By Edwin D. Arceo
I attended the launch of Isa Garcia’s book, Found: Letters on Love, Life and God, and I must say that this a launch quite unlike the previous book launches I attended. That night was filled with emotions, spoken word performances, and of course, letter readings by women, which is the main theme of the book.
Found is written by a woman for women. But it does not mean that men can’t read it—because I did. Men, if you want to have a deeper understanding of women and their “concerns,” Found could be a good read for you.
Found is a nice looking book; the cover was designed by illustrator Crae Achacoso, a graphic artist and an art director for a quarterly wedding magazine, including the 12 hand lettered postcards—which looks great by the way—attached within the pages of the book. The book has a nice feel when you hold it, not so thick and not so thin, in other words, it’s just the right size…I love the feel of books in my hands. The paper they used inside are thicker than usual…which is not surprising because it costs P550 pesos retail.
OMF Literature Publishing Manager, Yna Reyes, welcoming the audience to the event.
As I read Isa’s letters addressed to a variety of women, you’ll get to know the author and her struggles, hopes, and dreams. One remarkable letter was the one written to the “girl who doubts her brilliant mind,” where Isa describes the REALLY SMART girl. Let me quote a short paragraph, “Being smart is beautiful. And smart is definitely not a consolation. Because smart get things done. Smart engages conversation. Smart embraces diversity. Smart cultivates new ideas.”
OMF Lit’s Stef Juan handing over to Isa Garcia her author’s copies of Found.
OMF Literature, Isa’s publisher, describes her as “having a way with words that makes you feel that she knows you and you’ve been friends as long as you can remember.” I’ve been friends with a few girls when I was in high school and college and I couldn’t agree more with that description. God’s design for women makes them unique in a special way that men may find it hard to fully grasp.
Author, Isa Garcia, tells the audience the journey that the book took before it got published.
And now to the girl who sits in a darkened room, all lonely and dejected by the hurts she has encountered, you are not alone. God loves you and Isa’s letters are proof of this.
Found: Letters on Love, Life and God by Isa Garcia is available, as I mentioned above, for P550, in all OMF Literature and Passages bookshops nationwide, PCBS, National Bookstore branches and online at www.passagesbooks.com.
Below are photos of the launch which included letter readers, spoken word artists and a student of Isa’s who sang. Also in attendance were the founders of plump.ph, the first-ever plus-size fashion and body positive lifestyle web magazine in the Philippines.
Janelle Batacan of the Better Story Project
Isa’s co-faculty, Chris Lacdao
One of Isa’s students, Renee Villanueva who did a spoken word performance
Rika Callangan
Danah Gutierrez
