When all else fails, there are books
If we allow it, this time of the year can drive us to a mindless frenzy, lamentably so contrary to the season of peace and joy we know it must be. Aside from the travails of Metro Manila living and what appears to be our self-imposed holiday rush, there are all the screaming headlines that hardly instill hope in me, the reader. But all is not lost for those of us who have discovered the special refuge that books make possible. For words and stories assuage and soothe and empower and inspire every time.
For the 12 days of Christmas, my desk happily promises untold delight with this assortment of Philippine titles for all tastes, all persuasions, all moods. They are on my must-read list because of rave reviews from critics and friends.
“Arsenio H. Lacson of Manila” by Amador F. Brioso Jr. This is not a commissioned biography but one that simply grew out of the curiosity of the Riyadh-based author who, during a Manila visit, chanced upon a bust of “the colorful mayor of Manila.” He did diligent and exhaustive research and contacted the Lacson family when he needed family sources.
“Habagatanon: Conversations with Six Davao Writers” by Ricardo M. de Ungria. A gem of a literary history because writers are always interesting to read and listen to. The conversations are enriched by the inclusion of choice pieces.
“Lait Chronicles” by John Jack G. Wigley. The humor of the lively author-raconteur is evident in the everyday Pinoy experiences he documents—conversations overheard from fellow commuters, from students, from his own kasambahay.
“Macli-ing Dulag: Kalinga Chief, Defender of the Cordillera” by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo. This was journalist Doyo’s 1980 award-winning magazine article for which the author endured her first interrogation by military authorities. It also earned her a journalism award from no less than Pope John Paul II. It has now expanded into book form so that the Kalinga leader who opposed the construction of the Chico Dam to protect the Kalinga way of life would never be forgotten.
“Mula Tarima Hanggang at Iba Pang Mga Tula at Awit” by Ericson Acosta. These were poems the author, an activist and singer, managed to write in the course of his two-year detention in Samar. In a sense, it was his writing that “saved” him.
“Panaderia: Philippine Bread, Biscuit and Bakery Traditions” by Amy A. Uy and Jenny B. Orillos. The authors, who met as winners of the Doreen G. Fernandez Food Writing Awards, were encouraged to do a serious food book because they were curious about the tinapay we all love. Thus, a tribute to the panaderia and its proud traditions.
“Recuerdos de Patay and Other Stories” by Caroline S. Hau. The author’s byline is familiar for her previous titles as an academic scholar. As outstanding is this first book of fiction. “Sweet Haven” by Lakambini Sitoy is the first novel of the Denmark-based author. Long-listed for the MAN AsianLiterary Prize in 2008, this was originally published in French. She now writes about a mother who returns for a new life in Manila after abandoning an illegitimate daughter. Sweet Haven is the community of her childhood.
“To Remember to Remember: Reflections on the Literary Memoirs of Filipino Women” by Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo. Four generations of women writers are in focus in this literary study and creative nonfiction that only the author can craft: Paz Policarpio Mendez, Solita Camara Besa, Gilda Cordero Fernado, Merlie Alunan, Criselda Yabes, Jenny Ortuoste, and Rica Bolipata Santos.
“Wonder Lust” by Nikki Alfar. Anyone would want to read this book of short stories especially as its blurb warns that picking up this book may be ill-advised. Savor this woman writer’s spirit as she finally decides to write on whatever she wants, however she wants. Her style has been described as “sardonic, skeptical, irreverent”—and that is putting it mildly.
Neni Sta. Romana Cruz ([email protected]) is chair of the National Book Development Board and a member of the Eggie Apostol Foundation.
