Three Books by Mesándel Virtusio Arguelles, trans. by Kristine Ong Muslim
PBS Autumn Recommended Translation 2020

Three Books, translated by Kristine Ong Muslim, with illustrations by Erika M. Carreon, is an essential introduction to the work of Filipino poet Mesándel Virtusio Arguelles. It includes Arguelles’ previous works Chi, Mal, and Antares. Arguelles’ poetry is a result of her unique deconstructive processes: intensely curated erasures from a variety of primary texts. The final product, further amplified by translation, is a hyper-modern, radical poetry, minimalist in style and important not just for what it includes, but also for what it excludes.