To remember and to sing

One can immediately sense how successfully the spirit of Nick Joaquin has been captured in the large framed photograph of the National Artist that welcomes you to this ongoing exhibition at the Ateneo Rizal Library, Special Collections Building. It is a solo of a happily inebriated Joaquin—just him and his beer bottle—signed to writer Isagani Cruz with just one word, “Dammit.” That should put you in the proper frame of mind as you chuckle in amusement and amazement at this literary icon.

The exhibition especially curated by Ateneo professor Jonathan Chua (also the acknowledged authority on Jose Garcia Villa, by the way), is a fitting way of remembering Joaquin a decade after his death on April 29, 2004.

And so one smiles nostalgically as one listens to snippets of interviews or views scenes from CCP’s “Larawan” featuring Celeste Legaspi and Zsa Zsa Padilla; and listens to Joaquin himself sing his own rendition of a Frank Sinatra/Cole Porter favorite of his, “You’re the Top,” with charming references to Villa and NVM Gonzalez. Also immortalized are his Rita Hayworth affectionate name for Gilda Cordero Fernando and playful poems, like the one for food historian Doreen  Fernandez, using “tureen” for his rhyme and food imagery. And is it typical Joaquin that we now have this trivia about his having two birth dates?

A dramatic exhibit item was his typewriter, still with a piece of an unfinished manuscript page, a commissioned biography of industrialist Alfonso Yuchengco. Certain to bring back memories of the dark martial law years was Joaquin’s acceptance of the National Artist conferment on the condition that detained writer Pete Lacaba would be released.

Teachers looking for a truly worthwhile field trip for high school and college students have to seriously consider this Nick Joaquin exhibit that runs till Sept. 30. You cannot view it without experiencing the urgency of immersing yourself in the rich and vigorous Joaquin prose that affirms his reason for writing—to remember and to sing.

Those of us who have been privileged to see or know Joaquin have our own share of “Nick J” stories. Back in graduate school, Shayne Nograles Lumbera and I were lining up for a Joaquin book signing. When Shayne’s turn was up, Joaquin asked for the name to dedicate the book to, and he laughed out loud, remarking, “What a funny name!” How we wished we were brave enough to ask which name and why, and he was sober enough to be able to explain.

My husband Elfren was understandably initially intimidated at the prospect of sitting for an interview with Nick Joaquin for a planned book on the history of the Laban movement and how it climaxed in the Edsa People Power revolution. He was immediately put at ease when he did not see any tape recorder and note-taking; the interview just seemed like a warm exchange of stories.

It is certain that the Nick Joaquin legend will live on.

Speaking of literary icons, I had a chance encounter with a Harry Potter clone at the gala lunch to honor the Scholastic Readers Cup winners for 2014. It was a lavish well-organized event to honor the schools, the administrators and the librarians that pushed the students’ reading scores and the number of books read during the prescribed competition period. An occasion grand enough to merit the presence of Hong Kong-based executives Frank Wong and Linda Warfel, an old friend. I laud the idea of paying tribute to the teachers and the librarians as these will motivate them to goad the students to read even more. Who can quarrel with that?

I will sound like the discordant voice and let it be said that I enjoyed it all—the entertainment and, best of all, the event’s book theme. Aside from Harry Potter, there were characters from Suzanne Collins, too. Centerpieces were Scholastic titles which were giveaways for the guests—and the desserts, which included butter cookies carrying the familiar red company name; cupcakes topped with edible books; and the pièce de résistance, the bestselling Scholastic book covers (yes, “Clifford” and “Harry Potter” and “Charlotte’s Web” and “Geronimo Stilton”) made edible, frosted on book-sized bars. I did dare ask, seeing that the partner schools in attendance were all from the privileged private sector: What is Scholastic doing for public schools? How can Scholastic be a partner in promoting literacy for all Filipino students?

Interestingly enough, just a day before the Scholastic event, I was resource person for a radio show focusing on comics and YA (Young Adult) literature. Among the topics was how to choose the book to read. After talking about personal interests and curiosity as driving factors, one candidly said that she chooses books that are popular with others, highlighting what influence peers exert and the reality of the bandwagon effect. The final question made me laugh, as it sounded quite concerned. What does one do about a student who will do nothing else but read? My answer was predictable: That is a wonderful problem I would want a hundred times over.

Neni Sta. Romana Cruz (nenisrcruz@gmail.com) is chair of the National Book Development Board, a trustee of Teach for the Philippines, and a member of the Eggie Apostol Foundation.