#Filipino Literary Festival

[hinaypod]

This Saturday! 🙌🏾🇵🇭🇨🇦

See you at the Barbara Frum branch of the Toronto Public Library for our Filipino Literary Festival!

I'll be doing a live reading of a Hi Nay bonus episode at the event.

[motziedapul]

Our literary festival was featured on the news! 🇵🇭✨ Truly wild to see the Pinoy Monster Anthology series flash onscreen 🙈

[sessayyys-corner]

MALLARI (2023) - MMFF REVIEW

“‘Di ba’t isang sumpa ang magmahal?”

Mallari does not only showcase the story of the infamous Fr. Severino Mallari, but also delves into the lives of men from succeeding generations of his clan. The first descendant, Johnrey, a documentary filmmaker in post World War II Philippines, and the second being Jonathan De Dios, a doctor and the lead protagonist of the film. The two descendants of Fr. Severino try to discover their family’s darkest secret, which most likely has contributed to the killings and disappearances in Magalang, Pampanga.

All three generations of the Mallari clan are played by Piolo Pascual, which is perceived to be difficult parts to play. However, Pascual was able to to help distinguish one generation from another and yet was able to establish the connection between all three characters.

What also is depicted in the movie is the presence of important female figures in each of the Mallari men’s lives: Dona Facunda, Fr. Severino’s mother played by Ms. Gloria Diaz, Felicity, Johnrey’s wife played by Elisse Joson, and Agnes, Jonathan’s fiancee played by Janella Salvador. All three actresses gave the three women their respective well-defined characters which was able to show how each Mallari’s love for these women had urged them to take greater lengths, even if it will cost them their own morals.

JC Santos does an excellent job in portraying Brother Lucas in the likeness of Brutus from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, as he showcases his character’s loyalty and later betrayal to Pascual’s Dr. Jonathan.

The film may remind one of Luca Guadagnino’s Bones and All (2022) with its presence of common themes such as gore and manslaughter. It is also important to note how both Carido and Guadagnino have commonly used manslaughter as a dark metaphor for love as a motive of sacrifice and self-discovery, which the former has executed very well and evidently in Mallari (2023). It also bears similarities with Edgar Wright’s Last Night in Soho (2021) not just with the presence of gore and manslaughter, but also with the key theme of time travel, which the two Mallari descendants have used in order to learn about the dark secret of their family for this film.

The film had a well-organized flow of events, as well as a smooth transition in between time periods. It was able to give me and other viewers proper context and a good idea on how to let the story unfold and think about what could happen next. However, Jonathan’s arc was very anti-climactic towards the end yet it established his arc as an anti-hero.

Another thing to love about this film is that not only did it have Gothic themes and the use of the Catholic faith, which are associated as Western literary and cultural elements, but it also incorporated the use of Filipino folk medicine and faith healing, which are indigenous Filipino cultural elements, as important parts of the film.

In conclusion, Mallari (2023) was a great watch, and it definitely deserved the accolades. Not only did it bring justice to a dark love metaphor, but it also presented and promoted Filipino culture through folk medicine as key horror elements. It is a must watch for traditional Filipino horror movie buffs and those in need of a fresh face to Filipino horror films.

[Metro Manila Film Festival 2023]

RATING - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

(review is also available on letterboxd!)

[shoeshineyboy]

Lady Grey, Irish Breakfast, White Tea, Bubble Tea, Herbal?

lady grey:favourite outfit? I have several, but one of them is my white lace dress, red tights, platform Mary Janes, cameo necklace, pearls, ribbon, and my tapestry jacket

irish breakfast:what country do you want to visit? it's cheating to say Italy, isn't it, since I've already been? so, I would love to go to the Philippines! one of my best friends is Filipino and he wants to take me to his family home someday

white tea:occupation/career aspirations I'm currently a pharmacy technician and bartender but I want to be a writer!!! I want to do book tours and release parties and literary festivals and spend hours and hours just writing!! I would also like to own a pub, but that's my middle-aged plan!!

bubble tea:what ride would you pick at an amusement park? SO I am scared of rides and also have back problems BUT I love a water ride! those are safe for me and they're just Fun!!

herbal:post a selfie

from the time Johnny and I went to San Fran 🖤

[hannahfloresstuff]

5 Philippine Artists and Literature Theories

A teacher, fictionist, essayist, scriptwriter, editor researcher, translator and a full-time mother of her special child, Fanny A. Garcia was born in Malabon, Rizal on February 26, 1949. She is a well-known Palanca Awardee for her winning short stories, essays, scriptwriting and children stories. she was also nominated for Best Story and Screenplay for the film, "Saan Darating ang Umaga" (Viva Films).

The story "Mareng Mensiya" narrates her carefree and untroubled life before she died. She was known as the policeman's mistress but lived a life with no worries with her daughter, Mely. Tragedy came before them, which resulted to her husband's sudden death. As a result to this, Mareng Mensiya worked hard and sacrificed her well-being to support her daughter and sustain her former pampered life.

The literary theory that was present here was The New Criticism as the author included emotional and moral elements to which her readers may relate to.

Lamberto E. Antonio, a Filipino writer, poet, and scriptwriter, born on 9th of November in Cabiao Antonio, Nueva Ecija. He co-wrote the script for "Insiang" in 1978, which became the first Philippine film that was showcased at the Cannes Film Festival.

In one of his poems entitled, "Sa Pagkamatay ng Isang Newsboy", the literature theory that was present was The New Criticism as the author included emotional and moral elements and it criticizes the situation based to the poem.

Another literary work written by the same author, "Gabi ng Isang Piyon", Practical Criticism suits best as it contains contextual information.

Jose Maria Flores Lacaba aka Pete Lacaba, is a Filipino film writer, editor, poet, screenwriter, journalist, and translator, born in Cagayan de Oro in 1945. Back in 1970, Lacaba fought President Ferdinand Marcos and his US-backed military dictatorship during Martial Law.

In his poem entitled, "Ang Dapat Paniwalaan", I was able to observe the Cultural Approach that was used in the poem. I was able to tell that Cultural approach was used as it mentioned the mythical creatures that the grandmother used to tell her grandson and how the narrator spoke his thoughts came out of a fantasy.

In the poem, "Santong Paspasan", the Feminism Criticism was evident as it talks about the struggles, horror and trauma a woman can experience and how women can treated by men like they were some kind of barbie dolls that they can play and destroy with and toss aside once they're done, not considering the woman's feelings--- just to satisfy their selfish needs.

[thehungrykat1]

Raffles Makati Launches Sansó Afternoon Tea at the Writers Bar

Raffles Makati is offering another new luxurious afternoon tea to keep us company during these rainy months. From July 6 to September 6, 2023, you can experience the Sansó Afternoon Tea at the Writers Bar from 2:30pm to 5:30pm every day. The Sansó Afternoon Tea is a visual delight inspired by the artistic creations of renowned Filipino painter, Juvenal Sansó, one of the country's most distinguished living painters and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Merit given by Republic of the Philippines.

Juvenal Sansó is among the last remaining figures of the Philippine Modernist movement. The trajectory of his artistic practice mirrors his iconic life, spanning through different movements across Europe and Asia. His vibrant works have inspired Raffles Makati to create an afternoon tea set that pays homage to Sansó's origins and talent, creating a colorful feast for the senses. We visited Raffles Makati last Friday to savor this limited-edition afternoon tea for ourselves and to see the colorful displays and exhibits firsthand.

The Writers Bar is open from 2:00pm to 11:00pm daily at the ground floor of Raffles Makati. A revered institution at all Raffles locations, the Writers Bar pays tribute to all the iconic writers who have found inspiration at Raffles over the years. Designed to resemble a library and bathed in natural sunlight, it is an oasis of calm and tranquility, surrounded by soothing music, exquisite art, and the written legacies of literary luminaries.

During this special two-month period, the Writers Bar will feature vignettes of Sansó’s works throughout the decades, including an exhibition of an actual Moderno work, Sansó giclees, art plates, posters, and books about the artist. This is in partnership with Modern and Contemporary Art Festival or MoCAF 2023 and Fundacion Sanso.

The Moderno painting is the centerpiece of the Sansó Afternoon Tea at the Writers Bar. Sansó was an avid photographer and took many photos of the places he traveled to in Asia, Europe, and the Americas. These photographs eventually became sources of inspiration for his Moderno Series. As recounted by Fundacion Sanso's Ricky Francisco, in the late 1990s, Sansó set up a studio in Iran and was inspired by the country's breathtaking mountain ranges and sun-kissed valleys. This inspired him to create the Moderno Series, which is characterized by sharp and incredibly detailed pictorial realism. This is in contrast to his earlier works, which were more floral and imagined.

Afternoon tea at the Writers Bar is always accompanied with live music and entertainment to match the elegance and charm of this luxury five-star hotel.

Afternoon tea is an elegant pre-evening tête-à-tête popularized in Europe with its own history and traditional ceremonies. Raffles has been serving afternoon tea for more than 100 years so you can always get the best high tea experience in the country here. This is available at the Writers Bar by reservations only with two seatings daily from 2:00pm until 3:30pm and 4:00pm until 5:30pm.

Each tier of canapès and confections is a tantalising treat that pays homage to Sansó’s origins and talents, creating an array of visual and gastronomic delights.

Guests can enjoy a special menu inspired by Sanso's art, while dining by the light of the artist's delightful Breton House Series of lamps.

But before that, you can have your choice of premium tea or coffee from Raffles Makati’s finest selection of flavors courtesy of TWG Tea. The server will bring their tea cart to your table and you can choose two flavors good for two persons.

We chose the Raffles Makati Blend which comes with sweet and fruity notes and the Pink Garden with its floral accents. Optional upgrades for mocktail, cocktails and champagne are also available.

Each afternoon tea set come with a plate of baked Olive Scones and Classic Scones accompanied by traditional clotted cream and strawberry jam. Slice your scones in half horizontally and place the cream or jam on top, depending on your preference.

The sumptuous three-tier medley features savoury Culinary Art delights on the bottom plate such as Fresh Tomato Bruschetta, Filipino Fresh Lumpia with Peanut Sauce, Ham & Cheese Puffs, and Tortilla Squares with Spiced Chorizo. It also includes Gazpacho Shots which is a nod to Sansó's Spanish roots.

In the middle of the set you can find Sweet Temptations such as Churro Bites with Cinnamon and Chocolate, Leche Flan, and Mango Tartlets. These sweet desserts are also inspired by Sanso's colorful artworks.

We get even more sweet surprises on top like the Turron de Chocolate, Tres Leches Cake Bites, and the Ube Macapuno Cupcakes. All of these delightful items are meticulously prepared like a work of art by the Raffles Makati culinary team.

The Sansó Afternoon Tea is available for P2,900 nett and is another great addition to the lineup at the Writers Bar. Book your Sansó Afternoon Tea now by calling Raffles Makati or through their online reservations page at https://bit.ly/BookTheWritersBar.

Sanso Afternoon Tea

1 Raffles Drive, Makati Avenue, Makati City

8555-9840 (https://bit.ly/BookTheWritersBar)

www.raffles.com/makati

www.facebook.com/RafflesMakati

[mimirpipart]

BLOG #3: Mapping the Cycle of Capital

We can compare the pursuit of the cultural capital of art-making through the local Sampaguita. Here we see the seeds held by a hand, labeled as Family, which we know as the building blocks of society. As Bourdieu emphasized, the lineage transmits cultural capital that determines who we are and our status through embodied, objectified, and institutionalized states. For example, the Sampaguita, a common flower used in many scenarios, holy courtesy, and celebratory art that is very profitable in our culture, but when we look at such artwork from different classes in society with unequal cultural capital, most probably the person with the most privileged would be awed by the masses despite both being made the same, as seen in the illustration of the hand which labeled as the upper class has a sampaguita garland on it. On the faces and statues of saints and holy figures, at graduations, weddings, and many more festivities, the cultural capital of the flower seemingly increases in value as the people who hold them and acquire them possess a significant cultural capital. But when we see them in the hands of the hawkers, many of us turn a blind eye, but most probably because some have no need for them at the moment or is it the fact that the one selling it isn't as influential as let's say a person within the ministry or a celebrity who is popular at that moment? It's pressuring, having a person of status selling you those garlands, the opportunities, the judgments of society, the repercussions of saying "no." Because of having more cultural capital/ status, influence will rise, and the masses would try to imitate this and label the person with the most influence as the progenitor, much like the Sampaguitas, as the masses, or "masa," we almost ignore that these Sampaguitas came from the masses' grounds and Sampaguita shrubs. Many of us do not associate the fame of something with someone who has less influence than us. However, the prevalence of the arts came from the masses- The communities and tribes overridden by the economy, colonialism, and other cultural influences. The celebrities' families are an example of cultural capital maintained through high cultural capital in a biased way, nepotism. But they were made famous because of our massive inclination toward them- towards their influential progenitors who have passed on their capital, such as the Barrettos and, in the West, Lily Rose-Depp.

Most of the time influence of the upper classes and ruling institutions comes with a new culture, a capital roused from the embodied state, and rebellion of the masses (like the varying looks of the Sampaguita flowers on the plant), a transformation, and the birth of a new cultural capital, such as Balagtasan in the past, now to some academics the modern Flip top (Angeles, 2014). Balagtasan is a traditional form of debate and a way to address nationalistic ideas, socio-political views, and anti-colonialism through the Filipino vernacular, poetry named after a famous poet, Francisco "Balagtas" Baltazar, his nature of justice, truth, and humanity's dedication to social and political equity, persistently questioned through his works and poetry (Paciente, 2022). And Flip Top, which is one of the popular forms of modern literary debate in the nation, is mainly popular with the youth expressing their scholarly prowess by hurling witty insults embedded with pop culture, which some may find counterproductive. The Flip Top is a counterculture art form despised by conservative Filipinos who regard it as low-ranking poetry or barbaric, but still, a birth of a new cultural capital by aspiring youths inspired by the rap battles in the West that addresses societal ills if people would be patient with it, much like Balagtasan to Duplo, which is a Spanish influence. Even Shakespeare made literary history by fusing the formal language of the nobility with the everyday vernacular of ordinary people within the constraints of poetry; one could argue a similar assertion for flip Top rap fights (Yap, 2012).

In the art of dance, we can see this in Voguing, a dance craze named after a particular fashion publication because it mimicked the models' poses, that began in Harlem, New York, in the 1970s and 1980s among the city's predominantly black gay population wherein an epidemic of queer children of color being expelled from their homes or shunned by their families occurred at that time (Jeffs, 2016). Voguing was their escape from a restrictive culture- a capital harming them; it was a place where they could be themselves and challenge gender roles that had previously served to oppress them. Celebrating one's sexual orientation evolved into an identity performance. It was a maintained cultural capital, for it celebrated their identity, often shunned by the limelight. It is an entirely new separate culture influenced by high fashion and pop culture at that time. The conversion and exchange of capital (social, cultural, and economic) by the appropriation of white female artist Madonna have made the art mainstream, celebrated by the LGBTQ+ community rather than looked down upon as cultural appropriation (Jeffs, 2016). In this scenario, we see how two contrasting cultures, one that is "high culture" during that time and one culture looked down upon for its perseverance and indiscriminate love that does not abide by the standards of society, combined to make Voguing a legitimate form of dance, a celebrated one. This exchange of capital has improved the outlook of the masses towards Voguing, giving its people social relevance and economic opportunities, allowing them to make a profit. Some by teaching the people to vogue and be recognized in a society that has once ignored them.

Art-making and cultural capital are intertwined. One cannot make art without their embodied state and their status as an individual. We use this to navigate our identity and society, especially discovering our roots in our cultural arts. All forms of it are valid, but the harsh reality is that institutions in society do not treat them equally. Therefore we must acknowledge such capitals that are not "elite" because every one of us has types of culture that may be seen as derogative but are part of our daily lives to survive our realities. Like even the simplest art of slang, we use inside schools within our social circles to strengthen our bonds and find solace in a hegemonic system.

References:

Angeles, M. (2014, March 1). Is FlipTop the modern-day Balagtasan. GMA News. https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/artandculture/350760/is-fliptop-the-modern-day-balagtasan/story/

Jeffs, L. (2016, October 4). What is Voguing. Elle. https://www.elle.com/uk/life-and-culture/culture/articles/a32145/what-is-vogueing-the-dance-that-solange-knowles-uses-in/

Paciente, D.R. (2022, November 18). Balagtasan: The Art of Debating Through Poetry. Owlcation. https://owlcation.com/humanities/Balagtasan-The-Art-of-Debating-Through-Poetry

Yap, K.I.M. (2021, October 12). Fliptop: the modern ‘balagtasan’. Inquirer. https://lifestyle.inquirer.net/70820/fliptop-the-modern-balagtasan/

[penhive]

October 19, 2022

A funny word came into my mind during the course of the day and this word stems from Cleopatra and Clitoris and I called it (Clitoropatra) and it could mean an enticing sexual position or an oral orgasm. I started to laugh at this conjecture. I coined a definition on poetry and it goes on as: poetry is the flower of meaning. I was listening to a guru who said: to be tranquil you have to let to go of your ego and I on the earth wonder how one could do that. My wallet is so skinny and famished. I became enthused on having got an invitation to attend a literary festival. I write not for recognition but for passion. Thoughts are pictures clouding in the mind. The mind is a scalpel cutting words into passion. I question myself whether I am a creative person. I long to make love to a muse who is also creative about writing. I was very much fond of Kamla Das an Indian poetess. But she is dead and gone. I pity myself being unemployed and broke and I hope that better days are coming. My body is starved of intimacy. I hate it that I have to totally depend on my wife and mother and all they do it to offer me a pittance. Yes I want to live a beautiful life with weed, sex and booze. I admire the life that the beatniks have lived. I long to fondle the rock music of embrace with a woman. I am especially fond of women Filipino women and one day I hope I can to Philippines and pick a woman of my choice and bring her back to India and live with her. I have stopped reading horoscopes. What is beauty? Beauty is a feeling, a passion, and experience to live with. The love of a woman makes me feel beautiful and opens my body to a flower of becoming. Sartre said: man is condemned to be free and I say no: man is privileged to be free. Camus said that life is meaningless, chaotic and absurd whereas I say life is the celebration of meaning. Yes in a way it can be called a postmodern philosophy of existentialism. We live in states of being as cathartic affirmation, appropriation, and negation. Life is a romance to be lived with and I extend the Wordsworth ‘s definition that poetry is the spontaneous overflow of meaning into life. I think like a millionaire even though I am not rich. I wish that my thoughts could transform into things. When will I enjoy the sweet bed of poetry? When will I taste her flowery nectar? When will I spill a beatitude of poems into her flower? When will I ejaculate a calypso of poetry? Eroticism is the language of poetry. If all are poets then there would have been a universal language of love. Poems break the boundaries of nations and people. The world is a race of love. In my life I have decided to go with the flow and I don’t plan anything in advance. The sunset for me has been a beautiful spectator. The splashes of colors are a poem of love. I am solitary spectator bathing in the beauty of cathartic feeling. Though I trust in Christ, I always wonder why God allowed the Devil to tempt Adam and Eve. Yes, God could have made robots without a free will. I wonder why God after the fall of Lucifer did not destroy him completely and why he was given the opportunity to tempt man. After all who am I to test the sovereign will of God.

[ariendiel]

Talk to me about our husband. I miss him.

it's always missing Noah hours on this blog (although if fusebox touch his character again I'll riot) 🤍 in conclusion, I'll of course gladly talk to you about our husband, so here are a bunch of random Noah headcanons for you ✨happy sunday✨

Noah headcanons

He learnt how to twerk and picked up a few other moves after attending dance classes with his little sister (she was too shy and timid to go alone at first, so he joined. I might be working on a prompt about this)

Go-to drink order is a dry red wine, nothing too sweet or fancy

He's about 192cm tall, and was super lanky and awkward for ages in his youth. He grew so quickly he's got a small scar on his forehead from where he kept bumping his head into doorframes etc

His mother is Filipino, and he dreams of visiting the Philippines one day – they've never had the means to go, but he does speak a tiny bit of Tagalog

His fear of grasshoppers stems from watching A Bug's Life when he was 5. He was so excited since his mum was taking him to the cinema for Christmas as a rare treat, but he left crying

I can see Noah having a strange soft spot for good horror films, especially psychological ones. Speaking of movies, he really can't stand it when people talk during them – hence one of the worst dates he went on being just that

Doesn't have facebook, and only reluctantly got other socials because his friends/siblings insisted. Updates his instagram maybe once ever quarter, and his twitter is mostly re-tweets of library/political stuff

However, he's surprisingly good at niche internet community stuff, e.g. Homestuck and squiddles

Has volunteered as much as he can during the pandemic, and brought his reading classes online despite his fear of zoom. Has also done a lot of grocery shopping for people who've had to isolate

Prefers to travel by train over plane, mostly because he finds it more relaxing and easier to read that way

Will eventually write his own book(s), and become the fairly successful author Hannah wished she was (I imagine he'll write slightly fantastical fiction, but feel free to insert whatever genra you prefer here)

Always has a secret stash of monster munch available. Always.

Re-watches the x-files whenever he feels in need of some self-care

The Hay Literary Festival is one of his favourite times of the year, and is partially why he thought Reading Festival was about reading... Because why wouldn't there be more book festivals to discover?

[hinaypod]

🎉HI NAY LIVE READING AT THE SALAYSAY FILIPINO/A/X LITERARY ARTS FESTIVAL🎉

Come listen to a Live Reading of a never before heard Hi Nay special episode :)

-

Save the date for Toronto's first literary festival made for and by our community! 🇵🇭🇨🇦

📚📚📚

SALAYSAY: A FILIPINO/A/X LITERARY ARTS FESTIVAL Saturday May 25, 2024 11 am to 3 pm Barbara Frum Branch @torontolibrary 20 Covington Rd, Toronto (Bathurst & Lawrence)

FREE ADMISSION!

Over the next couple weeks we'll feature speakers and events lined up for the day. We've got lots of exciting things planned, from author readings, a publishing panel, youth showcase, writing workshop, and hands-on cultural and children’s activities.

Look forward to seeing you there! 🎉 “Salaysay: A Filipino/a/x Literary Arts Festival” is supported by the Toronto Arts Council with funding from the City of Toronto, and is not a TPL event.

[bookclub4m]

Episode 124 - Media (and Noodles) We’ve Recently Enjoyed

This episode we’re discussing Media (and Noodles) We’ve Recently Enjoyed! We talk about spicy noodles, which Dakota is our least favourite state, fictional planets that totally suck, tenuous connections, flexing over signed books, vaccine envy, podcast synergy, and why you should mail us an envelope filled with five dollar bills! Plus: We reveal how deeply uncool we really are!

You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast delivery system.

In this episode

Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray | RJ Edwards

Media We Mentioned

Matthew

Hitman 3 Dubai!: 3 Ways to Play (just one of many videos)

Hitman Elusive Target 14 The Chef: MIKE'S FINEST HOUR - Let's Play Hitman (featuring the explosive rubber duck)

Hitman 3 THE MOST ELUSIVE TARGET YET: 3 Ways to Play Hitman 3 Elusive Target The Collector (this one came out the same day as this episode of the podcast!)

Hitman (franchise) (Wikipedia)

Nicola Traveling Around the Demons' World, vol. 1 by Asaya Miyanaga

Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

DefunctTV: The History of Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?

MAGFest 2019: True Weird Stories from Video Game History

Where in North Dakota is Carmen Sandiego? (Wikipedia)

Mais où se Cache Carmen Sandiego ? (French theme song)

À la poursuite de Carmen Sandiego (French theme song for Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?)

Finish It! Podcast

Ep. 153. The Dragon’s Den: Week One Enter The Inkeeper

RJ

Later Alligator

Launch Trailer

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

Mice and Murder

Game Changer

Breaking News

Gumshoe

Wanderhome

Anna

Natural Causes by James Oswald

Lucky Me (noodles) (Wikipedia)

“Pancit canton – Filipino adaptation of lo mein and chow mein. Either in instant or stir-fried versions” (Wikipedia)

‘Pag No Drain, No Pain with Lucky Me! Pancit Canton (commercial)

Lucky Me! Pancit Canton "Happy Merienda" (commercial)

Theodore Roosevelt National Park

(Wikipedia)

Colors

Sofi Tukker - Drinkee

Mahalia - Sober

H.E.R - Carried Away

triple j - Like a Version 2021

The Wiggles cover Tame Impala 'Elephant' for Like A Version

Chvrches cover Kendrick Lamar ‘LOVE’

Gang of Youths cover The Middle East 'Blood' 

Hermitude cover Nirvana 'Heart-Shaped Box'

Tash Sultana covers MGMT 'Electric Feel'

essaying by Tressie McMillan Cottom

Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends by Caitlin Dewey

Meghan

Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee

Maintenance Phase

Episode about Olestra

You're Wrong About… by Michael Hobbes and Sarah Marshall

Your Fat Friend by Aubrey Gordon

case/lang/veirs - Full Performance | opbmusic Live Sessions

Links, Articles, and Things

Hark! Podcast - Episode 283: O Christmas Weed

Baman Piderman - Find Da Sandwich (Ep #1)

Neil Cicierega (Wikipedia)

Episode 114 - Hot Cocoa & Book Recommendations

The episode in which RJ recommended To Be Taught, If Fortunate

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe by Alex White

meatsuit maintenance (Twitter)

Episode 116 - Best Books We Read in 2020

The episode in which RJ recommended Game Changer

Tommy the Turtle (the world’s largest snowmobiling turtle)

Tame Impala (Wikipedia)

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (Wikipedia)

15 Space Opera Books by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) Authors

Every month Book Club for Masochists: A Readers’ Advisory Podcasts chooses a genre at random and we read and discuss books from that genre. We also put together book lists for each episode/genre that feature works by BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, & People of Colour) authors. All of the lists can be found here.

The Moons of Palmares by Zainab Amadahy

The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard

Nova by Samuel R. Delany

Escaping Exodus by Nicky Drayden

The Vanished Birds by Simon Jimenez

Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi

Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee

A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna

Ignite the Stars by Maura Milan

Binti by Nnedi Okorafor

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes

Prime Deceptions by Valerie Valdes

The Black Ship by Gerry William

Red Dust by Yoss

Give us feedback!

Fill out the form to ask for a recommendation or suggest a genre or title for us to read!

Check out our Tumblr, follow us on Twitter or Instagram, join our Facebook Group, or send us an email!

Join us again on Tuesday, May 4th when we’ll be discussing the genre of Literary Theory!

Then on Tuesday, May 18th, we’ll be talking about Books We Did Not Finish!

[vienahdrielle]

The Humorist with a Good Heart

Our country has a lot of great writers who gave significant contributions to the history of Philippine Literature. Through their inspiring works, they have provided timeless lessons and values in life, knowledge, and skills that today's generations could use to build better lives in the present and the future. Among those precious gems of Philippine literature, one that I truly consider remarkable is Alejandro "Anding" Reyes Roces, a Manila-born playwright, essayist, dramatist, journalist, and short-story writer whose works center on the ordinary lives of Filipinos. The culture and characteristics of Filipinos are depicted and reflected in most of his writings. I admire him the most because of his exceptional undaunted love of the country. In all his statements and writings, he focused his attention and time on giving life again to Filipino culture that had been slowly forgotten. He always wanted to give recognition to Filipinos’ cultural heritage and preserve it for the next generations.

Roces was better known as the country’s best writer of humorous comic short stories in English. It was in his freshman year in Arizona when he became a writer. He wrote his first story at the university, “We Filipinos Are Mild Drinkers,” which won a literary award as Best Short Story from the University of Arizona. From then on, he had won other awards and his stories have been published in several American magazines. He then also became the first Filipino writer who had been featured in the Pacific Spectator. Another of his stories, “My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken," painted a portrait of a Filipino as a noble person endowed with innate intelligence, patience, and compassion. It was listed as Martha Foley's Best American Stories among the most distinctive. Roces made his way through great achievements in journalism, literature, and arts. He attained several doctorate degrees: Literature at Toyo University, Japan; Arts and Letters at Polytechnic University of the Philippines; Humane Letters at Ateneo de Manila University; and Humanities at St. Louis University in Baguio City.

He also published books, one of these is “Of Cocks and Kites”(1959) which earned him recognition as the country's best writer of humorous stories. It also had the widely anthologized piece “My Brother’s Peculiar Chicken”. Another of his best-known books is “Fiesta”(1980), a book of essays featuring folk festivals such as Marinduque’s Moriones, Aklan's Ati-atihan, and Naga's Peñafrancia. It showed the uniting significance of the fiesta and brought to public attention the aesthetics of Philippine festivals. A collection of Roces’ short stories, “Something to Crow About”(2005) has been adapted for a stage play of the same title that opened the UNESCO Theater Congress in 2006, the first international theatre festival to be held in the Philippines. The staged version of the said book is the first Filipino zarzuela in English. This modern zarzuela won the Aliw Award for Best Musical and Best Director for a Musical Production. It also had a run off-Broadway at the La Mama Theater in New York and other key cities in the US.

Alejandro "Anding" is one of the notable Roceses in the fields of journalism and literature. In the year 2000, in an article made by the Philippine Star, he was included in the World's Who's Who, a biographical list of the highest achievers and contributors around the world. The Cultural Center of the Philippines Centennial Honors for the Arts in 1999 also gave Roces a citation for his priceless contributions to the field of cultural dissemination, thus, granting him the "Parangal Sentenyal sa Sining at Kultura." Through the years, he had won numerous awards, including the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award, the Diwa ng Lahi Award, the Tanging Parangal of the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, and the Rizal Pro Patia Award. He was finally awarded the honor of the National Artist of Literature in 2003.

Under former President Diosdado Macapagal, Roces served as Education Secretary. He led the campaign and properly moved the Philippines' Independence Day from July 4 to June 12. As Education Secretary and an advocate of bio-cultural diversity, he was able to recover the lost manuscripts of Jose Rizal's Noli Me Tangere, El Filibusterismo, and Mi Ultimo Adios. He also caused the change of language from English to Filipino in the country’s stamps, currency, passports, and diplomas. While serving as Dean of College of Arts and Sciences at the Far Eastern University, he was recognized for convincing poet Jose Garcia Villa, the first National Artist for Literature, to come home after decades of self-exile in New York City to teach at the said campus.

Roces became a powerful influence on the literature field and also made contributions not only to the aspect of literature but also in the field of art. His works were published in various magazines around the world, and have received numerous national and international awards that gave honor to our country. With his patriotism, through his writings, he became an inspiration to many Filipinos. Because of the pleasure he had added to the culture of the Philippine arts, he was able to depict how beautiful our culture is. His stories and creations had become the way of introducing new hope to the Filipino nation. With all his wholehearted service to his fellow Filipinos and his country, it was no doubt that he was unequaled by anybody.

In 2011, at the age of 86, Alejandro “Anding” Roces had fulfilled his role as a cultural demonstrator and an educational innovator. He may have left us and made the local arts and culture community mourned but the lessons he instilled in our hearts and our minds will always remain and forever be remembered. All the things he had done, clearly reflected how a true Filipino should live. I learned from him that humor can bring positivity to one’s life and that we should always love and serve our country. When once asked for a piece of advice on becoming a famous literary figure, he didn’t just advise writers like him or the aspiring ones, but he also gave a precious piece of advice for everyone on what really matters in life. He said, "You cannot be a great writer; first, you have to be a good person," which only means that before anything else, goodness in one’s heart should always come first.

[subterraniamania]

What is National Arts Month?

Threadless Artist Mathiole once said,

“Art speaks where words are unable to explain.”

Art is indeed used to convey one’s emotions and feelings and can be found everywhere. The National Arts Month (NAM) is one of the sites for art and will be held in February 2020 by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) through Ani ng Sining: Philippine Arts Festival. This celebration first started in 1991 after the former president Corazon Aquino signed the Presidential Proclamation 683. Since then, the NCCA and other agencies have been organizing this event. 

This year, through the Subcommission on the Arts (SCA), the NCCA heads the celebration of the NAM by the theme Ani ng Sining: Philippine Arts Festival. It shows a variation of events from different areas in the country. Specifically, it highlights the seven local boards and arts which include: architecture and allied arts, cinema, dance, dramatic arts, literary arts, music, and visual arts.

Across the country, communities and organizations are urged to coordinate creative activities to celebrate NAM 2020. Events are ideally conducted in public spaces to include external as well as internal stakeholders as participants.

Aside from the different activities it offers, this event could also revive the Philippine pride. This year’s National Arts Month will be able to serve as a venue for all forms of art ranging from digital to traditional art and even including literary pieces. It focuses on indigenous arts, and by inflating them, viewers get to see more of the piece rather than the general idea itself. 

Furthermore, unlike presenting only the well-known art pieces such as the artworks of Fernando Amorsolo, or the writings of Jose Rizal, the National Arts Month will also be a locale wherein even the less recognized works could be presented and appreciated for their value and message. By attempting to avoid curating just the famous works of selected Filipinos, the audience will get more of a distinct Filipino flavor regarding the artistic community and encourages fellow individuals to become less insular.

Today, the featured literary piece presented is the “Subterrania” by Luis Joaquin M. Katigbak.

[fuzzyaliendiplomateclipse-blog]

Literary Theory: New Historicism

SONG OF A TEAR-GASSED MAN

by Cirilo Bautista

 This is the piece that I have chosen for my Literary Theory Analysis. I have chosen New Historicism as the type to analyze this text. For I, the piece Is greatly influenced from the era where the piece was written, specifically during the Martial Law Era.

 I love it! I love it!

This tear gas sanctifies my corrupted soul.

Oh! The divine odor of it, the excitement

better than demos or rock and roll.

 The stanza above shows how the main character still fights for freedom during this era despite the fact that he has been tear-gassed. This stanza may refer to the fight that happened during the Edsa Revolution where the crowd are dispersed with tear gas.

 Get a load of it, brother, while it's free,

You may never get another chance;

this is the right stuff, the real Mccoy,

pure, imported chemicals from France.

We may not have money in the bank,

no food on the table, no seat on the Love bus,

but we have secret marshals and policemen

and most of all, we have a lot if tear gas.

 The speaker of the poem is revealed to be one of those who lives a lowly life or the poor who in spite of having nothing wishes for freedom. A lot of Filipinos during that era are born from poverty, and freedom without.

 Get a load of it, brother, while it's free

You may never get another chance;

 this is the right stuff, the real Mccoy,

pure, imported chemicals from France.

 The speaker is inviting everyone to join him in rally to go against the Marcos Era during the revolution.

  We may not have houses and running water.

the taxmen may be running after us,

but we have floods, garbage, Amendment 6

and most of all, we have a lot of tear gas.

 This shows the repetition in other stanza where he describes how living in that era with poverty is devastating. But this also shows that even with all the hindrance they stood up to fight the law even with tear gas.

Get a load of it, brother, while it's free

You may never get another chance;

this is the right stuff, the real Mccoy,

pure, imported chemicals from France.

 Don't save your tears, brother, they are meant

to be shed, you cannot turn them into cash,

but if you join me in this martial festival

you'll get a taste of refreshing tear gas.

 The speaker is speaking to the reader that they should fight together to end the dictator, and to bring back the freedom that they have before.

 Get a load of it, brother, while it's free

You may never get another chance;

this is the right stuff, the real Mccoy,

pure, imported chemicals from France.

 During the era in which the text was written, being tear-gassed is used as a symbolism for continuing to fight. The poem is much meaningful when it comes to the usage of symbolism on how they fought against the dictator. From the poem, the speaker intends to write about how they fight for their freedom during that time withstanding the tear gas that the officers give. This piece was influenced during that era because during that time the fight isn’t really over with poverty growing in size, and martial law prevails there’s nothing to do but to fight. In this piece, the era is about to end but the speaker still continues to invite the readers to fight to end the reign of the dictator.  

[adelaacuna76-blog]

Asia.

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[dsspoems]

Events

UPCOMING

-

PAST

Midsumma Festival - Amplify: Crush, Bluestone Church Arts Space, 3 May 2021, 6.30 pm AEST

Finding Your Poetic Voice, Doncaster Library, 18 March 2021, 6.30 - 7.30 pm AEST

Guest for: The School of Dreams Workshop with Manisha Anjali, 18 November 2020, 5–6.15 pm AEST

Craft Lecture: Bewilderment is Another Word for Chills, Footscray Community Arts Centre, 24 October 2020, 3–4 pm AEST

Meditations in an Emergency with Evelyn Araluen, Toby Fitch, and Ursula Robinson-Shaw, Melbourne Writers Festival, 8 August, 2020, 11 am AEST

The Craft of Poetry with Manisha Anjali, National Writers’ Conference and Emerging Writers’ Festival, 20 June, 2020, 4.15 pm AEST

Online Poetry Reading, The Digital Sala Filipino Literary Festival, 18 June, 2020, 8 pm AEST

Panacea Poets: Darlene Silva Soberano, Queensland Poetry Festival, 13 April, 2020

NIDAnights: Silent Treatment, Liminal Magazine, December 3, 2019, with Hannah Wu, curated by Leah Jing and James Lew

National Young Writers’ Festival, October 2019:

Darlene Silva Soberano: Poetry Set (Poetry Reading)

I’m An Imposter, Get Me Out of Here (Panel)

Cuplet Carnival (Poetry Reading)

Emerging Writers’ Festival, June 2019:

Read to Love (Performance)

EWF19: Influence (Podcast)

EWF x Liminal: Interstitial (Poetry Reading)

Synthetic Heat Reading Series 2.2, May 22, 2019

Launch of Glass Life by Jo Langdon, 15 July, 2018