Turning authors into celebrities

HALF OF the month of April, Philippine Literature Month, may be gone, yet the Alab ng Panitikan schedule of activities continues with much fervor, thanks to the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and the National Book Development Board (NBDB). It was wonderful to be witness to two major out-of-town (yes, out of Metro Manila!) events.

The month rightly began in Orion, Bataan, Francisco Balagtas Baltazar’s second home where his impressive life-size statue by Julie Lluch is prominently mounted in the Hardin ni Balagtas, which faces the cleaner side of Manila Bay. He is portrayed seated in contemplation at his writing desk in the garden, beneath a duhat tree—alas, not the mango tree in “Florante at Laura,” as the English text by poet Marne Kilates goes: “Not rarely now my vagrant grief/ sits under the mango tree we passed,/ and looking at the dainty fruits/ you wanted picked I forget my ache.”

After the ceremony honoring Jose F. Lacaba with a Gawad Dangal ni Balagtas, it was inspiring to see him mobbed by the youth from the Campo Balagtas, a three-day boot camp for writers, as well as teachers in attendance. Never mind that the crowd responded most to his being an editor of YES! magazine, as announced in his bioprofile. Lacaba regrets forgetting to acknowledge how his mother, a public school teacher, was the very first to teach him to speak and write as eloquently as he does now in Filipino.

Also hounded by fans were the balagtasan stars Vim Nadera and Mike Coroza, with Juana Change as an applauded substitute for Teo Antonio. That should inspire all of us to have more such poetical jousts, rather than the usual TV-inspired dance numbers, in school programs. Of course, KWF chair and National Artist Virgilio Almario was a crowd-drawer, too.

The growing recognition of authors as celebrities and worthy role models was evident in last week’s first-ever Pinoy Bookstore Tour arranged by the NBDB. The tour of six bookstores in Manila, Malolos, San Fernando and Baguio featured finalists and winners of the National Book Awards (NBA) at every stop, with each bookstore becoming a venue for lively literary conversations on various genres. The bookstores were selected because of the predominantly Filipino titles they sell and display prominently. The storied 51-year-old Solidaridad Bookshop of National Artist F. Sionil Jose was the first stop. At that historic table on the third floor where literary and political figures have lingered and debated were Nikki Alfar, Kilates, and Jack John Wigley.

With pride, Sionil Jose says Solidaridad is the first air-conditioned bookshop in Manila (but with no credit card facilities to date). Tessie Jose says sales are not always encouraging although every day, someone buys a Sionil Jose title (because it is required reading in schools). The author himself has an effective marketing ploy: He will not sign on any piece of paper for autograph-seekers, only on his books.

If one is in search of art books, then one has to go to artbooks.ph in Mandaluyong run by Ringo Bunoan. It caters to a niche market and spares one the trouble of museum-hopping for the specific titles one needs. It’s a fitting venue for NBA authors Regina Abuyuan for “Agam” (a book on climate change that succeeds because it does not mention climate change and the usual jargon of the trade) and Norma Respicio for “Journey of a Thousand Shuttles: The Philippine Weave” (in which she shares a lifetime of research).

At the bookstore/resto-bar Uno Morato, our last stop for the day, Harris Guevarra welcomed readers and book lovers who need a place to read and write. Poets Ayer Arguelles read a paper on “Pesoa” while Kristian Cordero talked about his “Labi: Mga Tula.”

The busload of participants who signed up for the free tour continued on to Jacob Cabochan’s Pandayan Bookstore in Malolos. Those based in Manila had not heard of this chain, despite its 90-plus bookstores nationwide. The discussion on graphic lit featured Borg Sinaban on his PilandoKomics and Mervin Malonzo on “Tabi Po.” Because of Malolos’ role in our history, Cabochan hosted a lunch featuring our heroes’ comfort food, like “tinola ni Rizal” and “pochero ni Plaridel.”

Humor writing regaled the audience at Orchids Bookstore in San Fernando owned by Lydia So. Her bookstores, five of them in the province of Pampanga, will only try selling trade books now, after hearing Joselito de los Reyes and Bebang Siy talk about their books, “iStatus Nation” and “It’s Raining Mens,” respectively.

The various stops welcomed all walk-ins, but the overflow crowd at Mt. Cloud Bookshop in Baguio was unexpected. Fans of poet and novelist Egay Samar (of the Janus Silang series) and cartoonist Manix Abrera (of “14”) did not mind the long queues for book signing after a lively discussion. Samar spoke of his loving familiarity with the creatures of Philippine mythology, while
Abrera kept reassuring the audience that what he does anyone can do, as the Philippine environment is rich with humor.

The only flak from the NBDB constituents came from those who could not be accommodated on the tour.

Neni Sta. Romana Cruz ([email protected]) is chair of the National Book Development Board, a trustee of Teach for the Philippines, and a member of the Eggie Apostol Foundation.