Song of a Reformed Headhunter

Weekly column written for the Singapore Unbound newsletter. Sign up here . A 16-year-old student has been charged for the murder of a 13-year-old in their school in Singapore. The tragedy has shocked the country, which has very low rates of violent crimes. A chronological account of the incident was given by the Education Minister in Parliament. The 16-year-old was assessed at the Institute for Mental Health in 2019 after he attempted to commit suicide at the age of 14. This new revelation has prompted even more calls for a review of counseling services in Singapore schools. Especially perceptive and eloquent was the call for greater mental health resources and support for schools issued by President Halimah Yacob . In Singapore, those found guilty of murder may receive the death penalty. A minor below the age of 18 will not get the death sentence, but may be imprisoned for life instead. It is no surprise that at least one social-media comment has called for the 16-year-o...

Weekly Column for Singapore Unbound newsletter. Sign up here .  We're proud to announce that Gaudy Boy's Poetry Book Prize co-winner The Experiment of the Tropics by Lawrence Lacambra Ypil has been selected by The Millions as 1 of 6 must-read poetry books for April 2019. Congratulations, Larry, on this wonderful honor! At the book's New York launch last week, Larry shared that much of the book, which meditates on archival photographs of the Philippines under American occupation, was written in Clementi hawker center in Singapore. That, we fondly imagine, must have enhanced the book's delicious tropical lyricism. April is National Poetry Month in the USA and Canada. Introduced in 1996, the annual celebration of poetry organized by the Academy of American Poets has the laudable aim of increasing awareness and appreciation of poetry in the USA. It was inspired by the success of Black History Month, held in February, and Women's History Month, held in March, but i...