up and look through the fogginess that had settled over me this past year. It makes me want to be creative, and to write again, to engage the cobwebbed gears in my mind and force them to start grinding. It makes me want to be more involved in our local issues, and to use my voice to bring awareness to all the injustices we are currently facing.
And it also makes me want to reflect, and be quiet, and have the conversations with myself that I dread.
I was so rapt with every page that every time I put it down (which I would only do when I was overwhelmed, so like every five seconds), I had to pick it back up. I think that my only problem here is I finished it too quickly, but that's a personal issue.
To sum it up, it was a damn good book. SYM Julian Aguon for rekindling my interest in reading and writing, and for the stellar recommendations in your footnotes.
I can't wait for your next one!
May 4, 2021
“I tell the graduates the only way to successfully make the journey (from adolescence to adulthood) is to learn how to “get quiet”-that is, to quiet down the noise of other people’s opinions and to take instruction instead from one’s own heart.”
“But then again maybe a country that routinely prefers power over strength, and living over letting live, is no country for eight-spot butterflies.
While this wave of militarization should elicit every outrage, indignation is not nearly enough to build a bridge. To anywhere. It’s useful, yes. But we need to get a hell of a lot more serious about articulating alternatives if we hope to withstand the forces of predatory global capitalism and ultimately replace its ethos of extraction with one of our own. In the case of my own people, an ethos of reciprocity”
“And no military on earth is sensitive enough to perceive something as soft as the whisper of another worldview.”
“Indeed, part of our work as people who dare to believe we can save the world is to prepare our wills to withstand some losing, so that we may lose and still set out again, anyhow.”
“If US-North Korea relations be complex, this be simple: when you live in a colony, you’re easy meat.”
“Guam may have to bear the burden of being a colony in a world suffering from decolonization fatigue, but-to be clear-her people mean to live.”
“Moreover, the law, especially American law, is limited in its power because harms like colonization, land dispossession, and racial subordination are woven into the very fabric of this country’s being. As close to this country as a jugular vein.”
“The truth is, there’s nothing small about the greatness from which we come. We come from wayfinders. Seafarers who sliced through millions of miles of open ocean with little more than curved sticks and cowry shells. An enormous map in their minds. One that accounted for every island and every swell of sea. Every bird and every star that shivers in the distance. If that’s not magic, I don’t know what it is.”
“That to be Chamorro is to have blood in our eyes, which is to say to have compassion for kith and kin, and to never forget that the way of love is the way of reciprocity.”
“But then again maybe a country that routinely prefers power over strength, and living over letting live, is no country for eight-spot butterflies.
While this wave of militarization should elicit every outrage, indignation is not nearly enough to build a bridge. To anywhere. It’s useful, yes. But we need to get a hell of a lot more serious about articulating alternatives if we hope to withstand the forces of predatory global capitalism and ultimately replace its ethos of extraction with one of our own. In the case of my own people, an ethos of reciprocity”
“And no military on earth is sensitive enough to perceive something as soft as the whisper of another worldview.”
“Indeed, part of our work as people who dare to believe we can save the world is to prepare our wills to withstand some losing, so that we may lose and still set out again, anyhow.”
“If US-North Korea relations be complex, this be simple: when you live in a colony, you’re easy meat.”
“Guam may have to bear the burden of being a colony in a world suffering from decolonization fatigue, but-to be clear-her people mean to live.”
“Moreover, the law, especially American law, is limited in its power because harms like colonization, land dispossession, and racial subordination are woven into the very fabric of this country’s being. As close to this country as a jugular vein.”
“The truth is, there’s nothing small about the greatness from which we come. We come from wayfinders. Seafarers who sliced through millions of miles of open ocean with little more than curved sticks and cowry shells. An enormous map in their minds. One that accounted for every island and every swell of sea. Every bird and every star that shivers in the distance. If that’s not magic, I don’t know what it is.”
“That to be Chamorro is to have blood in our eyes, which is to say to have compassion for kith and kin, and to never forget that the way of love is the way of reciprocity.”
May 2, 2022
I don't even have words for the powerfulness of this book. Stunned
February 26, 2024
Don’t normally care for poetry or short stories but this book literally took my breath away at certain points. It’s so comforting to read a book written by a Chomorro author, and to read about Guam, a place not often mentioned in literary works.
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September 21, 2021Recommended reading to learn more about Guam.
March 29, 2021
This book is a marvel. Reading it feels like a sacred experience. Both deeply political and deeply personal, the book is essential reading for all human beings--about grief, resistance, and finding beauty in the face of oppression.
April 1, 2021
Julian Aguon’s “The Properties of Perpetual Light” has been one of the most inspiring books I have read so far. To be a published author is a unique experience, and I’ve tossed the thought around my imagination for some time. What I found inspiring about Julian’s book, aside from the content, is the context in which he presented the content. This book has shown me that one could be a published author without spewing out what is common. “The Properties of Perpetual Light” was artfully crafted, and I appreciate the strokes in which Julian painted his piece.
In the chapter The Ocean Within, I couldn’t help but to feel a surge of energy as Julian’s words resonated deeper and deeper. I don’t know if it would have had the same effect if I was in that graduating high school class, but I’m glad he included it in this book. Also, the Alchemist is one of my favorite books so I enjoyed reading his explanations about it. I also appreciated his honesty and openness with some of his personal experiences. Reading about his struggles, my heart filled with empathy and my spirit was imbued with strength. It takes a lot of strength to bear one’s darkest shadows for all the world to see, and I felt that. It was the final synchronistic push I needed to go within and bring out what has been hiding for too long. All in all, si Yu’us ma’åse yan Saina ma’åse Julian Aguon for your guiding light.
In the chapter The Ocean Within, I couldn’t help but to feel a surge of energy as Julian’s words resonated deeper and deeper. I don’t know if it would have had the same effect if I was in that graduating high school class, but I’m glad he included it in this book. Also, the Alchemist is one of my favorite books so I enjoyed reading his explanations about it. I also appreciated his honesty and openness with some of his personal experiences. Reading about his struggles, my heart filled with empathy and my spirit was imbued with strength. It takes a lot of strength to bear one’s darkest shadows for all the world to see, and I felt that. It was the final synchronistic push I needed to go within and bring out what has been hiding for too long. All in all, si Yu’us ma’åse yan Saina ma’åse Julian Aguon for your guiding light.
April 1, 2021
As the author says, this book is “like a love letter to young people.” As a young person myself, The Properties of Perpetual Light feels like that and much much more. For young people, Aguon speaks to the critic within each of us, the critic that holds us back and tells us that nothing we do is ever good enough, the critic that keeps myself and many of my peers from taking that next step in whatever we’re doing. Aguon’s words and advice quiet that critic and empower the young person to rise above the endless despair and perceived hopelessness of the world.
In still writing to young people, and in the more lighthearted and fun pieces in the book, Aguon reminds us to never take ourselves too seriously and to simply live. And in the deeper pieces, he lays bare himself and his vulnerability, ultimately demanding that same vulnerability from his readers, a vulnerability that I and many young people are too unfamiliar with.
Beyond this love letter to young people, Properties of Perpetual Light is a love letter to the human in each and every one of us. Aguon’s craft of words tell stories of loss and grief and defeat and peace and strength and love, and ultimately empower us to live a life of love for ourselves, for one another, and for the world, despite all their workable flaws.
In still writing to young people, and in the more lighthearted and fun pieces in the book, Aguon reminds us to never take ourselves too seriously and to simply live. And in the deeper pieces, he lays bare himself and his vulnerability, ultimately demanding that same vulnerability from his readers, a vulnerability that I and many young people are too unfamiliar with.
Beyond this love letter to young people, Properties of Perpetual Light is a love letter to the human in each and every one of us. Aguon’s craft of words tell stories of loss and grief and defeat and peace and strength and love, and ultimately empower us to live a life of love for ourselves, for one another, and for the world, despite all their workable flaws.
May 22, 2021
Sometimes it seems like the life of the indigenous is the constant healing of the past, present, and future traumas placed on us.
This book was a beautiful confrontation of our collective traumas. It felt like it was written from an understanding that hurt, trauma, grief, loss, pain, etc. is a reality that should be confronted. Bravery does not come from the strength of our masks but from the strength of our vulnerability. When history is written by the victor, our truth and our willingness to confront and discuss that truth is our real strength.
Even when talking about some difficult realities, this book still came from a hopeful place. What should have been difficult things to read about felt bearable because at the same time it was telling me that there's still a future, a perpetual light, in even the darkest realities. In a time of so much turmoil, not only on Guam but in the world, we needed this reminder that sometimes life is an ugly mess of beautiful things. We fight impossible fights, lose amazing people, and get lost in the noise of the world. But that does not mean that we should crumble and succumb to the chaos. We let the pain carry us through the fights worth fighting, the people worth loving, and the quiet that shows us our destiny.
This book was a beautiful confrontation of our collective traumas. It felt like it was written from an understanding that hurt, trauma, grief, loss, pain, etc. is a reality that should be confronted. Bravery does not come from the strength of our masks but from the strength of our vulnerability. When history is written by the victor, our truth and our willingness to confront and discuss that truth is our real strength.
Even when talking about some difficult realities, this book still came from a hopeful place. What should have been difficult things to read about felt bearable because at the same time it was telling me that there's still a future, a perpetual light, in even the darkest realities. In a time of so much turmoil, not only on Guam but in the world, we needed this reminder that sometimes life is an ugly mess of beautiful things. We fight impossible fights, lose amazing people, and get lost in the noise of the world. But that does not mean that we should crumble and succumb to the chaos. We let the pain carry us through the fights worth fighting, the people worth loving, and the quiet that shows us our destiny.
October 13, 2021
“who taught me what it means to have blood in my eyes”
“never ever have i seen something so quiet be so alive”
“if only superpowers were concerned with the stuff of lowercase earth”
“there have been periods in my own life when my grief felt more real to me than my hope, moments when my rage, sitting up, threatened to swallow my softness forever. it is here, in these moments, in these fields where older versions of myself come to die, that i am forced again to clarify what exactly it is that i believe”
“but i am nineteen and not sure. and my words are not there when i reach for them”
“they may have made their flights, but they missed the boat”
“we’ve paid in ancestors whose names we do not know”
“it will now be even more difficult to determine the collective desire of a colonized people because we cannot even name those people in order to ask them”
“and i did not have the words with which to fight back, graft my rage onto the world, wage war. i have no command over the language i needed to set me, or her, free”
“the truth is there’s nothing small about the greatness from which we come. we come from wayfinders. seafarers who sliced through millions of miles of open ocean with little more than curved sticks and and cowry shells”
“never ever have i seen something so quiet be so alive”
“if only superpowers were concerned with the stuff of lowercase earth”
“there have been periods in my own life when my grief felt more real to me than my hope, moments when my rage, sitting up, threatened to swallow my softness forever. it is here, in these moments, in these fields where older versions of myself come to die, that i am forced again to clarify what exactly it is that i believe”
“but i am nineteen and not sure. and my words are not there when i reach for them”
“they may have made their flights, but they missed the boat”
“we’ve paid in ancestors whose names we do not know”
“it will now be even more difficult to determine the collective desire of a colonized people because we cannot even name those people in order to ask them”
“and i did not have the words with which to fight back, graft my rage onto the world, wage war. i have no command over the language i needed to set me, or her, free”
“the truth is there’s nothing small about the greatness from which we come. we come from wayfinders. seafarers who sliced through millions of miles of open ocean with little more than curved sticks and and cowry shells”
May 19, 2021
Reading this book felt like the pat on the back that I have been needing. I had been feeling a little lost, wondering if I was on the right track in life, but Julian's words felt like reassurance and encouragement. It allowed me to do some introspection that has long been overdue. His commencement speech "The Ocean Within" resonated with me the most. He tells the graduates about the message commonly fed to us on Guam, that we "can't." We are plagued with the concept of fatalism, told not to believe in ourselves because of the conditions we live in as U.S. possession. Julian Aguon does a call to action, telling those graduates, telling me, to dream beyond this reality. To believe in what can be for Guam. This book is poetry, this book is beauty. This is a book I can pick up over and over again when I need to feel inspired and encouraged. 10/10 recommend!
April 22, 2021
This book pulls on my heartstrings with its powerful words, sprinkled with what it means to serve your island community. The Pacific, with Micronesia in mind, is more than media portrayals, military treaties, and grains of sand in a large ocean. The art published and produced by our islands, like this book, carries the heavy responsibility to re-present what makes our region beautiful. Julian Aguon is skilled at creating timeless pieces for islander youth to share what local activism toward self-determination or climate change looks and feels like. You see, this book illustrates the resiliency of the Pacific Islands to fight for the interests of our region. Be aware of the current events, see the beauty around you, and be prepared to watch history in the making.
May 14, 2021
This a very fantastic book, the words to the detailed and place very intelligently. It pro plus level writing! I don't like reading as much; however, for this book, I read it twice and plan to reread it because I could have missed something. The book is about 100 pages, not that much reading; however, it covers so many topics. When you said, "I don't think hearts can pure however it can be good" page 49. that statement is more having to use only a few words; however, it has so many meanings. The book contains so much purely genius writing it's a must-read 100%.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 28, 2021
This was a beautiful book. I loved the poems celebrating the wisdom of our non-human teachers and lifting up all those who came before. This was an energetic book, finding hope in darkness and calling out for our collective imaginative powers. This book was not an in-depth discussion of issues. Colonization, climate change, environmental degradation, indigeneity, and justice were weaved into the speeches, essays, and poems, but Aguon did not provide the level of exploration or discussion I was expecting.
December 3, 2021
One of the most prolific writers of our time. Blown away by this book. How Julian is able to weave militarization of his homeland, colonization, grief, love, poetry, stories from elders, Indigenous knowledge and even the most beautiful graduation speeches into a book with so much balance. Cried so many times reading this book. Wish he was our colleges commencement speaker, the gay uncle at my dinner table and/or the person to sit next to on the bus. Brilliant, so much more to listen and learn from. One of those books that can change your life.
May 9, 2025
I read this in one sitting. A beautiful depiction of life in Guam. Extremely moving and emotional. I grew up in the States, but both of my parents are Chamorro. I have deep ties to the Island and I felt every word in this book. This book sheds light on Chamorro culture, colonization, militarization, and what it truly means to be strong even when you’re born with the odds against you.
“That, and for your inner life, a good coat, because it can get very cold.”
“I prayed for her wings, not mine.”
“That, and for your inner life, a good coat, because it can get very cold.”
“I prayed for her wings, not mine.”
March 29, 2021
Gaosåli was one of the shortest pieces in the book, but definitely felt the most symbolic of an indigenous person, especially Julian’s description of the existence of the flower and the environment that it thrives in. The CHamoru people have gone through 500 years of colonization. While our bloodlines are blended with that of our colonizers, that does not take away our ties to our ancestors and the land that has been passed down to us as a result of our indigeneity.
May 13, 2021
A MUST-READ! It is a Gift, It is truth, 10-fold. The author is nakedly honest and sits in his truth, Good, Bad & the Ugliest of Doom. Like the prayer, The Properties of Perpetual Light brings forth
Self wisdom, love, sadness understanding, and the author's intuition are his words that equal to truth. No matter what you are going through, imperfection is perfect! It's for YOUR SPIRIT, SOUL, AND Inner Processing. Validating it all!
Self wisdom, love, sadness understanding, and the author's intuition are his words that equal to truth. No matter what you are going through, imperfection is perfect! It's for YOUR SPIRIT, SOUL, AND Inner Processing. Validating it all!
February 3, 2022
I finished my library copy and immediately bought copies for myself and several friends because I want nothing more than to put this book in as many hands, hearts, and heads as possible. Aguon chooses every word with the precision of a poet transforming even the most simple seeming essays into works of art. Somehow, beautifully, I left my reading experience feeling both soothed and ready to fight all the wrongs of the world.
September 10, 2022
Great collection of stories, speeches, poetry, essays, and conversational footnotes from the author as an ode to Guam and all it’s been through. It was just the extra push I needed to read more about my own culture again, making me a tad bit more empathetic and in love with the heart of all the little islands and their populations on this planet. It makes me thankful and almost more protective of my own country’s soul.
September 24, 2021
I learned more about Guam in these 100 odd pages than I'd learned before in my life.
There are so many shout outs to favorite authors and activists. Including Arundhati Roy, Louise Erdrich, Joy Harjo, Audre Lorde, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Epeli Hau'ofa, Anne Perez Hattori (historian), Teresia Teaiwa
There are so many shout outs to favorite authors and activists. Including Arundhati Roy, Louise Erdrich, Joy Harjo, Audre Lorde, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Epeli Hau'ofa, Anne Perez Hattori (historian), Teresia Teaiwa
November 20, 2022
Basically an earlier version of No Country for Eight-Spot Butterflies: A Lyric Essay. Still great, but disappointing because I've read this before and was hoping for different content.
August 16, 2025
I’ve been meaning to read this book for years — what a gift to have finally gotten to it! Julian Aguon’s writing is powerful, grounded in his life experiences, beautiful. I realized how much I don’t know about Guam, about the impacts of nuclear testing on the Marshallese. The author’s commitment to work for a better world despite the odds inspires me and gives me hope.
August 8, 2021
so devastating and beautiful at the same time. julian somehow covers so many different aspects of life, literature, and social justice on so few, but such powerful pages - im truly amazed wow wow wow
March 6, 2022
A lovely collection of poems and essays. I think I was a little disappointed because the reviews on the book jacket promised this short book would change my life, and…not really. But I enjoyed it immensely.
July 18, 2022
I was impressed at Julian Aguon's skill in painting a picture of life on Guam in such short bits of prose. Each short story shared a raw reality that invited me to consider Guam in a new light. Any military personnel stationed here should give this collection a read.
October 17, 2025
A very interesting perspective by a writer from Guam about identity and colonization and what life is like when you live somewhere that it isn't fully a part of the United States but belongs to the United States. I learned a lot
April 9, 2021
Beautifully written. I was very inspired by his insights and activism. Julian Aguon is a true CHamoru hero for our island culture and political rights. Everyone should read this!
May 13, 2021
An amazing book. Would definitely recommend as a read
May 13, 2021
Book is full of lovely little gems of writing and insight. I do wish it was longer and had a bit more substantive essays. However I really enjoyed it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews