lit on the web: warm bodies 2

One of the most wonderful aspects of the internet is the ability to publish online. This equivalent to the offline small-press has the potential to reach a vast wired audience - and people are doing wonderful things with it.

One of the most recent examples is Warm Bodies 2: Orange Sunset, an anthology (or "blogpilation", a term coined by a blogger) of blog entries by various authors writing about change. Edited by Oscar Alvarez, Jr., Noreen Capili & Jonathan Catalla, this is the second in the series of blog-lit anthologies, following Warm Bodies: The Kris Aquino Complex. The editors have selected an interesting mix from new authors of different stripes writing in both English and Filipino, mixing polished pieces with posts that tremble with raw energy - a hallmark of the developing Pinoy blogosphere.

The Pinoy blogosphere is an interesting place and there are a many guides down its wildly growing expanse. I am happy to learn that a form of literature has taken root and is, in fact, already showing off its exquisite blooms and filling the air with its own heady scent. It was only a matter of time before Filipino bloggers realized that in addition to posting endless political opinions and love-related angst, blogs can and should be used as tools of creative expression - which includes essays and observations about personal conditions (blogger condition = Filipino condition = human condition).

Blogs are messy places by mature, which is part of their charm, but the editors have espoused a theme and selected appropiate pieces. My only wish (and it's not a complaint) is for the editors to cast their nets even wider, with less multiple representations from the same author - but as an anthologist myself, I understand this sometimes occurs.

The best thing about all this is that it's all free. Absolutely free, in the truest spirit of the internet. Warm Bodies 2 can be downloaded here, while the earlier volume is available here.

My hat is off to the editors for coming up with this. And it's ongoing. They are already soliciting submissions for Warm Bodies 3: Nostalgia Galore. For details, head on over to The White Papers.