Arlene Biala was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area. Her poetry explores stories of the generations who have left their native lands to live in America, particularly Philipino/a people. A performance artist with an MFA from the New College of California in San Francisco, she has studied under poets Genny Lim, Juan Felipe Herrera, Margarita Luna Robles, David Meltzer, and Lyn Hejinian. She performs with her brothers, Jimmy Biala on percussion and Billy Biala on saxophone, throughout California. Her stark, tender, sensual and political poetry goes beyond chronological storytelling into the dance of simultaneous experiences called forth by tragedy, family, and love.something reminds me that I am nextin line to continue the chantmeanwhile my mother is telling me not to be afraid she is telling mestories of her childhoodso that I may learn to be patientshe is teaching me to gather firewoodto pick up memories like pele’s tearsshining in the damp soil.

Continental Drift

Literature & Fiction

Biala, Arlene

United States

West End Press

HER BECKONING HANDS by Arlene Biala is a collection of poems as prayer flags, offerings across the ocean, earth and sky. Biala's poems respond to family members, ancestors, spirits, deities, and beings whose voices have called out to her, and whose stories are of daily blessings, suffering, joy and longing.

her beckoning hands

Poetry

WordTech Communications LLC

<p>one inch punch is a collection of poems responding to the call of ancestors and our own broken bodies, spirits and earth. Each poem offering flows from gut, muscle, and memory into fingertips to strike from the closest distance between "us" and "them," reminding us that beyond each rise to action we must remain rooted in love.</p>

one inch punch

Word Poetry

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Books by Biala, Arlene