During the launch, Aguon will read excerpts from the book and respond to questions from University of Guam students, who have read an advanced copy of the book.    

UOG Press will also host a socially distanced book signing, where books may be purchased and signed by Aguon from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 3, in the atrium of the University of Guam’s Humanities and Social Sciences building. The event will feature a live musical performance by Microchild. Masks are required and the community is encouraged to bring an umbrella as social distancing may push the line outside the building. 
 
“The Properties of Perpetual Light” is an homage to Aguon’s work as an activist-writer, which he describes as “the work of bearing witness, wrestling with the questions of one’s day, telling children the truth.” Featuring prose and poetry, Aguon’s memoir weaves together stories from his childhood in the villages of Guam with searing political commentary about everything from nuclear weapons to climate change.

The book has received acclaim from notable authors and Pulitzer Prize novelists including Junot Díaz and Alice Walker. Naomi Klein, author of “The Shock Doctrine” and “This Changes Everything,” wrote, “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.”

“The Properties of Perpetual Light” is now available for pre-order at uog.edu/uogpress, the UOG Triton Store, itascabooks.com, JulianAguon.com, and Amazon.com. This title is sold for $23 and will be available for purchase at the University of Guam Press and local and international bookstores starting March 29. 

Other reviewers have said: 

“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

“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

For more information, please contact UOG Press Marketing Communications Coordinator Akina Chargualaf at (671) 735-2154 or achargualaf@triton.uog.edu. 

About UOG Press

The University of Guam Press advances regional scholarship, develops cultural literacy, and expands accessibility to knowledge about Micronesia by providing high-quality, peer-reviewed publishing services.