UOG Press celebrates famalao’an poet Arielle Taitano Lowe and her upcoming book Ocean Mother
UOG Press celebrates famalao’an poet Arielle Taitano Lowe and her upcoming book Ocean Mother
UOG Press celebrates famalao’an poet Arielle Taitano Lowe and her upcoming book Ocean Mother
2/15/2024
The University of Guam Press is launching Ocean Mother, a collection of poems that weave memories from author Arielle Taitano Lowe’s childhood living in Guam.
“Ocean Mother is inspired by the deep love I have for my home island of Guam, by my family and ancestors, and by the next generations of CHamoru poets,” said Lowe.
Lowe is a Chamorrita poet, born and raised in Guam and currently based in Hawai’i. Her work has been featured in Poem-a-Day by the Academy of American Poets, Indigenous Pacific Islander Eco-Literatures, and Indigenous Literatures from Micronesia.
“As the daughter and granddaughter of CHamoru fishermen, the ocean has always been an important place for sharing stories. I want to continue the storytelling traditions that carry our culture.”
Ocean Mother is published through UOG Press’s Famalao’an Poets Project which seeks to amplify and celebrate poetry written by CHamoru women. The project is made possible through the support of an Equity in Verse grant awarded to the UOG Press by the Poetry Foundation, an independent literary organization that is committed to increasing and strengthening the presence of poetry within the United States.
The book’s launch will be held at the UOG Fine Arts Theatre on March 2, 2024, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. The event will include spoken word performances by the author and select famalao’an spoken word poets. An author signing and meet and greet will follow and refreshments will be provided.
All patrons must register on UOG Press’s Eventbrite page to attend the book launch and spoken word performance. Reservations can be made at uogpress-ocean-mother.eventbrite.com.
“Famalao'an poetry, local poetry, and local art provide a platform for our artists to express themselves,” Lowe said. “It provides relief, connection, and creativity. We need our people to have space to dream and innovate.”
Lowe hopes to show youth the opportunities for local poets to publish their work and will be hosting various author readings and writing workshops for various high school students on the island.
Details for a poetry workshop for the public and a Hawaii-based book launch will be announced soon. Interested participants are encouraged to follow UOG Press on social media at @uogpress for more updates.
Ocean Mother is available for pre-order for $15 at uogpress.com.
For more information, please contact:
UOG Press Publicist Via Justine De Fant at (671) 735-2153 or defantv@triton.uog.edu.