Televised book launch of Julian Aguonâs acclaimed memoir premieres March 29
The latest book by Guam author and attorney Julian Aguon, a memoir titled âThe Properties of Perpetual Light,â will be released at 7 p.m. on Monday, March 29, with a televised launch on Channel 12. The launch will be hosted by the bookâs publisher, the , in partnership with PBS Guam and the Bank of Guam with support from the Graphic Center. The event will also be streamed on PBS Guamâs YouTube channel and rebroadcasted at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 4.
During the launch, Aguon will read excerpts from the book and respond to questions from °”ÍűAV 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. â 4 p.m. on Saturday, April 3, in the atrium of the
°”ÍűAVâs 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.
âThe Properties of Perpetual Lightâ is an homage to Aguonâs work as an activist-writer,
which he describes as âthe work of bearing witness, wrestling with the questions of
oneâs day, telling children the truth.â Featuring prose and poetry, Aguonâs 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 DĂaz and Alice Walker. Naomi Klein, author of âThe Shock Doctrineâ and âThis Changes Everything,â wrote, âOverflowing with warmth and wisdom and defying all categorization, âThe Properties of Perpetual Lightâ 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 knifeâs edge.â
âThe Properties of Perpetual Lightâ 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 °”ÍűAV Press and local and international bookstores starting March 29.
Other reviewers have said:
âA breathtaking book and I mean it â this book took my breath away. âThe Properties of Perpetual Lightâ 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.â
â Junot DĂaz
Author of âThe Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,â Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for
Fiction
âA powerful, beautiful book. Its fierce love â of the land, the ocean, the elders and the ancestors â warms the heart and moves the spirit.â
â Alice Walker
Author of âThe Color Purple,â 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.
The °”ÍűAV Press advances regional scholarship, develops cultural literacy, and expands accessibility to knowledge about Micronesia by providing high-quality, peer-reviewed publishing services.