pLong considered the dean of modern Philippine literature, N. V. M. Gonzalez has influenced an entire generation of young Philippine writers and has also acquired a devoted international readership. His books, however, are not widely available in this country. iThe Bread of Salt and Other Storiesi provides a retrospective selection of sixteen of his short stories all originally written in English, arranged in order of their writing, from the early 1950s to the present day.ppThis is a powerful collection, both for the unity and universality of the author's subjects and themes and for the distinctive character of his prose style. As Gonzalez remarks in his Preface In tone and subject matter, these stories might suggest coming full circle - in the learning of one's craft, in finding a language and, finally, in discovering a country of one's own.ppGonzalez has traveled widely and has taught the writer's craft in various countries. Nonetheless, his primary metaphor is his colonial island h