Nita Umali Berthelsen
And I am delighted to bring to it works of Nita Umali Berthelsen, my aunt, godmother, and recently, 'neighbor' in this provincial town of Tiaong, with a kinship rediscovered and renewed in an unexpected and serendipitous crossroad. She shares with us from a treasure trove of her past works. Emma is a collection of stories that "forms a continuous whole. . for the most part, a chronicle of the decline of the Philippine provincial gentry."

The Legazpi Expedition, also by Nita Umali Berthelsen, is one of 12 historical essays from a 1971 publication - 12 EVENTS THAT HAVE INFLUENCED PHILIPPINE HISTORY. StuartXchange is hoping to resurrect this outstanding collection of historical articles by 12 men and women of letters. (See: IX and Publications for the titles of the 12 articles)

The Longest Christmas, a seasonal essay, returns to Salmagundi.

Jessica Bryan
Ms. Jessica Bryan's The Wake and The Filipino Elvis Presley are chapters of a book that has finally gone into publication: Psychic Surgery and Faith Healing: In the Lowlands of Pangasinan — a fascinating account of her recurrent excursions to the Philippines, wading into an unfamiliar culture as she explored its alternative healing practices, and in the end, becoming the "reluctant healer." The book may be purchased on Amazon.com or by contacting her directly.

Joseph Sheedy
Joseph Sheedy will be sharing his photographs with us. Now totally retired from the humdrum angst of a psychologist, he dedicates his days to expressions in photography. His featured photograph: Scotpost. (Click to enlarge)