photos above from the 46th installment of the bi-weekly Happy Mondays Poetry Nights @ mag:net cafe Katipunan. thanks for the continuous support, mga prends. kitakits ulit sa 47th installment on March 2. :)
Monday, February 23, 2009
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Messages
By Carljoe Javier
Nena held the slip of paper in her trembling hand. “Jing 09192430831,” it read.
She thought, I shouldn’t have washed those dishes after ironing the uniforms. She’d forgotten about the pasma that bothered her from time to time. If her mother had been around and seen her move towards the sink, she would have given Nena a long lecture about it; but then she was gone and the dishes needed to be washed because the water would be cut off soon.
She held her right hand in her left, the right clenched in a fist that would not be steadied, and the left trying to wrap around to calm its movement.
She remembered her high school science teacher and the argument they’d had over pasma. He’d told her that there was no such thing as pasma, no scientific explanation or definition of it, so it could not possibly exist. She sat there smiling and thinking of her mother’s hands as the teacher lectured on about the lack of evidence to make him believe in it.
Jing was one of her buddies from high school, one of the few friends she had who was still in the country. Most of them had gone abroad in hopes of faring better there, but she and Jing had stayed behind. Jing hadn’t finished college, but she had married a man who inherited his family’s businesses. So since she didn’t have to work, she spent most of her time going out or shopping.
When they had bumped into each other a few weeks ago as Nena was buying her kids’ school supplies, Jing invited her out to the bar her husband owned. Jing said that Nena could text her when she had some free time and they’d catch up on old times.
The old times, she thought. Those were the days, when they were single, out looking for boys, decked out in bell-bottoms, listening to rock and roll. There wasn’t much to worry or care about then.
Now she had kids and bills. She couldn’t even think of putting on a pair of bell-bottoms; mostly what she had in the closet were her bank uniforms and just a few sets of clothes for going out, since she spent most of her weekends at home anyway.
She stood up from her bed and moved over to the phonograph across the room. She’d received it as a college graduation gift from her parents, who had already passed away. She replaced the rock record with a disco album, one of her favorites. The music always made her want to dance. It reminded her of those college days when she went out and partied.
She worked overtime most days just to bring a little extra cash home. On weekends, if she had the energy, she would get some extra income by doing some telemarketing. She’d tried selling insurance, too, but the hassle of going out to meet with people was something she wasn’t willing to put up with.
On weekdays she came home from the bank with just enough energy to make the kids dinner. Then on weekends the kids would leave her at home while she fixed up the house and tried to get some rest.
It had been this way since her husband had left them. Shortly after Kitty, their third child, had been born, he went to work in the Middle East. He sent them money for a few years, but wrote less and less with each year. Then he came back and told them about his new family, and they never saw him again.
It would’ve been fine with Nena to go on without him. She’d noticed in his letters that he hadn’t been writing with as much passion as he used to. The letters had gone from being about how much he missed his family, to what seemed like progress reports running down what he’d been doing. The problem was that he didn’t even bother to send any money to help support their children.
She wanted to send her kids to the best schools that she could afford, even if meant giving up her own social life. She made enough as an assistant manager to get them by, but she always had to worry about the next month’s three tuition bills, or one of the kids getting sick, or some other potential financial crisis.
A raise sure would help, she thought. But then she couldn’t qualify for one. In fact, she wasn’t even qualified to be an assistant manager, although she was promoted anyway because she’d been at the bank for so long. If only she could learn how to handle those new computers and work with all the new technology.
It was just that she’d graduated from college without ever touching a computer, and she had trouble getting used to it. She didn’t have the patience or time to study it, what with all those bills being slipped under her door. Who has time to study computers when you have to keep finding ways to keep Meralco from cutting off your electricity? she thought.
But enough worrying, she said to herself, you’ve gotten through the toughest month of the year, and you deserve a reward, after saving and scrounging during the summer vacation so that you could set aside enough money to pay for the school registration and first month’s tuition fees.
And along with the first days of school came the shopping. The shopping was the worst part of the school opening rush because not only did it cost her most of her paycheck, but it also cut into her rest time. Instead of lying down and recovering from the week’s work, she found herself at a crowded shopping mall trading elbows with other, more aggressive mothers. They would grab the notebooks that she would be picking through or cut in front of her at the cashier lines.
She needed her rest time. On weekends, after lunch, she would give the kids some extra money so that they would leave the house. Then she would lock herself in her bedroom, pop something from her old collection of records into the player, stretch out, and shut her eyes from the problems.
But the kids would always be back too soon, and so would all the problems. Stop thinking about those problems, she thought. This was her chance to leave those things behind, even if it was just for one night. It was a chance for her to get back with Jing, to get back to the old times. She would go out to a bar and have a few drinks and see a show.
It had been such a long time since she’d been out to a bar. The last time was with her husband, before she’d gotten pregnant with Kitty, and now Kitty was thirteen. She wondered what kind of bar it would be. She used to go out to the concert bars, but she’d heard that the fad nowadays was the stand-up comedy bar. Jing hadn’t told her what kind of place it was. It doesn’t matter, she thought, I just want to go out and be with an old friend, it doesn’t matter where we go.
I’ll text Jing as soon as Alan or Jon gets home, she thought. Then she started thinking about who would get home first. Jon, her eldest, had asked for more money, so he’d probably be out with his girlfriend. Alan’s friends had dropped by earlier looking for him, so they’d probably be out playing basketball. So Alan will get home earlier, she thought, I’ll text Jing when he gets here.
No, I’ll have Alan text Jing.
She had already bought cellphones for her two boys, and Kitty was asking for one, too. She’d gone with them to buy their phones, and the clerk had explained to her how to work them, but she had gotten tired of so many details. All that talk about logos, backlights, casings, WAP, SIM cards, and other things made her dizzy, so she’d left the kids there and went to buy a Biogesic.
As she waited for Alan she paced around the room. Then she opened up the closet and looked at the clothes she could wear. She picked through the evening dresses that were either too formal or looked like the things an older woman would wear if she was trying to look young. There were satin floral patterns, sequined sleeves, pastel-colored skirts, and other things that her sister in New York had tired of and sent her. Then she went through the small stack of casual clothes she had. She settled on the jeans that she wore for shopping and a shirt that Kitty had given her for her last birthday.
She closed the closet and stretched out on the bed. Just as she was about to fall asleep she heard a bang from the front door, heavy footsteps, and the creak of the other bedroom’s door. Then there were thuds of shoes being thrown aside.
She got up and turned off the record player. She never listened to the music she liked when the kids were around, they were always listening to theirs. She heard the blaring, grinding sound of guitars start from the other room.
How could they call that music, she thought. She could never understand the things her kids were listening to, but she just put up with it all because she knew that her parents felt the same way about the things that she listened to.
She knocked on the door to the boys’ room, then opened it. Alan took his sweaty shirt off and threw it into the already-filled clothes hamper. The mound was piling up and there were socks, handkerchiefs and face towels lying around it. She remembered that she had to take those to the laundromat before she went out with Jing.
“Can you text someone for me,” she asked Alan.
“Here’s my phone, I’m just going to take a shower.” He handed her the phone, then grabbed a towel and moved towards the door.
“But I don’t know how to use this-“
“It’s easy, Ma, just press menu, choose messages, then write messages, type in your message, press send, put the number, then send,” Alan said as he walked down the stairs.
“Just text this for me,” she said, pointing the cellphone at him. She followed him down the stairs.
“I have to take a shower now, Ma.”
“No, you can’t shower yet, you’ll get pasma.”
“Come on Ma, there’s no such thing as pasma. And the water ration will be cut off soon,” he said as he shut the bathroom door.
She looked at the bathroom door, then heard the shower start. Then she looked down at the phone.
She looked at the screen, but she couldn’t find the menu. “Where’s the menu?” She screamed over the rush of the water.
The water shut off. “Oh, it must be locked, just unlock it, then it’ll show up.”
“How?”
“It says right there, you press that center button, then the asterisk.” He turned on the water again and its sound seemed to meld with the metal music, creating a steady, throbbing drone.
She did as he said, although her hand was starting to shake, first pressing the center button with her thumb, then carefully and slowly pressing down on the asterisk, but nothing happened. She tried again, still nothing. “It won’t work!”
“Just do as it says. Did you press quickly?” he screamed over the sound of the water.
She unlocked the keypad, then pressed menu. Her hand twitched more as she tried to steady it.
“Now what?”
“Like I said,” the water turned off, “go to messages, then write messages, send, number, send.”
She looked through the menu, passing the message screen twice, her hand twitching as she scrolled through the options. “I can’t find it!”
“Geez Ma! It’s right there!” The water turned on again.
She scrolled more slowly and found it the third time then went to the write messages option.
She’d never written a text message before. Her thumb wasn’t used to the repetitive pressing to get the words together. At the same time jolts were starting to mix in with the twitches. It took her a long time to finish the word “hello.” Then she had to ask what key the space bar was.
“Zero!” Alan screamed over the beating of the drops of water.
She spelled out each word, which made writing the message doubly difficult. She bit down on her lip as she pressed the keys, tried to steady her right hand by holding it with her left, and resisted the urge to curse each time that she pressed a key too many or too few times. Each tap of the keypad made the twitching worse, adding to the mounting frustration with the phone and a building irritation with herself. Beads of sweat were starting to drip from her brow, the saltiness biting into her eyes, but she ignored it, trying to focus on the phone.
It took her a long time, but she finished the message. “Okay, I finished it, now what?” She wiped her brow with her left hand, letting the right hand shake. Both hands were sweaty now from the pasma and sudden stress.
“Press options, then choose send.”
She pressed the options button, caught her hand as it jolted, then hit the arrow key and pressed OK. The screen was empty. “It’s gone!”
The shower stopped again.
“What’s gone?”
“The message is gone.”
“You sent it?”
“No, it’s gone, I pressed options, then okay, and now it’s gone,” she said, her voice breaking at the last words. Her hand was shaking uncontrollably.
“You erased it. I can’t believe you don’t know how to text,” he said through the door. “You’ll just have to type it again. Ma, you really have to learn about these kinds of things. It’s so simple, you just have to pay attention.” The water started again.
Her mind filled with the roar of the water and the music from the upstairs bedroom. Her hands were now slick with sweat. She’d slumped onto the stairway, sobbing.
She held the phone in her shaking right hand, bumping and beating to the tremors. The screen stared blankly at her, while the cursor kept up its constant winking.
In her left hand was the piece of paper, creased and wrinkled. The ink was running, dragged by the river of sweat across the paper and onto her fingertips. The numbers were left unrecognizable, lost in the stains and smudges.
*for discussion, E-105 classes
Nena held the slip of paper in her trembling hand. “Jing 09192430831,” it read.
She thought, I shouldn’t have washed those dishes after ironing the uniforms. She’d forgotten about the pasma that bothered her from time to time. If her mother had been around and seen her move towards the sink, she would have given Nena a long lecture about it; but then she was gone and the dishes needed to be washed because the water would be cut off soon.
She held her right hand in her left, the right clenched in a fist that would not be steadied, and the left trying to wrap around to calm its movement.
She remembered her high school science teacher and the argument they’d had over pasma. He’d told her that there was no such thing as pasma, no scientific explanation or definition of it, so it could not possibly exist. She sat there smiling and thinking of her mother’s hands as the teacher lectured on about the lack of evidence to make him believe in it.
Jing was one of her buddies from high school, one of the few friends she had who was still in the country. Most of them had gone abroad in hopes of faring better there, but she and Jing had stayed behind. Jing hadn’t finished college, but she had married a man who inherited his family’s businesses. So since she didn’t have to work, she spent most of her time going out or shopping.
When they had bumped into each other a few weeks ago as Nena was buying her kids’ school supplies, Jing invited her out to the bar her husband owned. Jing said that Nena could text her when she had some free time and they’d catch up on old times.
The old times, she thought. Those were the days, when they were single, out looking for boys, decked out in bell-bottoms, listening to rock and roll. There wasn’t much to worry or care about then.
Now she had kids and bills. She couldn’t even think of putting on a pair of bell-bottoms; mostly what she had in the closet were her bank uniforms and just a few sets of clothes for going out, since she spent most of her weekends at home anyway.
She stood up from her bed and moved over to the phonograph across the room. She’d received it as a college graduation gift from her parents, who had already passed away. She replaced the rock record with a disco album, one of her favorites. The music always made her want to dance. It reminded her of those college days when she went out and partied.
She worked overtime most days just to bring a little extra cash home. On weekends, if she had the energy, she would get some extra income by doing some telemarketing. She’d tried selling insurance, too, but the hassle of going out to meet with people was something she wasn’t willing to put up with.
On weekdays she came home from the bank with just enough energy to make the kids dinner. Then on weekends the kids would leave her at home while she fixed up the house and tried to get some rest.
It had been this way since her husband had left them. Shortly after Kitty, their third child, had been born, he went to work in the Middle East. He sent them money for a few years, but wrote less and less with each year. Then he came back and told them about his new family, and they never saw him again.
It would’ve been fine with Nena to go on without him. She’d noticed in his letters that he hadn’t been writing with as much passion as he used to. The letters had gone from being about how much he missed his family, to what seemed like progress reports running down what he’d been doing. The problem was that he didn’t even bother to send any money to help support their children.
She wanted to send her kids to the best schools that she could afford, even if meant giving up her own social life. She made enough as an assistant manager to get them by, but she always had to worry about the next month’s three tuition bills, or one of the kids getting sick, or some other potential financial crisis.
A raise sure would help, she thought. But then she couldn’t qualify for one. In fact, she wasn’t even qualified to be an assistant manager, although she was promoted anyway because she’d been at the bank for so long. If only she could learn how to handle those new computers and work with all the new technology.
It was just that she’d graduated from college without ever touching a computer, and she had trouble getting used to it. She didn’t have the patience or time to study it, what with all those bills being slipped under her door. Who has time to study computers when you have to keep finding ways to keep Meralco from cutting off your electricity? she thought.
But enough worrying, she said to herself, you’ve gotten through the toughest month of the year, and you deserve a reward, after saving and scrounging during the summer vacation so that you could set aside enough money to pay for the school registration and first month’s tuition fees.
And along with the first days of school came the shopping. The shopping was the worst part of the school opening rush because not only did it cost her most of her paycheck, but it also cut into her rest time. Instead of lying down and recovering from the week’s work, she found herself at a crowded shopping mall trading elbows with other, more aggressive mothers. They would grab the notebooks that she would be picking through or cut in front of her at the cashier lines.
She needed her rest time. On weekends, after lunch, she would give the kids some extra money so that they would leave the house. Then she would lock herself in her bedroom, pop something from her old collection of records into the player, stretch out, and shut her eyes from the problems.
But the kids would always be back too soon, and so would all the problems. Stop thinking about those problems, she thought. This was her chance to leave those things behind, even if it was just for one night. It was a chance for her to get back with Jing, to get back to the old times. She would go out to a bar and have a few drinks and see a show.
It had been such a long time since she’d been out to a bar. The last time was with her husband, before she’d gotten pregnant with Kitty, and now Kitty was thirteen. She wondered what kind of bar it would be. She used to go out to the concert bars, but she’d heard that the fad nowadays was the stand-up comedy bar. Jing hadn’t told her what kind of place it was. It doesn’t matter, she thought, I just want to go out and be with an old friend, it doesn’t matter where we go.
I’ll text Jing as soon as Alan or Jon gets home, she thought. Then she started thinking about who would get home first. Jon, her eldest, had asked for more money, so he’d probably be out with his girlfriend. Alan’s friends had dropped by earlier looking for him, so they’d probably be out playing basketball. So Alan will get home earlier, she thought, I’ll text Jing when he gets here.
No, I’ll have Alan text Jing.
She had already bought cellphones for her two boys, and Kitty was asking for one, too. She’d gone with them to buy their phones, and the clerk had explained to her how to work them, but she had gotten tired of so many details. All that talk about logos, backlights, casings, WAP, SIM cards, and other things made her dizzy, so she’d left the kids there and went to buy a Biogesic.
As she waited for Alan she paced around the room. Then she opened up the closet and looked at the clothes she could wear. She picked through the evening dresses that were either too formal or looked like the things an older woman would wear if she was trying to look young. There were satin floral patterns, sequined sleeves, pastel-colored skirts, and other things that her sister in New York had tired of and sent her. Then she went through the small stack of casual clothes she had. She settled on the jeans that she wore for shopping and a shirt that Kitty had given her for her last birthday.
She closed the closet and stretched out on the bed. Just as she was about to fall asleep she heard a bang from the front door, heavy footsteps, and the creak of the other bedroom’s door. Then there were thuds of shoes being thrown aside.
She got up and turned off the record player. She never listened to the music she liked when the kids were around, they were always listening to theirs. She heard the blaring, grinding sound of guitars start from the other room.
How could they call that music, she thought. She could never understand the things her kids were listening to, but she just put up with it all because she knew that her parents felt the same way about the things that she listened to.
She knocked on the door to the boys’ room, then opened it. Alan took his sweaty shirt off and threw it into the already-filled clothes hamper. The mound was piling up and there were socks, handkerchiefs and face towels lying around it. She remembered that she had to take those to the laundromat before she went out with Jing.
“Can you text someone for me,” she asked Alan.
“Here’s my phone, I’m just going to take a shower.” He handed her the phone, then grabbed a towel and moved towards the door.
“But I don’t know how to use this-“
“It’s easy, Ma, just press menu, choose messages, then write messages, type in your message, press send, put the number, then send,” Alan said as he walked down the stairs.
“Just text this for me,” she said, pointing the cellphone at him. She followed him down the stairs.
“I have to take a shower now, Ma.”
“No, you can’t shower yet, you’ll get pasma.”
“Come on Ma, there’s no such thing as pasma. And the water ration will be cut off soon,” he said as he shut the bathroom door.
She looked at the bathroom door, then heard the shower start. Then she looked down at the phone.
She looked at the screen, but she couldn’t find the menu. “Where’s the menu?” She screamed over the rush of the water.
The water shut off. “Oh, it must be locked, just unlock it, then it’ll show up.”
“How?”
“It says right there, you press that center button, then the asterisk.” He turned on the water again and its sound seemed to meld with the metal music, creating a steady, throbbing drone.
She did as he said, although her hand was starting to shake, first pressing the center button with her thumb, then carefully and slowly pressing down on the asterisk, but nothing happened. She tried again, still nothing. “It won’t work!”
“Just do as it says. Did you press quickly?” he screamed over the sound of the water.
She unlocked the keypad, then pressed menu. Her hand twitched more as she tried to steady it.
“Now what?”
“Like I said,” the water turned off, “go to messages, then write messages, send, number, send.”
She looked through the menu, passing the message screen twice, her hand twitching as she scrolled through the options. “I can’t find it!”
“Geez Ma! It’s right there!” The water turned on again.
She scrolled more slowly and found it the third time then went to the write messages option.
She’d never written a text message before. Her thumb wasn’t used to the repetitive pressing to get the words together. At the same time jolts were starting to mix in with the twitches. It took her a long time to finish the word “hello.” Then she had to ask what key the space bar was.
“Zero!” Alan screamed over the beating of the drops of water.
She spelled out each word, which made writing the message doubly difficult. She bit down on her lip as she pressed the keys, tried to steady her right hand by holding it with her left, and resisted the urge to curse each time that she pressed a key too many or too few times. Each tap of the keypad made the twitching worse, adding to the mounting frustration with the phone and a building irritation with herself. Beads of sweat were starting to drip from her brow, the saltiness biting into her eyes, but she ignored it, trying to focus on the phone.
It took her a long time, but she finished the message. “Okay, I finished it, now what?” She wiped her brow with her left hand, letting the right hand shake. Both hands were sweaty now from the pasma and sudden stress.
“Press options, then choose send.”
She pressed the options button, caught her hand as it jolted, then hit the arrow key and pressed OK. The screen was empty. “It’s gone!”
The shower stopped again.
“What’s gone?”
“The message is gone.”
“You sent it?”
“No, it’s gone, I pressed options, then okay, and now it’s gone,” she said, her voice breaking at the last words. Her hand was shaking uncontrollably.
“You erased it. I can’t believe you don’t know how to text,” he said through the door. “You’ll just have to type it again. Ma, you really have to learn about these kinds of things. It’s so simple, you just have to pay attention.” The water started again.
Her mind filled with the roar of the water and the music from the upstairs bedroom. Her hands were now slick with sweat. She’d slumped onto the stairway, sobbing.
She held the phone in her shaking right hand, bumping and beating to the tremors. The screen stared blankly at her, while the cursor kept up its constant winking.
In her left hand was the piece of paper, creased and wrinkled. The ink was running, dragged by the river of sweat across the paper and onto her fingertips. The numbers were left unrecognizable, lost in the stains and smudges.
*for discussion, E-105 classes
Monday, February 16, 2009
Happy Mondays XLVI
featured readers for the 46th installment of the bi-weekly Happy Mondays Poetry Nights @ mag:net cafe Katipunan TONIGHT, February 16, @mag:net cafe Katipunan are as follows:
1. Conchitina Cruz
2. Mabi David
3. Larry Ypil
4. Adam David
5. Twiggy Bastareche
6. Douglas Candano
7. Egay Samar
8. Andrea Teran
1. Conchitina Cruz
2. Mabi David
3. Larry Ypil
4. Adam David
5. Twiggy Bastareche
6. Douglas Candano
7. Egay Samar
8. Andrea Teran
9. JL Poquiz
10. Waps San Diego
10. Waps San Diego
11. Wincy Ong
12. Marne Kilates
13. Krip Yuson
14. Angelo Suarez
*plus other regular and surprise guest readers.
*plus other regular and surprise guest readers.*readings start promptly at 730 pm followed by the Open Mic sessions @ 930pm-10pm.
*for those interested in reading during the open mic, we will leave a sign-up sheet with Rogel, the bar tender of mag:net cafe. please feel free to sign up and read your work. :)
10pm onwards, Happy Mondays Bayaw zoundz featuring:
1. Roberto Nicolas Vs. Khavn
2. Patience, Dear Juggernaut
3. The Purple Chickens
2. Patience, Dear Juggernaut
3. The Purple Chickens
FREE ADMISSION the whole evening. Kitakits po tayo. :)
***
Books for Sale (pls use comment box if you are interested or email me, ramblingsoul@yahoo.com. i can bring them later sa Happy Mondays. Thanks!)
1. Mark Strand: Man and Camel (Poems, HB) -- P600
2. Edward Hirsch: Poet's Choice -- P400
3. William Logan: The Whispering Gallery (Poems) -- P250
4. Jorge Luis Borges: Labyrinths (Rare 1964 Edition) -- P400
5. Nick Carbo: Pinoy Poetics (Essays by Filipino Poets)-- P500
6. Ray Bradbury: The Martian Chronicles (HB) -- P400
7. Mark Haddon: The Talking Horse & Sad Girl & Village Under the Sea (Poems) -- P400
8. Tony Perez: Eros, Thanatos, Cubao -- P200
9. Chou-En-lai: In Quest (Poems) -- P250
10. Andrew Hudgins: Baabylon In A Jar (Poems) -- P250
11. Ray Bradbury: Something Wicked This Way Comes (HB) -- P400
12. Jose Garcia Villa: The Anchored Angel (Selected Writings) -- P500
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Call for Submissions: The 48th Dumaguete National Writers Workshop
The Dumaguete National Writers Workshop is now accepting applications for the 48th National Writers’ Workshop to be held May 4-15, 2009 in Dumaguete City.
This Writers Workshop is offering fifteen fellowships to promising young writers who would like a chance to hone their craft and refine their style. Fellows will be provided housing, a modest stipend, and a subsidy to partially defray costs of their transportation.
To be considered, applicants should submit manuscripts in English on or before March 27, 2009 (seven to ten poems; or three to five short stories; or three to five creative non-fiction essays). Manuscripts should be submitted in hard copy and on CD, preferably in MS Word, together with a resume, a recommendation letter from a literature professor or a writer of national standing, a certification that the works are original, and two 2X2 ID pictures.
Send all applications or requests for information to Department of English and Literature, attention Prof. A.G. Soluta, Chair, Silliman University, 6200 Dumaguete City.
This Writers Workshop is offering fifteen fellowships to promising young writers who would like a chance to hone their craft and refine their style. Fellows will be provided housing, a modest stipend, and a subsidy to partially defray costs of their transportation.
To be considered, applicants should submit manuscripts in English on or before March 27, 2009 (seven to ten poems; or three to five short stories; or three to five creative non-fiction essays). Manuscripts should be submitted in hard copy and on CD, preferably in MS Word, together with a resume, a recommendation letter from a literature professor or a writer of national standing, a certification that the works are original, and two 2X2 ID pictures.
Send all applications or requests for information to Department of English and Literature, attention Prof. A.G. Soluta, Chair, Silliman University, 6200 Dumaguete City.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
TABOAN: Philippine International Writers Festival 2009
11 to 13 FEBRUARY 2009
University of the Philippines Diliman (Feb 11)
Ateneo de Manila University (Feb 12)
Cubao Expo (Feb 13)
DAY 1, FEBRUARY 11, WEDNESDAY
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City
9:00AM OPENING PROGRAM
Venue: Pulungang Claro M. Recto, Bulwagang Rizal
Welcome Remarks
• UP Diliman Chancellor Sergio S. Cao
• NCCA Chair Vilma L. Labrador
• Festival Director Ricardo M. de Ungria
• Festival Coordinator Jose Y. Dalisay, Jr.
PHILIPPINE LITERATURE TODAY. The keynote address, a synoptic overview of where we’ve been and where we are, taking into account our literature in Filipino, English, and the regional languages; Philippine literature in the 21st century; and Philippine literature in the Asian and global context. To be delivered by National Artist Francisco Sionil Jose.
Venue: Pulungang Claro M. Recto, Bulwagang Rizal, UPD
9:45AM A TRIBUTE TO EDITH TIEMPO. The tribute to National Artist Edith L. Tiempo is a short poetry reading by Merlie Alunan, Dinah Roma, and Ronald Baytan, who all attended the Dumaguete National Workshop and have been influenced by Tiempo’s poetics. To date, Edith Tiempo is the sole woman National Artist for Literature.
Moderator: Marjorie Evasco
Venue: Pulungang Claro M. Recto, Bulwagang Rizal, UPD
10:30AM GANITO KAMI NOON: WRITING THROUGH THE DECADES. A plenary panel discussion to set the tone for all other panel discussions. A representative each from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s can talk about the conditions for writing and publishing in their eras and how things have changed, or maybe not. And where do we go from here?
Panelists: Elmer Ordonez (1950s), National Artist Virgilio S. Almario (1960s), José Pete Lacaba (1970s), Marjorie Evasco (1980s), Angelo Lacuesta (1990s)
Moderator: José Y. Dalisay, Jr.
Pulungang Claro M. Recto, Bulwagang Rizal, UPD
1:30PM ICONS OF THE NEW CENTURY: WRITERS WHOM WRITERS READ. Who are you reading and why? Who's your literary daddy (or mommy)? A discussion of literary influences and how they are shaping contemporary Philippine literature.
Panelists: Rebecca Añonuevo, Franklin Cimatu, Carlos Cortes, Francis Macansantos, Katrina Tuvera
Moderator: Gémino H. Abad
Venue: CAL New Building (CNB), Room 508
WRITING FOR A LIVING. What's writing like as a profession in the Philippines? What writing jobs pay, and how can writers get them? How should writers deal with writing commissions? What about copyrights and contracts? How do we break into the global market and find and deal with agents?
Panelists: Vietnamese writer Nguyen Bao Chan, Tony Enriquez, Kragi Garcia, Luis Katigbak, Charlson Ong, Alfred Yuson
Moderator: José Y. Dalisay, Jr.
Venue: CAL-AVR, 2/F Bulwagang Rizal, UPD
THE CREATIVE WRITING CLASSROOM. The teaching of creative writing, for the teachers among us: challenges, strategies, approaches, tips and tricks in the creative writing classroom.
Penelists: Merlie Alunan, Conchitina Cruz, Jun Cruz Reyes, Macario Tiu, Ricardo de Ungria
Moderator: Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo
Venue: CNB Inquirer Room 201
WORKSHOPPING THE WORKSHOP, ORGANIZING WRITERS. A review of the Dumaguete, Baguio, and Iligan workshops, plus maybe the biggest school-based ones, and how they grew. A sharing of best practices, as well as a discussion of common problems and situations. This panel can also deal with writers’ organizations, centers, institutes, and programs.
Panelists: Vicente Groyon III, Christine Godinez-Ortega, V.E. Carmelo D. Nadera Jr., Benilda Santos, Anthony Tan
Moderator: Lito Zulueta
Venue: CNB Rm 309
3:30 PM WRITING OFF-CENTER: THE REGIONAL EXPERIENCE. How goes creative writing and literary publishing outside of Metro Manila? Have new centers of literary activity emerged, and what are the keys to their success? What does it take to promote writing from the regions to broader audiences?
Panelists: John Bengan, Jose Jason Chancoco, Rey Duque, David Genotiva, Alice Tan-Gonzales
Moderator: Ricardo de Ungria
Venue: CNB Inquirer Room 201
ATBP: WRITING OFF THE MAINSTREAM. Gay/lesbian literature, chick lit, "spec fic", Chinoy lit , and all that jazz. What alternatives exist to straight, realist, mainstream lit? Is this kind of "pigeonholing" good or bad—or, when is it good, and when is it bad?
Panelists: Dean Francis Alfar, Jhoanna Cruz, J. Neil C. Garcia, Jaime An Lim, Tara FT. Sering
Moderator: Danton Remoto
Venue: CNB Room 309
FILIPINO-NESS IN THE GLOBAL AGE. A perennial hot topic in the blogosphere. How can "Filipino-ness" be defined? Is it an absolute necessity in this age of globalization? Is "nation" even a relevant concept? How can this be manifested in a literary work? Why don’t we seem to see enough of such central elements of Filipino life as crime, sex, and humor in our literature, or is that only in English?
Panelists: Efren Abueg, Leoncio Deriada, Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, Resil Mojares, Timothy Montes
Moderator: Isagani R. Cruz
Venue: CAL-AVR
DAY 2, FEBRUARY 12, THURSDAY
Ateneo de Manila University
Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City
9:00AM PLENARY
Venue: Leong Hall Auditorium
Program
• Opening Remarks, Prof. Ricardo de Ungria, Commissioner for the Arts, NCCA
• Welcome Address, Dr. Ma. Luz Vilches, Dean of the School of Humanities
• Message, Dr. Antonette Palma-Angeles, Academic Vice-President, AdMU
• A Concise History of 150 Years of Ateneo Writing
• Open Forum
• Tribute Proper
• Screen Presentation on Emmanuel S. Torres and Reading of Citation
• Screen Presentation on Gregorio C. Brillantes and Reading of Citation
• Response of the Honorees
• Closing Remarks, Dr. Ma. Luisa Torres Reyes, Chair, Dept. of English
1:00PM ATENEO GALLERY AND LIBRARY TOUR
2:00PM PARALLEL SESSIONS
THE POET-CRITIC. The issue of how art and criticism interface has been a central topic even in the creative writing curricula of top universities worldwide. Whether our writers have found the interface uneasy or comfortable, consciously or unconsciously, it has shaped the craft and aesthetics of generations of authors in the Philippines.
Panelists: Gemino H. Abad, Exie Abola, J. Neil Garcia, Allan Popa, Jun Cruz Reyes, and Thai fictionist/screenwriter Prabda Yoon
Moderator: D(anilo) Francisco (M) Reyes
Venue: Social Science Conference Rooms 1 & 2
TEXT AND CONTEXT. The encounter between art and politics, writing and ideology, or aesthetics and social engagement, has been a significant consideration in countries like the Philippines as it has been said to make for bad writing and good politics/bad politics and good writing. Thus, these binary categories have been considered mutually exclusive practices by some writers, but deemed mutually constitutive commitments by writers.
Panelists: Isagani R. Cruz, National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera, Danton Remoto, Roland Tolentino
Moderator: Oscar Campomanes
Venue: Social Science Conference Rooms 3 & 4
PUBLISHING FOR THE FUTURE. No literature can prosper without publishing, but publishing itself is taking on new forms and challenges in this new century, such as online publishing and print on demand. What directions will Philippine literary publishing and Philippine literature itself take in the foreseeable future? What can the Philippine academic and commercial publishers do to promote literature here and abroad? Are there alternatives to mainstream publishing that can be explored, and can they be commercially viable?
Panelists: Karina Bolasco, Adam David, Antonio Hidalgo, Esther Pacheco
Moderator: Maricor Baytion
Venue: NGF Conference Rm, G/F De La Costa Hall
4:00PM PARALLEL SESSIONS
FEMINISM IN OUR MIDST. The question of how women writers write under conditions quite distinct from men writers has been a source of dynamism and controversy in both their works and the criticism on their work. This has been a point of contention in recent literary history as some women writers organize themselves as women writers, weaving literature and sharing life.
Panelists: Rica Bolipata-Santos, Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, Priscilla Macansantos, Aida F. Santos, Dinah Roma-Sianturi, Hope Yu
Moderator: Benilda Santos
Venue: Social Science Conference Rooms 1 & 2
LITERATURE IN ACTION. Non-canonical texts abound in contexts like the Philippines in which literature’s energies come from places quite apart from "Literature." Foremost among this type of literary production is the whole range of performative practices which create cultural "events" as opposed to literary "art." Most prominent examples of this range from avant-garde forms to so-called "agit-prop" art in which visual and/or performance artists and educational and community theater groups like PETA have been making a splash in the international art and academic scene since the 80s and 90s.
Panelists: Michael Coroza, Steven Patrick Fernandez, Servando Halili, Bonifacio Ilagan, Glenn Mas
Moderator: Gary Devilles
Venue: Social Science Conference Rooms 3 & 4
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE. In the Philippines, it has been said that the reading fare of Filipino children continues to be dominated by children’s literature from the West, as evidenced by the children's books usually on display in major book shops. Nevertheless, it can be argued that for decades now, significant headway has been made in providing alternative reading materials for Filipino children by publishing houses like Aklat Adarna and noted Filipino authors and published locally in English, Filipino and other Philippine languages. What genres have been developed in children’s literature by Filipinos? Are these genres a mere imitation of the western models? Has the production been enough to begin to draw up a canon of children’s literature in the Philippines? What has been the impact of children's literature on the readers? What role must children's literature play in the Philippines?
Panelists: Cyan Abad-Jugo, Christine Bellen, Jean Lee Patindol, Ramon V. Sunico
Moderator: Jerry Respeto
Venue: NGF Conference Room, G/F De La Costa Hall
5:00PM DINNER
Venue: Leong Hall Roof Deck
• Closing Remarks, Dr. Assunta Cuyegkeng, Vice President, Ateneo de Manila Univeristy-Loyola Schools
DAY 3, FEBRUARY 13, FRIDAY
Cubao X, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City
9:30AM PLENARY
Venue: Cubao X
Hosts: Angelo R. Lacuesta, Festival Coordinator; Joel Toledo, Festival Assistant Coordinator
10:00PM PARALLEL SESSIONS
HOME, ROAM, AND AWAY. Publishing locally versus publishing abroad. How does place of publication—or place of writing—affect or define your audience, or your career or your work? This should also function as a guide for those who seek international publication: what are the challenges and what are the chances?
Panelists: Vicente G. Groyon III, Mookie Katigbak
Moderator: Lourd Ernest De Veyra
Venue: Mogwai 2
THE END OF PRINT. Web-based publishing, traditional print publishing, and print-on-demand: the meaning of publication has multiplied so much these days. Has the meaning of quality, or rigor, or intent changed as well? How has this affected today’s writer? Has he (or must he) achieve convergence, or should there be dividing lines?
Panelists: Roberto Añonuevo, Adam David, Jean Claire Dy, Luis Katigbak, Edgar Samar
Moderator: Dean Francis Alfar
Venue: Pablo
WRITE TO LIFE. Writing to live, or living to write? Many literary writers have commercial writing careers—but what about other lines of work? And what of the lines that divide work and writing? This discussion covers all sorts of jobs writers must take—and the amount of confrontation and compromise writers must endure. It will also cover tips and tricks to avoid burnout and “multitasking hell.”
Panelists: Josua Cabrera, Dominique Cimafranca, Mikael de Lara Co, Ramil Gulle, Victor Dennis T. Nierva
Moderator: Frank Cimatu
Venue: Kolektib 1
LINGO NG WIKA. Language and authenticity in Philippine literary practice—it’s an old argument. So should we be done with it, then? Or shouldn’t we? (This conversation covers all Filipino languages.)
Panelists: Genevieve Asenjo, John Barrios, Jaime Jesus Borlagdan, Jose Jason Changcoco, Jason Laxamana, Glen Mas, Voltaire Oyzon, John Iremil Teodoro
Moderator: Rica Bolipata-Santos
Venue: Kolektib 2
GLOBAL WARMING. A plenary discussion over lunch featuring Asian and Filipino writers who have gone “global.” Our international panelists will discuss the challenges and rewards of writing in their local language and still achieving international recognition and popularity. The panel will also discuss practical tips on international grants, fellowships and exchange programs.
Panelists: Nguyan Bao Chan, Conchitina Cruz, Dinah Roma-Sianturi, Prabda Yoon
Moderator: Angelo R. Lacuesta
2:00PM PARALLEL SESSIONS
PURO FORMA. The formal versus the experimental in poetry—is there a conflict? Young poets discuss the issues (and, inevitably, the non-issues) that abound.
Panelists: Michael Coroza, Conchitina Cruz, J. Neil C. Garcia, Mookie Katigbak, Angelo Suarez
Moderator: Allan Popa
Venue: Mogwai 2
MOVING UP IN THE WORD. Building the literary career—does it still have the same requirements as ten years ago, or are there new ways to get that break? Is the PalancaTM Award still the quickest path to writerhood? Or is that old-school thinking? What’s a literary career anyway?
Panelists: Efmer Agustin, Janice Bagawi, Arifah Jamil, Junley Lazaga, Leonila Lopido, Monica Macansantos, Harold Mercurio
Moderator: Mikael Co
Venue: Pablo
FICTIONAL SHOWDOWN. This is a friendly showdown between the realms speculative fiction and “non-speculative” fiction—its advocates, practitioners and its subject matter. Also up for discussion: attempted definitions, blurred boundaries and common goals.
Panelists: Dean Francis Alfar, Adam David, Jonathan J. Siason, Alvin B. Yapan, Prabda Yoon
Moderator: Ian Casocot
Venue: Kolektib 1
4:00PM PARALLEL SESSIONS
ALL ABOUT MY OTHER. The I versus “otherness” in poetry: how do they figure in your work? Insights, questions, problems and answers on this mind-boggling topic.
Panelists: Ronald Baytan, Kristian S. Cordero, Conchitina Cruz, Larry Ypil
Moderators: Carlomar Daoana, Dinah Roma-Sianturi
Venue: Mogwai 2
UNSCRIPTED. Playwrights, screenwriters and writers in general discuss the difficulties of writing for the stage and screen—from the issue (or non-issue) of language and the challenges of the craft, to the long road to production and the burden of having to win the audience.
Panelists: Jhoanna Cruz, Glen Mas, John Iremil Teodoro
Moderator: Jun Lana
Venue: Pablo
THE YOUNG AND THE LITLESS. Is the Filipino youth worth writing for? In the age of the Internet and digital home entertainment, Filipino children and young adults have so much to see, hear and read—without having to open a book. How does this affect the youngest generation of the Filipino literary audience? How does this affect the Filipino writer?
Panelists: Christine Bellen, Jean Lee Patindol
Moderator: Tara FT Sering
Venue: Kolektib 1
THE STORY OF OUR LIVES. Short story writers and novelists discuss the concerns of today’s fictionist—from language and style to themes and subject matter. Also to be discussed: getting published internationally, and the problem and the burden of writing long-form work.
Panelists: Vincente Groyon III, Arifah Jamil, Luis Katigbak, Januar Yap, Alvin B. Yapan
Moderators: Genevieve Asenjo, John Bengan
Venue: Kolektib 2
6:30PM PLENARY: DEAR NCCA. What can the NCCA do for the younger or emerging writer? This discussion hopes to come up with a wishlist for the NCCA, covering specific measures of support for the Filipino writer.
Moderators: Angelo R. Lacuesta, Joel Toledo
Venue: Mogwai
8:00PM CLOSING CEREMONIES
• Address, National Artist Virgilio S. Almario
• NCCA Resolutions
• Response and Closing Address, Ricardo de Ungria
University of the Philippines Diliman (Feb 11)
Ateneo de Manila University (Feb 12)
Cubao Expo (Feb 13)
DAY 1, FEBRUARY 11, WEDNESDAY
University of the Philippines
Diliman, Quezon City
9:00AM OPENING PROGRAM
Venue: Pulungang Claro M. Recto, Bulwagang Rizal
Welcome Remarks
• UP Diliman Chancellor Sergio S. Cao
• NCCA Chair Vilma L. Labrador
• Festival Director Ricardo M. de Ungria
• Festival Coordinator Jose Y. Dalisay, Jr.
PHILIPPINE LITERATURE TODAY. The keynote address, a synoptic overview of where we’ve been and where we are, taking into account our literature in Filipino, English, and the regional languages; Philippine literature in the 21st century; and Philippine literature in the Asian and global context. To be delivered by National Artist Francisco Sionil Jose.
Venue: Pulungang Claro M. Recto, Bulwagang Rizal, UPD
9:45AM A TRIBUTE TO EDITH TIEMPO. The tribute to National Artist Edith L. Tiempo is a short poetry reading by Merlie Alunan, Dinah Roma, and Ronald Baytan, who all attended the Dumaguete National Workshop and have been influenced by Tiempo’s poetics. To date, Edith Tiempo is the sole woman National Artist for Literature.
Moderator: Marjorie Evasco
Venue: Pulungang Claro M. Recto, Bulwagang Rizal, UPD
10:30AM GANITO KAMI NOON: WRITING THROUGH THE DECADES. A plenary panel discussion to set the tone for all other panel discussions. A representative each from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s can talk about the conditions for writing and publishing in their eras and how things have changed, or maybe not. And where do we go from here?
Panelists: Elmer Ordonez (1950s), National Artist Virgilio S. Almario (1960s), José Pete Lacaba (1970s), Marjorie Evasco (1980s), Angelo Lacuesta (1990s)
Moderator: José Y. Dalisay, Jr.
Pulungang Claro M. Recto, Bulwagang Rizal, UPD
1:30PM ICONS OF THE NEW CENTURY: WRITERS WHOM WRITERS READ. Who are you reading and why? Who's your literary daddy (or mommy)? A discussion of literary influences and how they are shaping contemporary Philippine literature.
Panelists: Rebecca Añonuevo, Franklin Cimatu, Carlos Cortes, Francis Macansantos, Katrina Tuvera
Moderator: Gémino H. Abad
Venue: CAL New Building (CNB), Room 508
WRITING FOR A LIVING. What's writing like as a profession in the Philippines? What writing jobs pay, and how can writers get them? How should writers deal with writing commissions? What about copyrights and contracts? How do we break into the global market and find and deal with agents?
Panelists: Vietnamese writer Nguyen Bao Chan, Tony Enriquez, Kragi Garcia, Luis Katigbak, Charlson Ong, Alfred Yuson
Moderator: José Y. Dalisay, Jr.
Venue: CAL-AVR, 2/F Bulwagang Rizal, UPD
THE CREATIVE WRITING CLASSROOM. The teaching of creative writing, for the teachers among us: challenges, strategies, approaches, tips and tricks in the creative writing classroom.
Penelists: Merlie Alunan, Conchitina Cruz, Jun Cruz Reyes, Macario Tiu, Ricardo de Ungria
Moderator: Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo
Venue: CNB Inquirer Room 201
WORKSHOPPING THE WORKSHOP, ORGANIZING WRITERS. A review of the Dumaguete, Baguio, and Iligan workshops, plus maybe the biggest school-based ones, and how they grew. A sharing of best practices, as well as a discussion of common problems and situations. This panel can also deal with writers’ organizations, centers, institutes, and programs.
Panelists: Vicente Groyon III, Christine Godinez-Ortega, V.E. Carmelo D. Nadera Jr., Benilda Santos, Anthony Tan
Moderator: Lito Zulueta
Venue: CNB Rm 309
3:30 PM WRITING OFF-CENTER: THE REGIONAL EXPERIENCE. How goes creative writing and literary publishing outside of Metro Manila? Have new centers of literary activity emerged, and what are the keys to their success? What does it take to promote writing from the regions to broader audiences?
Panelists: John Bengan, Jose Jason Chancoco, Rey Duque, David Genotiva, Alice Tan-Gonzales
Moderator: Ricardo de Ungria
Venue: CNB Inquirer Room 201
ATBP: WRITING OFF THE MAINSTREAM. Gay/lesbian literature, chick lit, "spec fic", Chinoy lit , and all that jazz. What alternatives exist to straight, realist, mainstream lit? Is this kind of "pigeonholing" good or bad—or, when is it good, and when is it bad?
Panelists: Dean Francis Alfar, Jhoanna Cruz, J. Neil C. Garcia, Jaime An Lim, Tara FT. Sering
Moderator: Danton Remoto
Venue: CNB Room 309
FILIPINO-NESS IN THE GLOBAL AGE. A perennial hot topic in the blogosphere. How can "Filipino-ness" be defined? Is it an absolute necessity in this age of globalization? Is "nation" even a relevant concept? How can this be manifested in a literary work? Why don’t we seem to see enough of such central elements of Filipino life as crime, sex, and humor in our literature, or is that only in English?
Panelists: Efren Abueg, Leoncio Deriada, Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, Resil Mojares, Timothy Montes
Moderator: Isagani R. Cruz
Venue: CAL-AVR
DAY 2, FEBRUARY 12, THURSDAY
Ateneo de Manila University
Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights, Quezon City
9:00AM PLENARY
Venue: Leong Hall Auditorium
Program
• Opening Remarks, Prof. Ricardo de Ungria, Commissioner for the Arts, NCCA
• Welcome Address, Dr. Ma. Luz Vilches, Dean of the School of Humanities
• Message, Dr. Antonette Palma-Angeles, Academic Vice-President, AdMU
• A Concise History of 150 Years of Ateneo Writing
• Open Forum
• Tribute Proper
• Screen Presentation on Emmanuel S. Torres and Reading of Citation
• Screen Presentation on Gregorio C. Brillantes and Reading of Citation
• Response of the Honorees
• Closing Remarks, Dr. Ma. Luisa Torres Reyes, Chair, Dept. of English
1:00PM ATENEO GALLERY AND LIBRARY TOUR
2:00PM PARALLEL SESSIONS
THE POET-CRITIC. The issue of how art and criticism interface has been a central topic even in the creative writing curricula of top universities worldwide. Whether our writers have found the interface uneasy or comfortable, consciously or unconsciously, it has shaped the craft and aesthetics of generations of authors in the Philippines.
Panelists: Gemino H. Abad, Exie Abola, J. Neil Garcia, Allan Popa, Jun Cruz Reyes, and Thai fictionist/screenwriter Prabda Yoon
Moderator: D(anilo) Francisco (M) Reyes
Venue: Social Science Conference Rooms 1 & 2
TEXT AND CONTEXT. The encounter between art and politics, writing and ideology, or aesthetics and social engagement, has been a significant consideration in countries like the Philippines as it has been said to make for bad writing and good politics/bad politics and good writing. Thus, these binary categories have been considered mutually exclusive practices by some writers, but deemed mutually constitutive commitments by writers.
Panelists: Isagani R. Cruz, National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera, Danton Remoto, Roland Tolentino
Moderator: Oscar Campomanes
Venue: Social Science Conference Rooms 3 & 4
PUBLISHING FOR THE FUTURE. No literature can prosper without publishing, but publishing itself is taking on new forms and challenges in this new century, such as online publishing and print on demand. What directions will Philippine literary publishing and Philippine literature itself take in the foreseeable future? What can the Philippine academic and commercial publishers do to promote literature here and abroad? Are there alternatives to mainstream publishing that can be explored, and can they be commercially viable?
Panelists: Karina Bolasco, Adam David, Antonio Hidalgo, Esther Pacheco
Moderator: Maricor Baytion
Venue: NGF Conference Rm, G/F De La Costa Hall
4:00PM PARALLEL SESSIONS
FEMINISM IN OUR MIDST. The question of how women writers write under conditions quite distinct from men writers has been a source of dynamism and controversy in both their works and the criticism on their work. This has been a point of contention in recent literary history as some women writers organize themselves as women writers, weaving literature and sharing life.
Panelists: Rica Bolipata-Santos, Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, Priscilla Macansantos, Aida F. Santos, Dinah Roma-Sianturi, Hope Yu
Moderator: Benilda Santos
Venue: Social Science Conference Rooms 1 & 2
LITERATURE IN ACTION. Non-canonical texts abound in contexts like the Philippines in which literature’s energies come from places quite apart from "Literature." Foremost among this type of literary production is the whole range of performative practices which create cultural "events" as opposed to literary "art." Most prominent examples of this range from avant-garde forms to so-called "agit-prop" art in which visual and/or performance artists and educational and community theater groups like PETA have been making a splash in the international art and academic scene since the 80s and 90s.
Panelists: Michael Coroza, Steven Patrick Fernandez, Servando Halili, Bonifacio Ilagan, Glenn Mas
Moderator: Gary Devilles
Venue: Social Science Conference Rooms 3 & 4
CHILDREN’S LITERATURE. In the Philippines, it has been said that the reading fare of Filipino children continues to be dominated by children’s literature from the West, as evidenced by the children's books usually on display in major book shops. Nevertheless, it can be argued that for decades now, significant headway has been made in providing alternative reading materials for Filipino children by publishing houses like Aklat Adarna and noted Filipino authors and published locally in English, Filipino and other Philippine languages. What genres have been developed in children’s literature by Filipinos? Are these genres a mere imitation of the western models? Has the production been enough to begin to draw up a canon of children’s literature in the Philippines? What has been the impact of children's literature on the readers? What role must children's literature play in the Philippines?
Panelists: Cyan Abad-Jugo, Christine Bellen, Jean Lee Patindol, Ramon V. Sunico
Moderator: Jerry Respeto
Venue: NGF Conference Room, G/F De La Costa Hall
5:00PM DINNER
Venue: Leong Hall Roof Deck
• Closing Remarks, Dr. Assunta Cuyegkeng, Vice President, Ateneo de Manila Univeristy-Loyola Schools
DAY 3, FEBRUARY 13, FRIDAY
Cubao X, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City
9:30AM PLENARY
Venue: Cubao X
Hosts: Angelo R. Lacuesta, Festival Coordinator; Joel Toledo, Festival Assistant Coordinator
10:00PM PARALLEL SESSIONS
HOME, ROAM, AND AWAY. Publishing locally versus publishing abroad. How does place of publication—or place of writing—affect or define your audience, or your career or your work? This should also function as a guide for those who seek international publication: what are the challenges and what are the chances?
Panelists: Vicente G. Groyon III, Mookie Katigbak
Moderator: Lourd Ernest De Veyra
Venue: Mogwai 2
THE END OF PRINT. Web-based publishing, traditional print publishing, and print-on-demand: the meaning of publication has multiplied so much these days. Has the meaning of quality, or rigor, or intent changed as well? How has this affected today’s writer? Has he (or must he) achieve convergence, or should there be dividing lines?
Panelists: Roberto Añonuevo, Adam David, Jean Claire Dy, Luis Katigbak, Edgar Samar
Moderator: Dean Francis Alfar
Venue: Pablo
WRITE TO LIFE. Writing to live, or living to write? Many literary writers have commercial writing careers—but what about other lines of work? And what of the lines that divide work and writing? This discussion covers all sorts of jobs writers must take—and the amount of confrontation and compromise writers must endure. It will also cover tips and tricks to avoid burnout and “multitasking hell.”
Panelists: Josua Cabrera, Dominique Cimafranca, Mikael de Lara Co, Ramil Gulle, Victor Dennis T. Nierva
Moderator: Frank Cimatu
Venue: Kolektib 1
LINGO NG WIKA. Language and authenticity in Philippine literary practice—it’s an old argument. So should we be done with it, then? Or shouldn’t we? (This conversation covers all Filipino languages.)
Panelists: Genevieve Asenjo, John Barrios, Jaime Jesus Borlagdan, Jose Jason Changcoco, Jason Laxamana, Glen Mas, Voltaire Oyzon, John Iremil Teodoro
Moderator: Rica Bolipata-Santos
Venue: Kolektib 2
GLOBAL WARMING. A plenary discussion over lunch featuring Asian and Filipino writers who have gone “global.” Our international panelists will discuss the challenges and rewards of writing in their local language and still achieving international recognition and popularity. The panel will also discuss practical tips on international grants, fellowships and exchange programs.
Panelists: Nguyan Bao Chan, Conchitina Cruz, Dinah Roma-Sianturi, Prabda Yoon
Moderator: Angelo R. Lacuesta
2:00PM PARALLEL SESSIONS
PURO FORMA. The formal versus the experimental in poetry—is there a conflict? Young poets discuss the issues (and, inevitably, the non-issues) that abound.
Panelists: Michael Coroza, Conchitina Cruz, J. Neil C. Garcia, Mookie Katigbak, Angelo Suarez
Moderator: Allan Popa
Venue: Mogwai 2
MOVING UP IN THE WORD. Building the literary career—does it still have the same requirements as ten years ago, or are there new ways to get that break? Is the PalancaTM Award still the quickest path to writerhood? Or is that old-school thinking? What’s a literary career anyway?
Panelists: Efmer Agustin, Janice Bagawi, Arifah Jamil, Junley Lazaga, Leonila Lopido, Monica Macansantos, Harold Mercurio
Moderator: Mikael Co
Venue: Pablo
FICTIONAL SHOWDOWN. This is a friendly showdown between the realms speculative fiction and “non-speculative” fiction—its advocates, practitioners and its subject matter. Also up for discussion: attempted definitions, blurred boundaries and common goals.
Panelists: Dean Francis Alfar, Adam David, Jonathan J. Siason, Alvin B. Yapan, Prabda Yoon
Moderator: Ian Casocot
Venue: Kolektib 1
4:00PM PARALLEL SESSIONS
ALL ABOUT MY OTHER. The I versus “otherness” in poetry: how do they figure in your work? Insights, questions, problems and answers on this mind-boggling topic.
Panelists: Ronald Baytan, Kristian S. Cordero, Conchitina Cruz, Larry Ypil
Moderators: Carlomar Daoana, Dinah Roma-Sianturi
Venue: Mogwai 2
UNSCRIPTED. Playwrights, screenwriters and writers in general discuss the difficulties of writing for the stage and screen—from the issue (or non-issue) of language and the challenges of the craft, to the long road to production and the burden of having to win the audience.
Panelists: Jhoanna Cruz, Glen Mas, John Iremil Teodoro
Moderator: Jun Lana
Venue: Pablo
THE YOUNG AND THE LITLESS. Is the Filipino youth worth writing for? In the age of the Internet and digital home entertainment, Filipino children and young adults have so much to see, hear and read—without having to open a book. How does this affect the youngest generation of the Filipino literary audience? How does this affect the Filipino writer?
Panelists: Christine Bellen, Jean Lee Patindol
Moderator: Tara FT Sering
Venue: Kolektib 1
THE STORY OF OUR LIVES. Short story writers and novelists discuss the concerns of today’s fictionist—from language and style to themes and subject matter. Also to be discussed: getting published internationally, and the problem and the burden of writing long-form work.
Panelists: Vincente Groyon III, Arifah Jamil, Luis Katigbak, Januar Yap, Alvin B. Yapan
Moderators: Genevieve Asenjo, John Bengan
Venue: Kolektib 2
6:30PM PLENARY: DEAR NCCA. What can the NCCA do for the younger or emerging writer? This discussion hopes to come up with a wishlist for the NCCA, covering specific measures of support for the Filipino writer.
Moderators: Angelo R. Lacuesta, Joel Toledo
Venue: Mogwai
8:00PM CLOSING CEREMONIES
• Address, National Artist Virgilio S. Almario
• NCCA Resolutions
• Response and Closing Address, Ricardo de Ungria
Monday, February 02, 2009
Happy Mondays XLV
featured readers for the 45th installment of the bi-weekly Happy Mondays Poetry Nights @ mag:net cafe Katipunan TONIGHT, February 2, @mag:net cafe Katipunan are as follows:
1. Gemino Abad
2. Lawrence Bernabe
3. JC Casimiro
4. Adam David
5. Israfel Fagela
6. Allan Hernandez
7. Egay Samar
8. Andrea Teran
9. Larry Ypil
9. Larry Ypil
10. Krip Yuson
*plus other regular and surprise guest readers.
*readings start promptly at 730 pm followed by the Open Mic sessions @ 930pm-10pm.
*for those interested in reading during the open mic, we will leave a sign-up sheet with Rogel, the bar tender of mag:net cafe. please feel free to sign up and read your work. :)
10pm onwards, Happy Mondays music from:
1. Johnoy Danao
2. Patience, Dear Juggernaut
3. Taggu nDios
FREE ADMISSION the whole evening. Kitakits po tayo. :)
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