Philosopher poet's book launch set Dec. 4

MANILA, Philippines - ‘Gloriahell O Garci (Hustisya at Higanti ng Tula)’ by poet philosopher and historian Domingo Castro de Guzman will be launched Saturday Dec. 4 at the Restaurant of Choice (ROC) UP Bahay ng Alumni in Diliman at 6 p.m.

The book includes the 147-page title poem which the poet himself describes as ‘the most scandalous poem to see print in the Philippines to date’, an elegy for the late poet Diana Gamalinda, three essays and an open letter to President Aquino.

The Gloriahell poem is a collaged chronicle of what the poet calls the ‘crime’ and the scandal as it was happening, or how the former president stole the election from national artist Fernando Poe Jr., at the same time taking to task the no less “criminal” intellectuals and media people who facilitated it.

De Guzman won first prize in the Palanca awards for poetry in 1977 for his epic poem “Moses”. His books include “Praxis and Philosophy”, “The Presocratics”, “The Power to Die, the Ontological Difference, and the Logic of Absolute Violence”, and “The Evil That Men Do”.

De Guzman is set to complete his 1000-page ‘Critique of Nietzsche’ next year. He taught philosophy and political theory at UP Diliman and history at UP Manila.