quoted for Harry Potter mania chenelyn

catching up with reposts here.

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the manila times ran a story on the popularity of harry potter in time for the film release this week. the reporter contacted me as a resource person.

sa dami ng tanong niya at sagot ko, natatawa ako kasi one-liner na lang ang ending na pull quote na ginamit from me. hahaha! buhay pull-quote indeed...

my friend jovan enjoyed more pull quotes, though, because of her membership to that hogwarts society thang hehe.

enjoy! will watch it tomorrow when the weather behaves a bit.

original post here.

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

‘Harry Potter’ casts his magic spell, again

By Angelo Cantera, Reporter To the Filipino fans of Harry Potter, their favorite boy wizard has definitely “grown up.” From being the protagonist of author J.K. Rowling’s children’s novel about a young wizard’s road to heroism, he has definitely evolved into a cultural icon whose story was told through seven books and, so far, six film adaptations. And as the latest of the six films, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince, makes its worldwide debut, his followers say that his magic still remains enchanting as ever. Apparently, it is enough to inspire a number of them to don elaborate robes, carry broomsticks and even discuss his story in the classroom. “The story is popular because it has a wellstructured narrative and a creative re-imagining of things already familiar to us,” a Palanca winner and literary columnist, Libay Cantor, told The Manila Times. “People are always after a good story, no matter what genre they like.” As an educator in De La Salle University (DLSU)-Manila, Frances Sangil has been talking about Potter’s “magic” for five years. And while she doesn’t train her students to use charms or brew potions, the 34-year-old teacher has been educating them through the spell Rowling cast upon the world with this best-selling series. “The literature department of DLSU-Manila has a very strong cultural studies and popular culture track,” Sangil told The Times. “We’ve been offering electives such as speculative fiction, fantasy, crime fiction and gothic fiction, among others. We want students to talk about the things that matter to them and problematize contemporary literature. An elective on [Rowling] was then inevitable.” Handling about 40 enrollees every time the class is offered, Sangil’s methods involve incorporating practices done in the books. Like the students of Potter’s magic school, Hogwarts, she sorts her students in different “houses”—a procedure of grouping learners based on their characteristics—and she also administers exams that she affectionately calls “OWL,” a term based on the “ordinary wizarding level” exams that were given to Potter and his school mates. “I don’t teach them how to curse people or make potions,” Sangil said. “I merely discuss the importance of a very popular series that happens to be about magic.” Saying that the series is “probably the literary saga of this generation,” she also tells her class to discuss what she thinks is Rowling’s greatest contribution to an era where children spend most of their time in front of the computer to surf the Internet and play online games. “Through him [Harry Potter], she [Rowling] got an entire generation of kids into reading again,” Sangil said. The ‘Pinoy’ Harry Potter Sangil is also a member of Hogwarts Philippines—a community of Filipino Harry Potter fans that was established in 2001. As an online group, it is a venue that allows the series’ aficionados to meet and share their love for the magical world created by Rowling. And while most of the interactions among members happen online, they also do offline activities like launch parties where they welcome Harry Potter books and films, by donning costumes popularized by the novels and outreach activities like book drives that benefit orphans. Currently, the group has more than 1,000 members all over the Philippines and around the world. And despite the preconceived notion that Harry Potter was written for children, the group also has a broad age bracket with members being as young as 13 and as old as 45. “I’ve always been a fan of the series,” 34-year-old freelance artist and Hogwarts Philippines member Jovan de Ocampo told The Times. “I’ve always been a fan of the book since I was in Grade 7. But I only became an active member of Hogwarts Philippines after I enrolled in the class of Miss Sangil.” 23-year-old Kitkat Torres, also told The Times. Accused of practicing witchcraft Sangil and the other members of Hogwarts Philippines, however, admit that despite all the mild mannered enjoyment they’ve been having through the series, they have encountered opposition and criticism. According to them, the cliché of judging a book by its cover remains present, with some people berating them for their taste in literature. Some even accuse them of practicing witchcraft. “In preparation for the film release of Prisoner of Azkaban [the third Harry Potter book,] we had a story telling session for kids.” Sangil said. “Suddenly, there was this guy who said in a very condescending tone ‘So, that’s what you teach kids nowadays.’ I already knew what he meant when he said that, so I asked him if he has read the book and he said, ‘I don’t have to read the book. Look at you, you’re dressed in robes telling children about witchcraft.’ So I replied, ‘Sir, look at the kids, they’re having fun, they’re reading books, is that such a bad thing?’” “I get the impression that sometimes, people think we get together to brew potions and cast spells. We don’t do that,” 22-year-old Rona Angeles said. “When we get together, sometimes, we rarely even talk about Harry Potter.” “What’s unfair is that whenever most people judge Harry Potter, they would see a hundred page book and only see the cover,” 22-year-old Francis Romero also told The Times. Romero said that critics of Harry Potter books don’t look beyond the magic of the boy wizard. In the process, these people don’t see the positive values Potter’s books impart to its readers. The magic continues As the sixth film adaptation of the Harry Potter makes its world debut in theaters today and in the Philippines Thursday, the fans of the boy wizard cannot help but share their excitement even though most of them have already read all seven books of the series. Angeles said that somewhere along the line, Harry Potter stopped becoming a children’s movie and the characters became more human. Now that the Harry Potter’s destiny has been decided with the publishing of the seventh book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and the film franchise is set to end in 2011, the boy wizard’s fans cannot help but accept that reality. But still they remain optimistic that the series can become a classic. “Star Wars survived, right? It survived decades. Harry Potter can do that too. I’m not sure if it’s going to be something like Lord of The Rings but I definitely think that it will have a long shelf life,” de Ocampo said.

this makes a lot of sense

my acquaintance and facebook contact mimi nolledo, daughter of the late great writer wilfrido nolledo, posted this link sa fezbuk at may-i-read ako sa article. at winner siya ha! it makes a lot of sense!

repost ko lang dahil sa wala akong column na ire-repost today dahil nagkaroon daw ng tech problems ang substitute editor kahapon kaya di na-layout ang aking column. epic fail!!!

oh well.

the article on huffington post is here. my comments in brackets.



13 TIPS FOR ACTUALLY GETTING SOME WRITING DONE
by gretchen rubin


One of the challenges of writing is...writing. Here are some tips that I've found most useful for myself, for actually getting words onto the page:

1. Write something every work-day, and preferably, every day; don't wait for inspiration to strike. Staying inside a project keeps you engaged, keeps your mind working, and keeps ideas flowing. Also, perhaps surprisingly, it's often easier to do something almost every day than to do it three times a week. (This may be related to the abstainer/moderator split.)

[i call this "the NVM rule" because i first heard of this from the late national artist for literature nvm gonzales during the 1997 UP writer's workshop in cebu, when we were trapped in bantayan island for 7 superfun days. sabi niya, lagi daw dapat ako magsulat ng kahit ano, lalo na pagkagising sa umaga, walang edit-edit, basta kung ano ang unang sumagi sa utak ko, isulat ko. i used to have a notebook filled with such thoughts which i labeled "the nvm project notebook." i miss nv. he was like a lolo to me.

i was also reminded of this in 1999 in dumaguete naman, when i learned of poet fellow and friend allan popa really forced himself to write one poem per day. one poem! grabe sa dedication ang kuyang yun.]

with co-fellows at the 1999 dumaguete national writers workshop.
here we are in front of silliman university chenelyn. spot me.

2. Remember that if you have even just fifteen minutes, you can get something done. Don't mislead yourself, as I did for several years, with thoughts like, "If I don't have three or four hours clear, there's no point in starting."

[hm oo nga naman. in short, shorten your procrastination period hehe.]

3. Don't binge on writing. Staying up all night, not leaving your house for days, abandoning all other priorities in your life -- these habits lead to burn-out.

[hay nakoooh. kaya di ako naniniwala dun sa lock-in brainstorming sessions popularized by the abscbn/star cinema peeps early 2000s e, when writing soaps. chaka. kaya abandon ship akey. kaloka, one whole weekend pipigain kayo at nasa hotel lang kayo lahat! kaloka.]

4. If you have trouble re-entering a project, stop working in mid-thought -- even mid-sentence -- so it's easy to dive back in later.

[hm eto di ko pa nagagawa pero try ko nga.]

5. Don't get distracted by how much you are or aren't getting done. I put myself in jail.

[hindi naman distracted. sa akin e barometer yun. self-check like "wow shyeet 54 pages na ko yehey!" works for me hehe. that's how i finished my MA thesis!]

6. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that creativity descends on you at random. Creative thinking comes most easily when you're writing regularly and frequently, when you're constantly thinking about your project.

[yes. see nvm rule. that's why when, during the early stages of blogging in the philippines, i helped test the calliope platform ng i.ph dudes sa first blogging summit and got myself a new blog called "anti-rust punditry" or arparp hehe. that project was a short one to just help me write something almost everyday para di kakalawangin ang writing skills baga. at that time kasi, i wasn't doing much writing for some strange reasons... and this is why blogging helps.]

7. Remember that lots of good ideas and great writing come during the revision stage. I've found, for myself, that I need to get a beginning, middle, and an end in place, and then the more creative and complex ideas begin to form. So I try not to be discouraged by first drafts.

[ay korek ka jan ati. eto ang approach ko sa scriptwriting ngayon e, lalo na't i have to churn a script every week for HAPPY LAND, yung show na pumalit sa LOVELY DAY na dati e dinidirek ko. ako ang narrative scriptwriter ng new show. the first draft is the sequence treatment. second draft with revisions is the fullblown script na. it works.]

saturday mornings pa rin

9.30-10am gma7 mga kapuso. abangan!

8. Develop a method of keeping track of thoughts, ideas, articles, or anything that catches your attention. That keeps you from forgetting ideas that might turn out to be important, and also, combing through these materials helps stimulate your creativity. My catch-all document, where I store everything related to happiness that I don't have another place for, is more than five hundred pages long. Some people use inspiration boards; others keep scrapbooks. Whatever works for you.

[ay naku ang dami kong ganyan, minsan sa gimik nga e, susulat lang sa piece of tisyu and i pocket it. no idea is a bad idea, even if it's stored in your files for a decade already. who knows. sabi nga ni jun lana, siya e may baul ng scripts at huhugot lang pag kelangan. bongga ang ati no?]

9. Pay attention to your physical comfort. Do you have a decent desk and chair? Are you cramped? Is the light too dim or too bright? Make a salute--if you feel relief when your hand is shading your eyes, your desk is too brightly lit. Check your body, too: lower your shoulders, make sure your tongue isn't pressed against the top of your mouth, don't sit in a contorted way. Being physically uncomfortable tires you out and makes work seem harder.

my rainbow room where my writing nook and reading nook is.

in short, library ko teh. that's me at the height (or weight hehe,

see fatness) of my MA thesis rewriting

[ay finally! someone articulated this! some people kasi think maarte lang ako pag sinabi kong di ako makasulat kasi di na comfy ang desktop ko, o yung old laptop ko, at mainit sa bahay di ako makasulat ng tama, na kelangan ko minsan tumambay sa coffeeshop para magsulat lang, o dapat yung chair ko sa bahay pag nagsulat e maayos at perfect chuva. haaaay!

pero bago yung tongue thing ha. masubukan nga.]

10. Try to eliminate interruptions -- by other people, email, your phone, or poking around the Internet -- but don't tell yourself that you can only work with complete peace and quiet.

[haha true ito. kaya nga when i'm in fezbuk, that means i'm writing. reliever yun e hahaha! truly!

and this is where i truly appreciate goldstar. she's the one who finally understood what the temperament of a writer is actually like. she makes sure i don't get distracted and when i do, she helps me stay in focus and on track. i heart this woman. :)]

11. Over his writing desk, Franz Kafka had one word: "Wait." My brilliantly creative friend Tad Low, however, keeps a different word on his desk: "Now." Both pieces of advice are good.

[for me, that laminated postcard-like thingie from lunduyan ng sining's WHAT THESE HANDS CAN DO anthology that says "WRITE" does the trick so far. ... and that ribbon with the small card that says "47th palanca memorial awards for literature" with the red ribbon attached saying "winner" hehehe. vain na at mayabang, pero it makes me strive to top it, e. i don't rest on past laurels. i want new ones lagi hehehe.]

12. If you're stuck, try going for a walk and reading a really good book. Virginia Woolf noted to herself: "The way to rock oneself back into writing is this. First gentle exercise in the air. Second the reading of good literature. It is a mistake to think that literature can be produced from the raw."

[and this is why i heart virginia. she make a lotta sense, too.]

13. At least in my experience, the most important tip for getting writing done? Have something to say! This sounds obvious, but it's a lot easier to write when you're trying to tell a story, explain an idea, convey an impression, give a review, or whatever. If you're having trouble writing, forget about the writing and focus on what you want to communicate. For example, I remember flailing desperately as I tried to write my college and law-school application essays. It was horrible -- until in both cases I realized I had something I really wanted to say. Then the writing came easily, and those two essays are among my favorites of things I've ever written.

[well, oo naman ati. i think that goes without saying.]

Manila Times article: film review of VICKY CRISTINA BARCELONA

this is a film review that came out today at the manila times newspaper. read the online version here.

it has been ages since i wrote a film review, for a publication. i've been writing informal ones on my blogs but i really dig writing one for official purposes, like this publication. i used to have a film review column at the now defunct localvibe.com (late 90s-early 2000s) and i immensely enjoyed that gig. that continued with herword.com, an affiliate of businessworld newspaper sometime in early 2000s. yun na ata ang last.

and now, this. and in a newspaper again at that, hindi lang sa online. kakatuwa hehe :) when i was the entertainment editor of the now defunct pinoy times newspaper (early 2000s), i also made special columns to print my film reviews, na kinatuwa naman ng mga nag-iimbita sa akin for the press preview dahil i call them as i see them (in short, kung pangets, chugi and justify. kung ganderz, praise and justify). i was actually glad to discover that some in the entertainment press enjoy honesty like that.

sana mag-dire-diretso na ito if ever. this is the gig i don't mind na delayed ang tf hahaha! kasi i get to watch films on the big screen, in advance pati. at puwede pa ako magsama ng friend hehe :) winner!

Thursday, February 19, 2009

FILM REVIEW

‘Living la vida loca,’ Woody Allen style

A review of Vicky Cristina Barcelona

By Libay Linsangan Cantor Contributor Trust Woody Allen to fall in love with a city and cinematically immortalize its charm via the quirky citizens that inhabit or visit them. Over the years, he has done that several times with his beloved New York, ranging from classics such as Manhattan, Annie Hall, and Bullets Over Broadway. And now, he does it for Spain, particularly Barcelona, and the quaint city of Oviedo in Asturias, with his latest opus Vicky Cristina Barcelona. For avid Allen fans, you won’t be disappointed with this change in scenery, and locale. The usual elements of his films—the ones we’ve grown accustomed to, and love dearly—are all here: An uptight New Yorker (Vicky, played by Rebecca Hall) with a “bland” partner (her fiancé Doug, played by Chris Messina), a more laidback/free-spirited New York soul/artist (Cristina, played by Scarlett Johansson), and the sexually charged individual that stirs up a hornet’s nest of a situation (Juan Antonio, played by Javier Bardem, the dashing Spanish artist that befriends and beds the two girl friends), plus a neurotic-slash-quixotic character that is just there to “mess” things up some more, albeit philosophically, gracefully, artfully or just plain crazily (the lovely Penélope Cruz who plays passionate Maria Elena, the ex-wife and artist colleague of Juan Antonio). With these character types alone, it’s easy to imagine how things begin and what happens next as the vacationing American girls meet the dapper Spaniard. Vicky is attracted to Juan Antonio and has a one night stand with him, before she gets married. After she gets married, Cristina ends up spending the rest of her summer living with Juan Antonio. Cristina has him all to herself, until he takes in Maria Elena to take care of her after her failed suicide attempt. The three share more than the house, so to speak. I’ll leave it up to you to discover what they discover for themselves. As with other Allen narratives, this one sets up the mood familiarly, guides you to a witty journey, and leads you to hang on to your seats for the exciting conclusion/s. While the artists’ tempers and personal temperaments fly high, their interactions are not that harsh or hard to take in, thanks to the wonderful sceneries where Allen takes us. He shows us Catalan-born Antonio Gaudí’s breathtaking architectural genius in Barcelona, the main subject of study of Vicky (this New Yorker is doing her graduate thesis on Catalan identity—go figure!). He shows us the main streets and side streets full of fruits, flowers, goods, shops and everything you can imagine of romantic Barcelona as seen through the eyes of Cristina and her developing sensibilities as a photographer. We hear haunting melodies played on Spanish guitar as it teams up with the wine, the greenery and the balmy ambience of Oviedo to set up the sparkling sexual attraction—and its obvious copulating conclusion—between hot Juan Antonio and quirkily pretty Vicky. With this film, it’s obvious that the neurotic New Yorker we have come to love in Allen has relaxed, taken a vacation, and fell in love with a place that made his wit sharper than ever. Sharp, but not scathing, and that is a fascinating change—a welcome one. After seeing this film, you will have the urge to hop on a plane and fly to Barcelona, to see things for yourself, and hope to capture one of the storylines that Allen served in this wonderful film.

Manila Times article "Pride in the name of fashion: Markati Palazzo’s edgewear"

since i updated my cv yesterday, i trawled through the net to look for the things i published last year. and since i've been meaning to archive them here anyway, i'll post most of what i found here, mostly my column pieces na di ko pa pala na-u-upload dito, among other articles.

so this means i'll be reposting some old stuff here, at slight marami-rami sila. bear with me folks. salamat.

***

this one i wrote when i covered the launch of Radar Pridewear in the general Markati Palazzo section launch of The Podium in ortigas.

had i known that the lifestyle editor of manila times had photo coverage problems, i should have brought a stringer with me to cover this event cum fashion show. well, that's what did na since then. ayoko lang na ako ang photographer din at writer (like i did before during my early freelance years) kasi haggard na siya.

radar pridewear is the only openly out lesbian apparel store (yes, kahit ang tindahan, may sexual orientation heheh) in the country, and i am proud of it and its owners, friends tin and rebie. pero hindi naman dahil magsusuot ka ng damit nila e lesbyana ka na rin. unisex nga ang karamihan sa fashions, kung tutuusin, kaya open to all ito. nga lang, wag tayong sabay magsuot nito sa UP, ha. baka akalain ng mga tao e kakanta tayo sa kung saan man heheh.

o sya. tama na ang side chika.

original post here.

Friday, May 23, 2008

Pride in the name of fashion

Markati Palazzo’s edgewear

By Libay Linsangan Cantor, Contributor Early this month, The Podium Mall at Ortigas proudly opened their brand new section called Markati Palazzo, Metro Manila’s newest fashion address. The cozy cul-de-sac type area at one end of the fourth floor is the new location of new fashion apparel and accessories shops created and run by all-Filipino designers and entrepreneurs. Rare fashion finds and stylish target marketing characterize what Markati Palazzo is all about. And when we say fashion, it doesn’t mean your usual off-the-runway type clothes sold at exorbitant prices, with designs that you’re not sure you really want to wear at the office or in a party. This new fashion address breaks those awful truths and non-aesthetic impressions. As the name suggests, the area is a lodging place hosting current trends and innovative styles—a “market,” if you will, where goods are displayed within rows of stores (palazzo is Italian for rows of buildings/apartment flats). The stores in the area are Bobon by Puey Quinones, Hot Pink Lingerie, Limb, Navarro, Radar Pridewear, Laura, Rugged Door, Stella, Central, Wisdom and V. A rundown of the shops would give ideas to achieve this goal: Bobon carries unique semi-formal style gowns with playful prints and long-sleeved polos for men with hand-painted designs. Puey definitely puts the “hot” in haute couture. Lingerie lovers will definitely love what Hot Pink has in store for them. Flash the words lace, see-through, red, black, silk, satin and sexy in your mind, and you get the idea of what their store seduces to offer. The people behind the seduction is Kaye and Carlo Garcia. For those who want to take their fashion style more out of the limb, so to speak, Limb embodies that out-of-the-box appeal in their apparel, where clunky cool accessories and crazy prints give extra color to colorful personalities. The avant-garde RTW designs are by Dimple Lim. Stella carries several trendy day-clothes for those who want to jazz up their usual office garb. They can choose designs from Louis Claparols, Eric de los Santos and Maud. Navarro (by Tina Navarro of Ilaya Couture fame) and Central (by Hazel Santos and Catherine Cavilte) also serve this purpose, with the former carrying not just apparel but colorful bags from Tinsley. Casual daily wear is what Rugged Door (by Jeffrey Rogador) and Wisdom (by Gail Angeles) specialize in, with designs for men and women who want to reinvent the word “smart casual” in a more intelligent and trendier fashion. Laura focuses more on jewelry, watches, bags and even home accessories with designs that span interests among various generations. Young and old alike could use the elegance and the trendy style of the jewelries, necklaces and other accessories they carry. The person behind the style is Laura de Guzman. Meanwhile, V (by Jane Mendoza) flaunts their ruffles and frills in their fashion outfits that any bona fide young (or young at heart) kikay would proudly wear. And when it comes to being proud, perhaps Radar Pridewear embodies a unique kind of pride in Markati Palazzo, as they are the first store in the country to openly target the lesbian community with their shirts, tank tops and polo creations. Yes, for the first time, a store creates apparel designed for women who love women. Making waves At Radar, there are shirts that carry designs pertaining obviously to the lesbian life and lifestyle, such as “Baby D” or “Barbie with a buzz cut” and several designs inspired by the popular US cable TV show about lesbians called The L Word. They also have a somewhat cowboy and/or military-inspired designs of jackets and polos. But not to alienate the non-lesbian female crowd, Radar also has cool and hip shirt designs that anybody could wear, sans Sapphic slogans. Their general design concept carries the philosophy of creating masculine-type designs that compliment the female form. And depending on the woman who would wear it, their fashion sense is adaptable to send differing messages—as androgynously hot, beautifully bi-curious, flirtatiously hetero or pointblank seductive. In the end, the wearer makes the greatest fashion statement which Radar compliments. Definitely, at Markati Palazzo, the young and young-at-heart are invited to discover their own style—and a myriad of fashion finds awaits all.

Manila Times column for 09 January 2009 "100 years, 100 books"

original post here.

THE SCRIBE VIBE
By Libay Linsangan Cantor
100 years, 100 books

The University of the Philippines celebrated its centennial year last 2008. Countless events were lined up and held. Books were also part of the celebration, courtesy of UP Press.

On December 12, 2008, UP Press awarded 100 books they published that received the special “branding” of the 100 Centennial Publications distinction. These are previously published titles that a special board deemed apt to receive such a distinction, primarily due to its contribution in a specific field of study. Thus, honored were literally 100 books from nine different categories (social science, humanities, science, fiction, non-fiction, plays, poetry, literary criticism and literary anthology.

It was very enjoyable to browse through the selections, as UP Press re-launched most of the titles with new book covers, of course bearing the special “UP Press Centennial Publications” imprint. Some titles were unfortunately not reprinted for several reasons, especially those that were printed decades ago. Yes, some books honored were originally published as far back as 1973.

Most of the authors (at least those who are still living) were physically present in the ceremonies. For avowed booklovers, it was a treat seeing them and mingling with them. Professor Emeritus Dr. Damiana Eugenio, for instance, received warm accolades as her famous and thorough seven-series Philippine Folk Literature series were awarded. Interestingly enough, this series, composed of thoroughly researched and compiled material on folk literature (from the epics, folktales, legends, myths, riddles and proverbs) is the most popular and sought-after titles of UP Press. I couldn’t agree more; each volume is an enjoyable read, rich in details and versions of tales from north to south of the country, and very interesting if one is into folklore of any kind. It’s for the young and old alike.

Authors whose books were included in this centennial list are all impressive and well respected in their respective fields. Examples are National Artists NVM Gonzalez, Bienvenido Lumbera, Francisco Arcellana and Rio Alma; respected historians Renato Constantino, Onofre Corpuz and Teodoro Agoncillo; award-winning dramatists Nicolas Pichay, the late Rene Villanueva and Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio; literary bigwigs such as fictionist/creative nonfiction writer Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, poets Ricardo de Ungria, Gemino Abad and J. Neil Garcia, fictionists Jose Dalisay Jr., Jun Cruz Reyes and Vim Nadera, among others.

Head on to UP Press bookstore at Balay Kalinaw in the Diliman campus to browse through these centennial titles. To own some is an investment worth taking, I assure you.

Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com.

Manila Times feature article: 'Revisiting Ricky Lee's Rerouted Roots'

my interview on ricky and the feature article that came out because of that, out today at manila times (sa print and online editions).

ang hirap lang kasi ang dami naming magandang napag-usapan (na lagi namang ganun whenever you talk with him) kaya lang i have to trim it down and include pa the datos ng booklaunch chever niya. oh well. material for the next artik maybe.

photo of ricky by my friend and photo stringer marnie dolera.

original post here.

obvious namang i lurv alliteration di ba, sa title hehe. too bad the lifestyle ed had to make it formal and added ricky's surname. ngyar.

Friday, December 05, 2008

Revisiting Ricky Lee’s rerouted roots

By Libay Linsangan Cantor Everyone knows Ricky Lee, the scriptwriter. But for those who are not so familiar with him, perhaps a brief recollection of the famous films he scripted would do the trick: Brutal, Moral, Karnal (all directed by Marilou Diaz-Abaya); Himala (directed by Ishmael Bernal); Gumapang Ka Sa Lusak, Cain at Abel (both directed by Lino Brocka) and some of his latest, Aishite Imasu Mahal Kita 1941 (directed by Joel Lamangan) and Dubai (directed by Rory Quintos). Those are but a handful. He actually wrote over a hundred screenplays—all realized into motion pictures, with some bagging awards (Catholic Mass Media Awards, Gawad Urian and the like) and some exhibited in prestigious film festivals abroad (Cannes, Berlin, Toronto Film Festivals, among others). Let’s not even mention that he wrote, co-wrote, did script supervising jobs and/or became the head writer of TV shows (teleseryes, drama anthologies) mostly for ABS-CBN where he is currently ensconced as a creative manager/consultant. And now, he comes up with his latest work: Para Kay B (o kung paano dinevastate ng pag-ibig ang 4 out of 5 sa atin). And no, it would not be seen in local movie houses, nor would it be available in your friendly neighborhood DVD pirate or as a downloadable Internet movie file. It would be available in bookstores, particularly in National Bookstore, as it is going to be distributed by Anvil Publishing. Yes, it is a book—his very first novel. Yes, the man writes literature. Lee always did. Perhaps this is what most people didn’t know about him. This first novel is not his first literary collection as he already came out with a book written in Filipino entitled Si Tatang at mga Himala ng Ating Panahon in 1989. This volume contained his short stories, articles, and even the screenplay of Himala. His latest opus, a love story also written in Filipino (his preferred literary medium of choice), is actually the third novel he wrote when he went on a three-year self-imposed hibernation. Out of those three years, he dived back into literature, producing a political novel, a political satire novel, some short stories, the sequel to his famous scriptwriting manual Trip To Quiapo, and bits of his memoirs. Clearly, his beginnings as a writer had literary roots. “Literature is my first and last love. I got into scriptwriting by chance, but I started in literature. Back when I was in fourth year high school in Daet [Camarines Norte], I sent a short story in the Philippines Free Press. It was [Bienvenido Medina Jr.] who first published my work,” Lee reminisced. And from that chance, he never stopped. When he came to Manila, he became a journalist, essayist, print editor, feature writer, a playwright, and even a poet—though he now balks at that thought. “I did [try writing poetry], may konti pero napangitan ako [I wrote some but I didn’t like them] so I never wrote [poetry] again. What I want to write [more] are song lyrics. I wrote songs for the two plays I did, in DH and Pitik-Bulag sa Buwan ng Pebrero. My greatest dream is to write a rock musical.” It is obvious that the man loves to write, and he wants to try writing almost everything—even if he already has, actually. “I jump from one thing to the next. That’s how I survive as a creative person. I’m not a genre person. I don’t want to be boxed, I don’t want things to be boxed in. I’m like that in my choices [of favorite books and music] and that is also how I am in writing.” During the launch of his book in UP’s Bahay ng Alumni on November 30, friends and fans came out to support him with this new endeavor. Perhaps the launch was the most star-studded book launch in recent times, as his celebrity friends and supporters came in droves not just as audience members and buyers but also helpers in staging the event. Celebrities who read excerpts from the book include Lorna Tolentino, Gina Alajar, Cesar Montano, Chanda Romero, Cherry Pie Picache, Eugene Domingo and Piolo Pascual. Behind the scenes, film and TV director Joyce Bernal together with Lee’s other friends and past workshoppers lent helping hands. TV and theater actor Malou de Guzman sang Lee’s penned song from his Pitik-Bulag play. The admiring audience included personalities from film and TV like Gloria Romero, Susan Roces, Angel Locsin; literary figures like National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera, Marra Lanot and Danton Remoto; fellow scriptwriters Racquel Villavicencio and Pete Lacaba; musicians Cooky Chua and Ely Buendia; film directors Maryo Delos Reyes and Joel Lamangan; journalist Jo-ann Maglipon and many more. Fans, former students and non-showbiz supporters also came in droves. With this kind of support, Lee could happily look at a positive literary future ahead of him, which will surely prompt him to write, again and again. The man doesn’t stop and we should be thankful—and supportive—of that.

Manila Times feature article: "Drama Queens"

original article here.

published at the manila times life and times (lifestyle) section 27 june 2008.

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Drama queens

The women playwrights of Writers Bloc woo words and win wisdom

By Libay Linsangan Cantor, Contributor Let’s face it: there’s no money in theater. But someone has to do drama. Dramaturgy, that is. And who could better to do dramaturgy than women. Whether 40-minuter one-act plays or hour-plus-long full-length plays, local women playwrights have devoted time, talent and tough love to produce quality work that say something important about society, about being a woman, and about being Filipino. The independent association known as the Writers Bloc Inc. has that type of women. Once again, some of them will have their works staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) for the fourth Virgin Labfest in the coming two weeks. Writers Bloc members Debbie Tan, Layeta Bucoy, and Liza Magtoto share their love for theater. Magtoto reveals, “Since I was small, I was already in love with theater. It’s the power of words and immediate feedback from the audience. Especially during performances in communities, it feels enriching that you get validated when you hear the immediate feedback of the audience.” Bucoy recounts early field trips in CCP inspired her to eventually dabble into the art form. “It feels free when you watch and you feel you’re at the center of that world onstage,” she says. Magtoto also cites that brand of freedom theater provides, as she could compare it to her other work as a TV scriptwriter: “You could say a lot on stage compared to TV or film where there’s censorship so you could express and experiment more. Like my play Hubad would be hard to pull off on TV. The only catch is, theater has a limited audience.” This is why the three tried to combine these elements—the magic, the passion—and spice it up with their own brand of feminism and views on sexuality. The results? Multiple Palanca awards no less, with theater directors clamoring to handle their plays onstage, and crowds upon crowds of pleased audiences during the CCP staging of their works at the annual Virgin Labfest event. The three say that it is important to retain that kind of message that talk about women’s issues as penned from a woman’s perspective. Of the three, Magtoto boasts of the most credentials in this area, counting the popular community theater-staged Libby Manaoag plays, the award-winning Despedida de Soltera on being a single woman, Balota Queen on women’s suffrage, and St. Anthony Pray Por Us on being a single mother. According to Magtoto, divorcing one’s gender from writing is tough. “I can’t avoid questioning aspects of how society or the Church look at women, for I see that they’re not fair in assessing women’s situations.” Tan is also conscious of that fact, among other concerns. “I want to write meaty roles for women, where they are the focus and the leads.” She adds, “What I want is to release that voice of the Filipino-Chinese in theater without the stereotypes, because that hasn’t been done yet.” Bucoy approaches this gender issue: “I write as a woman, writing women’s experiences as a woman because I want to be sincere. This is how it is, this is how I understand and look at things.” Magtoto sums it up for them. “It’s passion. Always strive and never stop writing.” And know more people, people you don’t normally talk to or interact with.” Audiences could get to know more of these women’s characters in their plays to be staged at the Virgin Labfest from June 25 to July 6, 2008, at the CCP. Layeta’s restaged Ellas Inocentes (about two sisters whose relationship oversteps normative boundaries) and her new one Las Mentiras de Gloria (a story on guilt) will be both directed by Tuxqs Rutaquio. Debbie’s Mga Babaeng Too Bright (about women and artificiality) will be directed by Ana Valdez-Lim. For details, visit www.virginlabfest.com.