Manila Times column for 20 Sept 2009: "When your writing comes to life on screen"

this column was inspired by my recent directorial gig for the tv show that i am writing for (at least the first draft, i always say hehe. saka na ang kuwento nun siguro). maybe i'll also write about working as a director again, behind the scenes stuff. may mga incidents kasi akong nais i-blog, lalu na ang mga diskriminasyon sa set and all that. pero saka na nga lang.

eto muna.


original post here.

Sunday, September 20, 2009

THE SCRIBE VIBE By Libay Linsangan Cantor When your writing comes to life on screen

Scriptwriters must already be used to seeing their works on screen, whether they write for television or film, especially the veterans who have been writing for a long time. Of course this is applicable to those writers whose works actually made it to production. But then again, that’s another discourse altogether. For this writer, I am not yet used to seeing my works on screen. By “used,” I mean being just blasé about it to the point of not actually caring how the story was visualized at all. Of course it’s exciting to see because you are curious to know how the production team, especially the production designer and the director, visualized the words you just had a mental picture of before. Now that that mental picture is actually a real picture (and a moving picture at that), you sometimes wish you wrote several things differently, or wonder if the production team actually got the things you wanted to say in your script (oh, the wonderful world of subtext, semiotics and symbolisms). But being on the actual set of a world you just created is another experience altogether. I experienced this weekend when the TV show I write for called me up to ask if I can sub for their absent director. Since I have worked with this TV crew before as a director, I happily obliged and helped. This show is Happy Land, aired every Saturday at 9:30 a.m. over GMA-7. Since this children’s show began airing in June of this year, I watched it to monitor how my narrative scripts are being audio-visually translated. But visiting the set, looking at the props and meeting the characters I invented (such as the sari-sari store and its proprietor, which I named after my mother), I never thought that it would feel differently. All of a sudden, I am inside the world I created, walking around the places I merely wrote about at the comfort of my home, and scrutinized the characters from a great deal of distance. I actually felt like that writer character from the Cornelia Funke novel Inkheart (which was also turned into a film) as he reacted upon meeting his fictionally written characters in the flesh for the first time. It put a weird but satisfying smile on my face. But what put an even bigger grin on my face was seeing how the production team labored over making the material I wrote come to life. The props, the costumes and of course directing the scenarios I invented (for this episode, the children protagonists interact with a young Lam-ang who learned how to talk respectfully with elders)—they were all fun, and educational for me, too. Now that I knew how they shot the material, I became conscious of several factors that I never would have considered before just by merely writing from a distance. Well, let’s see how this episode fares, as it still has to air on October 3. Wish us luck. Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 13 Sept 2009: "Literary highs and lows"

original post here.

kahit naman hindi tayo super-friends or super-close sa mga namatay, we still feel their loss because familiar tayo sa mga ginawa nila, na ang ilan ay hinangaan pa natin. hindi ba valid reason yun para makiramay? that's called being human, i think.

yun lang kasi ang isa kong feeling sa ilang kaibigan ng isa sa namatay, na para bang "private grief" dapat ang "pagsasaluhan" nila lang, kaya parang weird for them na nakikisimpatiya ang ibang tao sa labas ng sirkulo nila at ng namatayan. tapos magagalit pa sa iyo kapag nag-comment ka about it or something. ay ewan. kuwento ko na lang sa 'yo over strong ice and isaw sa sarah's.

maybe they should take their cues from two recent big deaths in our culture -- michael jackson's and tita cory -- and take some clues/cues from there.

sana lang.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

THE SCRIBE VIBE By Libay Linsangan Cantor Literary highs and lows

It has been such a schizophrenic time these past few weeks for the local artistic community, especially when it came to news about writers. While some have been celebrating highs, people were also feeling low with the loss of some writers in our midst. One of the losses was Astrid Tobias who lost her bout with lupus a few weeks back. Just thirty years old, Astrid wrote children's literature and also worked at the Kabataan News Network. I first met her through common friends but it was at Adarna HouseÕs 2007 Barlaya Writing for Young Adults workshop where I interacted with her the longest. I was a fellow of that workshop and she was a panelist who gave very meaningful insights about the young adult novel I submitted for that workshop. Her comments were very useful and helped the revision of my manuscript a lot. I was actually planning on seeking her out for added comments (I wanted her to read the whole novel because the workshop only provided panelists with excerpts and synopses) but I guess my luck ran out. Still, I am very grateful for her help. May she rest in peace. Another young writer we lost is 29-year old film critic Alexis Tioseco. His Quezon City home was robbed and, together with his girlfriend Nika Bohinc, he was gunned down in the process. Most of the independent film cinema circle knew him as the hopeful Filipino-Canadian critic who championed Filipino cinema via his online film journal. His girlfriend was also a film journalist in her native Slovenia. No one should die that way. I hope they find the perpetrators soon. Another young writer we lost is poet Winton Lou Ynion whom I met at the UP National Writers Workshop in Davao in the late 1990s. He was one of the poetry fellows and I was part of the workshop staff that year. I offer my condolences to the families and friends of these writers; such a huge loss indeed. Even with such sad news in mind, the literary community still went on with the usual highs designated this time of the year. The Palanca Awards were handed out last September 1 and I would like to congratulate all who won. Some wins elevated a couple of writers to the Hall of Fame, particularly UP Prof. Eugene Evasco. A known children's writer, he won first place for the newest Palanca category in Filipino called Tulang Isinulat Para Sa Mga Bata. In order to be in the Hall of Fame, a writer should have won five first prize awards in any category. The Philippines Free Press Awards were also given out days before the Palanca's, and poetry and fiction writers whose works were published in the magazine the past year were awarded to a lot of first-timers. Let's hope that the rest of the year will be more peaceful for the writing community and the larger artistic community as well; no more losses, please, and enough controversies as well. Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 06 September 2009: "Sell out, sell out wherever you are"

original post here.

inspired by current decisions and past ones, by friends and colleagues alike hehe.

Sunday, September 06, 2009

THE SCRIBE VIBE By Libay Linsangan Cantor Sell out, sell out wherever you are

I’ve come upon writers who are so concerned about this “business” of selling out that they are ashamed to say or promote what it is they are writing. This is especially true of scriptwriters Some who I met are conscious of their status as writers for major TV networks, saying that they should be writing stories with values and deep philosophical insights or social relevance or whatever Instead, they regularly churn out fanfare material that will ponder to all types of audiences (the lower in the social rung, the better, according to network executives) Hey, if it pays the bills, then why should one be ashamed of it? And yes, people do watch these kinds of stories, shallow or otherwise Somebody has to write them. I’ve even met some former classmates in film school who say these things, too, that they are sellouts because they write for TV, not for film Given the current state of Philippine cinema these past years, I wouldn’t blame them Even in the midst of the digital independent film revolution, scriptwriters still have a long way to go in terms of proper recognition, respect or pay So thus, there’s really nothing wrong with branching out to other writing avenues We all have to eat and live, right? Literary writers also find themselves in this sellout rut when they realize that, instead of writing fiction or poetry—forms closer to their hearts—they write words for advertisement copy, press releases that sound more like praise releases, or fluffy features for lifestyle and entertainment publications For me, this is not really selling out but more of expanding one’s skills as a writer What’s wrong with a little fluff? We need it sometimes in our lives And yes, people do read this stuff Not all material we read should be deep down serious or profound, right? It’s just a matter of balance or preference, I guess And there should be writers supplying material at all ends. I guess these writers complain about these things once they have already reached their saturation point That I understand, and I can relate to I’m sure each creative soul has a breaking point when it comes to writing what you want to write and writing what you need to write to earn a living I don’t see anything wrong with writing to earn a living, even if the material one is writing is not that close to one’s heart, or mind, or soul or whatever Yes, even if others brand you as a “sellout ” I say, so what? As long as a writer is happy writing what it is he or she writes, and she gets paid for writing it, then that’s all good I just wish some writers would stop “complaining” that they are sellouts when confronted with their situations Sometimes, the best “defense” is not being so defensive at all. Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay scribevibe@gmail com She is also at libaycantor multiply com

Manila Times column for 30 August 2009: "To earn and be deserving of the National Artist title"

original post here.

talagang hindi humihinto ang carlo j sa chorva niya. hay naku...

Sunday, August 30, 2009

THE SCRIBE VIBE By Libay Linsangan Cantor To earn and be deserving of the National Artist title

Amid this ongoing National Artist Awards controversy, the issue as to why the honorees deserve this award came about. My question is, setting the selection process aside, did they earn to be nominated in the first place? If we look at past honorees, I believe they all earned it. Their works speak for themselves, especially the quality, not the quantity. And no, their works are not limited to being objects of study in an academic institution as the title was also conferred to artists who are icons of popular culture. Maybe there is that impression because some of the honorees’ works, especially those in the literature category, are heavily studied in schools, and the honorees are also teachers. An example is poet/fictionist Edith Tiempo (conferred 1999), the “literary mommy of Dumaguete” because of her establishment of the writers’ workshop in that place (together with her late writer husband Edilberto Tiempo) and poet Rio Alma (conferred 2003), former dean of the UP-Diliman College of Arts and Letters. But their works, being classified under media and the arts, are actually part and parcel of our daily lives, even if we are not too conscious about it. I myself never realized that I walk past the work of a National Artist for Sculpture during my undergraduate years (at least its replica). Now I relish that thought and smile whenever I pass by the UP Oblation made by Guillermo Tolentino (conferred 1973). I love watching stage plays and it was only now that I discovered that one of my favorite venues was named after the 1997 National Artist for Theater, Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero. For theater, I was only familiar with the titles conferred to Rolando Tinio (1997), Atang de la Rama (1987) and Daisy Avellana (1999) for I was more familiar with their contributions. I love watching Shakespearean plays translated by Tinio in Filipino (as well as his other works) as he really had that great command of our language. And when I watched the musical play based on Atang’s life, I was immediately transported back to my childhood days when my late beloved grandmother used to play vinyl recordings of kundiman songs made popular by Atang. Who would have thought that at that early, I was already exposed to a National Artist’s works? And I was lucky enough to meet Avellana when I interviewed her for a theater article I wrote for a magazine before. Although I must admit, as endearing as she is in person, I was more familiar with (and excited about) the works of her husband, filmmaker Lamberto Avellana, also a National Artist conferred in 1976, mainly because of my film bias as a film major. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines “luminary” as “a person of prominence or brilliant achievement.” We could certainly apply that word to past National Artists recipients. Let’s see if we can apply it to future nominees, evaluate if their works have earned the nomination for them to be considered as deserving of the title. Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 23 August 2009: "Meeting National Artists for Literature"

original post here.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

THE SCRIBE VIBE By Libay Linsangan Cantor Meeting National Artists for Literature

When we hear the title “National Artist for Literature” attached to a writer’s name, it’s but natural to admire those who carry this privileged and honorable title. It’s like being bestowed the knighthood of the literary world, in a way. But it’s more heartwarming when one discovers just how humble and helpful such “titleholders” are, especially to younger and starting writers, despite the magnanimity that their titles suggest. I took my graduate degree in creative writing so that gave me the chance to meet several National Artists for Literature. But funny enough, I met them all outside of formal classes, except for one—Bienvenido Lumbera, conferred in 2006. But that was rather different; he was my undergraduate teacher in film theory and criticism back in UP film school. Besides writing literature, Sir Lumbera is also active as a film critic. Before enrolling in graduate school, I was lucky to be accepted at the 1997 UP National Writers Workshops in Baguio and Cebu. NVM Gonzalez, conferred in 1990, was present in both workshops. While most were afraid of him for his no-nonsense criticism of short stories, I somehow saw him as my “literary Lolo” for he always smiled and talked to me about literary and writing tips, even outside the workshops, like how a grandfather would talk and tell stories to his grandchildren. He would even lend me books to read, leading me to authors that will somehow help me in my craft. Occasionally, he would give me mini-criticisms of articles I wrote for publications, and I was flattered because I never even knew that he read my stuff. When I formally began my graduate studies, that was when I met another National Artist, Francisco Arcellana, conferred in 1990 like Sir NVM. Between the two, he was wackier because his sense of humor and demeanor was as unpredictable and as postmodern as the short stories he wrote, with tales and narrative styles that really revolutionized the Filipino short story in English. He kept giving me books, magazines and other stuff he no longer needed. When he discovered that I was also a photographer, he even gave me an unused photographer’s jacket someone gave him as a gift. He was around the UP College of Arts and Letters a lot, and we young writers hung out with him there, trading stories and writing tips. He even went as far as declaring to people that he wanted to be my MA thesis adviser. Too bad I took too long to finish my darned thesis, and he went ahead early. I now wonder how that venture could have gone, had he handled my thesis. To think that these literary greats already reaped awards, published legendary books and wrote stories that defined our literature, they still had the time to hang out, share a few laughs, and mentor wannabe writers like us. That was really something. More of these kinds of literary luminaries next week. Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 16 August 2009: "Encounters with real National Artists"

o, napanood niyo na yung mga pinagsasasabi ni carlo caparas? hehehe. now read my column today.

original post here.

ang hirap talaga whenever i have to condense to 500 words and below all of what i want to say about a certain thing. this is one example of that.

happy reading nonetheless.

ps saka wala akong column post last week simply because the newspaper webmaster forgot to upload it. fail!!! buti na lang sa print meron. hay...

Sunday, August 16, 2009

THE SCRIBE VIBE By Libay Linsangan Cantor Encounters with real National Artists

It’s hard not to give an opinion on the hottest talk of the artistic community—the National Artist controversy. But I’m not going to; a lot has already been said. This controversy instead made me think of what it’s like to interact with National Artists up close. I had a blast thinking about my encounters; I never knew some of my fondest memories involved some of these creative geniuses we hailed as National Artists, and these encounters surely contributed to my skill, art and craft as a writer today. I can start as early as 1990 during my college years in UP Diliman. One of the very first teachers I had was already a National Artist as he was conferred in 1976. As a naïve fine arts freshman, I never knew he had such a title simply because I didn’t even know these titles existed back then. All I cared about was making it to this man’s afternoon class in time, held inside this rickety-looking “studio” he called The Foundry. Each time I entered that foundry, I felt like I was entering a sacred secret museum full of world-class sculptures that were really alive, as they were all thought-provoking, captivating and of course aesthetically stunning. My classmates and I had fun passing by our favorite called The Bridge of Love, where a life-size sculpture of a naked man bent to reach the sculpture of a naked woman opposite him, who was also depicted as trying to reach the man, therefore making an impression of a bridge. We joked that each time we passed, it seemed like the man and the woman were getting nearer to the body parts of the other that they wanted to reach. That piece alone made me admire the man who made it, and his name is Napoleon V. Abueva. Fast forward to five years, and I found myself a graduate of the first filmmaking course in the country (yes, I shifted). My co-film majors and I always hung out at this humble-looking roadside bar-eatery near Kalayaan Avenue in Quezon City called Kasalo especially whenever we couldn’t sleep and we wanted to deconstruct films we just saw in theaters over cheap beer and satisfying pulutan. But rarely did we see the simple bar’s owner, the future National Artist for Cinema in 2001—the late great film director Ishmael Bernal, whose films we admired and watched over and over even if they weren’t required in class. When we finally had an Ishma sighting, we shyly pushed each other as to who should approach him first, and hopefully engage him in some cinematic small talk, maybe ask him about the metaphors of Nunal Sa Tubig or something. But when we saw him, he looked haggard and tired, probably from dealing with prima donna actors and overbearing producers, so we left him alone. More National Artist encounters happened in my life when I decided to take a graduate degree in creative writing. I’ll share those stories next week. Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 02 August 2009: "Loving (our) literary languages"

original post here.

buwan ng wika na. whatever that means. labo, kelangan ng one month to speak filipino. bleh.

Sunday, August 02, 2009

THE SCRIBE VIBE By Libay Linsangan Cantor Loving (our) literary languages

I know it could be difficult to write—and be excellent at it—in one language, let alone two or three. But how about reading? Is it that difficult to read Filipino literature written in Filipino than in English? Some say yes, and I really find that funny. Aren’t we Filipinos automatically “ready” to read texts written in English and Filipino (at least those of us who were reared in these languages)? I thought about these things because I am reminded of August and the celebration of “Linggo ng Wika” in schools within this month. Isn’t it funny that we set aside one whole week of a year to have a “special” celebration of our own language? Shouldn’t we celebrate our own language every day of the year? And reading literature written in Filipino or any of our other regional languages could be a good exercise in celebrating our own languages. Yes, we actually have many, not just one or two. Sometimes I really envy those who could speak, read and understand languages other than Tagalog, such as Ilonggo, Cebuano and Ilokano, as we have so many great literary texts written in these languages—but that’s another column entry. Sticking to Filipino and English, I could say that we are mostly exposed (or at least those of us who are based in Metro Manila) to literary texts written in these languages. But I really find it funny that some literary writers declare that they cannot read (or don’t have the patience) to read literature written in Filipino. I’m not even referring to the Balagtasan-type of “deep” Tagalog but just plain, everyday Filipino language. Some writers say they prefer reading Filipino literature written in English because it’s “easier” for them to read that. I also found it alarming that some lawmakers believe Filipino will not help us much, therefore they want to legislate English as the official medium of instruction in schools. I wonder if these folks really love our country, because for me, loving one’s country also means loving its language—or in our case, languages, and not just the dominant one we use to communicate with foreigners. It’s one thing to make us globally competitive, but it’s another thing to make us ashamed of our own heritage by not upholding the beauty and integrity of our own national language(s). So maybe as we ready our kids to join the Filipino declamation contests and Filipino language-oriented activities this month, maybe we should also stop and think about how we celebrate our language in our everyday lives. Read more Filipino literature written in Filipino or any other regional language you understand. That always helps. It’s time we love our own more, don’t you think? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 26 July 2009: "The long but inspiring road to advocacy and children’s literature"

original post here.

this pilandokan conference was fun and enlightening for me. gusto ko talaga siyang puntahan di lang dahil nagsusulat ako ng children's TV show ngayon kundi talagang genuinely interested lang ako sa state of children's and young adult lit sa atin today, kasi ito ay genre na ginagalawan ko rin sa aking pampanitikang pamumuhay at panulat.

kaya natawa ako sa komento ng kakilala kong guro sa filipino dept sa KAL, si elyrah, na kelangan daw piktyuran ako dahil rare daw ang tulad ko, na nag-a-attend ng mga kumperensiyang ganito dahil sa talagang interesado ako, di tulad ng iba na nag-a-attend o nagbabasa ng papel sa kumperensiya dahil "points" ito sa aming CV bilang guro para may maidagdag sa iyong promotions sa rank sa pagiging guro sa peyups hehehe.

yes, may ganung factor. :)

well.

ay, ito nga palang guro sa educ na nabanggit ko ay--small world--yung ate pala ng barkada ko noong college sa film, si K, na naging kumare ko paglaon dahil inaanak ko ang anak niyang si kari hehe. hm, miss ko na ang inaanak kong iyon. matalino. laging libro ang regalo ko sa kanya.

at yung binabanggit ko pala diyan na lesbian story for children, yung publisher na napag-usapan namin ay the same publisher na niligwak ang aking novel for young adults na lesbian puppy love ang tema. when i asked kung bakit nila ni-reject ang novel ko, ang sabi lang sa akin "kasi we went with the other submission." tangeeenaaaa. labo. ni ayaw sabihin nung head honcho ng publishing house yung tunay na reason. takot siguro mabansagang homophobic. well, namamana pala ang pagiging macho shit, aney. but that's another blog post :P

heniwey... enjoy!


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Sunday, July 26, 2009

THE SCRIBE VIBE
By Libay Linsangan Cantor
The long but inspiring road to advocacy and children’s literature

AT the recently concluded Second National Conference on Children’s Literature in UP, I got the sentiment that there is still a long way to go when it comes to instilling certain advocacy issues in Philippine children’s literature.

In a casual conversation with UP College of Education professor Portia Padilla, a conference speaker, she estimated that it takes about ten years for a “trend” to emerge when it comes to instilling social issues in stories written for children. For instance, she cites that today, we already have stories featuring persons with disabilities (PWD), notably the deaf. I remember when death was also a shunned issue, a discussion we had in my graduate studies class on writing children’s literature some ten years ago. But now, there are several books that feature this topic. Indeed, a good ten years after. Prof. Padilla’s estimation is spot on.

Besides various PWD issues, there are also stories now featuring issues of changing family structures, notably stories featuring children in so-called broken homes (parents are separated) and stories where one parent is “absent” because he or she has to work as an overseas worker (the so-called OFW narrative.)

Another development I am personally happy about is the articulation of domestic violence, specifically sexual abuse toward girls, in children’s literature. I just bough a 2007 publication by Adarna House entitled Ang Lihim Ni Lea (Lea’s Secret) authored by award-winning children’s writer Augie Rivera and illustrated by Ghani Madueño. The fictional story discusses a little girl’s plight of being sexually abused by her own father, as her mother is away. I know that such stories have been sadly happening in real life for decades, and it’s about time publishers acknowledged that this problem should be articulated and discussed with children, especially those who are survivors of such abuse. Such publications hope to encourage other children who are in similar situations to speak up, stand up and seek help. Hope, after all, is the primary ingredient present in any story written for children.

I now wonder about another sensitive topic, children with gay or lesbian parents, and when this will become a “trend” in our literature. There are already many western publications discussing such stories in both children’s and young adult literature, but the local scene looks bleak when it comes to this issue. Prof. Padilla mentioned a publisher’s “dichotomy” regarding the issue, as they say “we are not yet ready” for such publications but as stand-alone stories (say, those that are entered in competitions like the Palanca), they could be merited as good and radical. Yes, good and radical award-winning stories sometimes never see the light of publication because their topics feature “taboo” issues like homosexuality. Ironic, isn’t it?

A long road indeed, but not a winding one, to quote that Beatles song. Things are positively looking up, somewhat. I guess we advocates just better be patient just a bit more—and continue writing until we get read and heard.

Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 19 July 2009: "Who’s afraid of the big ‘bad’ critic?"

and now for today...

----------------

original post here.

i am actually citing the thingamajig that happened at the philippines free press magazine, one of the oldest magazines in the country with a high reputation when it comes to its literary section. aba, dahil lang kay adam david, nagkagulo sila wahehehehehe. i root for adam hehe dahil kami lang yata ang nag-a-agree about a certain book he reviewed... but that's another blog post :).

nangyari na rin ito dati sa akin. when i was writing for herword.com eons ago--an affiliate of businessworld--my editor asked me to review a certain shakespearean adaptation being staged sa ccp that time. so atak naman ako at may-i-watch with a friend. lo and behold, buti na lang kasama ko ang friend kong "partner in crime" sa pagchachaka ng nga fangeth na shows hahaha. hamfaaaaangeth lang ng ginawa ng direktor! nasayang ang mahusay na translation ng yumaong si rolando tinio. so needless to say, after my review was published online, nagsulat ang direktor ng "letter of pikon" sa editor ko hahaha. at dinedma lang ng editor ko, binigay sa akin yung letter (dahil printed out pa talaga with the direk's signature, hindi email) at yun na yun. hahahaha. naitago ko pa 'ata yun somewhere dito sa files ko... hahahaha! sa ganun na siyang ka-legend sa philippine theater scene, napipikon pa rin pala ang direktor na iyon sa mga reviews. bakit kaya di niya isipin kung bakit PANGETH ang dating ng play niya instead of attacking us reviewers? oh well. one word: ego.

hay. buhay kritik. buhay manunulat. masaya siya!!!!

Sunday, July 19, 2009

THE SCRIBE VIBE By Libay Linsangan Cantor Who’s afraid of the big ‘bad’ critic?

In a relatively small artistic industry where everyone usually knows each other, how could writers give honest reviews of artists’ works without thinking of offending them? Should writers even think about offending, at all? Shouldn’t writers just do honest reviews, period? This is a tricky situation, especially here in the Philippines. Months ago, I stumbled upon a controversy like this in a magazine publication, where their hired resident book reviewer incurred the wrath of the friends of authors whose books he reviewed. But his publisher and editor deemed his reviews as publishable, and hence they let the reviewer “do his thing.” This ended in misunderstandings, and the reviewer ended up leaving his post in that magazine. This, for me, was a big loss, given that the reviewer is known to write honestly and calls a spade a spade. If a book is bad, he will write why, and how it became bad. In short, he justifies his reviews, as any good reviewer should. If a reviewer merely gives all praises for a certain work, then I don’t call that a review or a critique, but a “praise release.” The industry is so full of that, so imagine my lament when this honest reviewer was let go just because he spoke truthfully about some books. Editors hire writers to do reviews because they believe in these writers’ capacity to give honest and important insights about the work being scrutinized. Some publications—no matter who’s writing the review for them—are sought after because the publication’s reputation in dishing out criticisms is respected in the industry. Some writers even seek the opinion of some critics first and even ask for their insights to be put in their book blurbs. There’s nothing wrong with that. But being branded a “bad reviewer” because you criticized a book honestly is another matter. It’s like a writer or an artist can’t accept some truths or differing opinions about their works; pikon, even, as they get irritated by the negative criticism. When this happens, the subject of the bad review often “attacks” the reviewer, questioning his or her credentials, if indeed he has the “right” or “k” as we say it in Filipino to “properly” review someone’s work of a certain stature. I guess in a way, I agree with this, but this is also being snobbish, actually. Does this mean that if a reviewer doesn’t have the proper artistic background, his or her opinions about a certain artistic work are invalid? What about the so-called common people who merely enjoys these artistic works? What if you ask them for a “review” and they give an honest opinion? Are their thoughts invalid just because they lack the background? Let’s think about it. Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 12 July 2009: "Of writing and proper online research skills"

original post here.

this column stemmed from an incident that happened to me at the pinoywriters yahoogroups kung saan matagal na akong subscriber. napapansin ko lang kasi ang dalas na ng katamaran ng mga writers regarding research. okay sana kung tamad lang e, kaso wala pang modo. alam mo yun? iba kasi yun e.

gudlak na lang kung magtagal sila sa industriya na yabang muna ang inuuna kesa skill or respect. hay... iba na talaga ang freelance writing landscape ngayon. kay yayabang na ng mga utaw...

THE SCRIBE VIBE By Libay Linsangan Cantor Of writing and proper online research skills

With the advent of the Internet, one would think that researching would already be easy for writers. Sometimes it is easy, alright—too easy, in fact, that some writers tend to become too lazy to exert extra effort in their research, or even show basic respect for people from whom they ask help. In some writers’ e-mail groups I subscribe to, I often encounter writers who pose queries for everybody, hoping that someone would answer them. Sometimes this is a good practice, but there are times that this is not. If a writer is just searching for hard-to-find facts they need for their articles, then asking people in an e-mail group is understandable, given that, we assume, she/he has already exhausted all other avenues possible in obtaining what she/he is looking for. But if the writer makes this the first step, then that is just plain laziness. Sadly, though, there are writers who are like this. There are also times when writers ask for respondents if they need case studies that could provide information relevant to their article. Because of the anonymity in the online world, some writers tend to forget one basic thing—respect. I experienced something like this before. There was a writer who needed money scam stories for an article he was doing for a financial publication. I e-mailed and inquired about the kind of scam story he needed, hoping I could help by telling him about a small-scale money scam I encountered before. I was just surprised by the brazen attitude he used in answering me. He just plainly told me, “Okay, so what’s your story?” as if he was doing me a favor by listening to me. Ignoring the lack of decorum, I again asked what kind of financial scam he was looking for, because what I had was a small-time scam story, and he again emailed me a one-liner saying he was looking for big time scams. And that was it. No “thank you but what I am looking for is . . . ” type of feedback. He just literally dropped me and stopped emailing when he found out that I didn’t have the information I was looking for. This experience just made me shake my head. If this were ten, even five years ago, he wouldn’t even have the luxury of looking for respondents that easily, and thus he wouldn’t have that arrogance to just dismiss people so easily if they were not “useful” to him. Writers should still learn how to respect people they encounter online or offline, because they will never know when they would actually “need” those people in the future, perhaps as a respondent again, a willing case study, or maybe a liaison to something they will need in the future, whatever that would be. And, more importantly, whether they need people or not, writers should just be respectful to all. But I guess this is a challenge in the online world. Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 05 July 2009: "Rewriting culture with the King of Pop"

they spelled my name wrong. sa online at least. ewan ko sa diyaryo. titignan ko bukas.

anyway, just to deviate a bit. i had to write about MJ. anyway, ngayon lang. sa susunod, back to regular programming na.

original post here.

THE SCRIBE VIBE
By Ay Linsangan Cantor
Rewriting culture with the King of Pop

I’m sure the people of my generation—and the other generations that Michael Jackson influenced—are all mourning and grieving his death. The King of Pop is dead. But still, long will the king live—through his music, his dance performances and his visual innovations. He got me on all counts.

As a filmmaker, I was awed by how his music seemed to have “mini-films” to promote them whenever they showed it on TV in the 1980s. Some singers just had clips of them singing in a stage lighted with the usual lights, dressed impressively and smiling with charms turned on high in front of the camera. Michael was different. He had those, too, but he also had those innovative mini-films, which was to be called “music videos” later on. The Thriller album produced many of these music videos that now remain as classics of the genre: the ghostly but danceable “Thriller,” the teen angst-filled “Beat It,” and of course, the one that got to me, “Billie Jean.” I was so intrigued by how the things he touched and the areas he stepped/danced on lighted up. The moment I saw that, I began wondering how on Earth they did that lighting thing—and thus, my love for cinematography was born. This is part of the reason why I pursued filmmaking in school. I liked how he pushed the limits and experimented with new ways of presenting the visual image, to the tune of his catchy music.

Like my parents, I was an avowed music lover. Growing up, I listened to whatever they listened to. They had their own set of favorites that also became my favorites, like the Beatles and Abba. Of course I was hooked to the pop music of my generation by default. But our tastes all merged when it came to Michael Jackson. We all liked him, since the day he was with Jackson Five when he was small, up to the time he came out with thought-provoking songs like “Man In The Mirror” and “Heal The World.”

These days, savvy marketing makes an artist known throughout the globe, artists with less than stellar talents but have huge publicity machines. With Michael, talent came first before the marketing, before publicity, before any hoopla. Those days, pure talent made an artist shine, and the universe just automatically picks them up and puts them in a constellation for all of us to see, admire, and hopefully use as inspiration in doing good work like he did. Yes, he did that, despite the negativity that surrounded his later life. But that’s just part of being human, I think. The man rewrote music, in a way, and he definitely redefined pop culture as we know it. So take it from his words: “Heal the world. Make it a better place for you and for me and the entire human race.” We all need that now. Thanks, MJ.

Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 28 June 2009: "The book first or the movie first?"

original post here.

kaya lang bakit ganun? biglang na-mark ng google ang manila times website na malware eklat??? labo. pero sa other computer ko, hindi naman. techies, help nga! labo nito.


heniwey...

THE SCRIBE VIBE By Libay Linsangan Cantor The book first or the movie first?

Now that novels-turned-films are lined up to be shown in the next months, that question about what audiences should patronize first—the book or the film—crops up again in conversations. I’m reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince now in anticipation of the sixth installment of the Harry Potter films. No, I don’t usually read the book version first before I see the film, but with Harry Potter, yes, I do that. But before the knowledge of it being made into films, I’ve always read this series since it first came out. I find JK Rowling’s situations and characters very entertaining. Imagine having a whole world of wizards and witches existing in modern times with unsuspecting people, living like us but in their own dimension, having conflicts and adventures just like the rest of us folks, but with magic and other sorts of revelry. Yes, the pitch got me. I have a friend who doesn’t like reading the book first. He said he’d rather see the movie first, because if he already knew what will happen in the narrative, the film will cease to be exciting, and thus it will just bore him. I find that an unusual argument about the more simplistic and usual “the book is better than the film” argument, and it’s good to know that people have different takes on this issue or topic. As a filmmaker, my take on it is different. Usually, I’d rather read the book first because I want to know how they will condense the story to fit it into a filmic narrative. I am also interested to see how the stories will be audio-visually imagined, and it’s always fun to compare the filmmakers’ visual interpretation of the book story with my own visual interpretation of it, even if it’s just in my head. That exercise always excites me as both a reader of the book and an audience of the film. There are times that the film fares better than the book for me. For instance, I really couldn’t appreciate JRR Tolkien’s way of writing The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, but I read them both anyway in anticipation of the film. For me, director Peter Jackson did a better way of telling Frodo Baggins’ adventure than Tolkien. Don’t hate me, Tolkien fanatics; we just have different tastes, that’s all. Of course, there are times that the book is indeed better than the film. While I love Jodie Foster’s interpretation of Ellie Arroway’s character in Contact, I find Carl Sagan’s book narrative much more engaging than Robert Zemeckis’ film. Yes, in the end, we do have our own ways of liking a book or its film version or both. But knowing that people are still watching movies and still reading books is good enough for me. Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 21 June 2009: "Focusing on children’s literature"

original post here.

yes, i'm attending this one.

THE SCRIBE VIBE By Libay Linsangan Cantor Focusing on children’s literature

A national conference focusing on children’s literature will be held next month, and I urge people who are interested in the topic to attend it. It sounds like a promising event. If you love children’s literature, especially if your work involves children and literature, then this conference is a must to attend. It’s called the Second National Conference on Children’s Literature and its official theme is “Panitikang Pambata sa Edukasyon” (or Children’s Literature in Education). Specifically, it will be held in two days, from July 16 to17, 2009, at the University of the Philippines Diliman campus (inside the Claro M. Recto Hall at the Faculty Center building). An association called the Pilandokan (or, officially, the National Research Society for Children’s Literature) is organizing this conference, with the support of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. If you haven’t been to a national conference such as this, be ready for the deluge of information and new knowledge that comes with it. Usually, there are speakers who present papers/researches about a certain topic, and there are some workshops taking place, too. Since the focus of this conference is partly about education, there will be a lot of scholarly discussions about certain aspects involving children’s literature. It might sound boring because of the “academic aspect” (the usual impression of non-academicians) but, believe me, it’s not. According to UP professor and children’s literature writer Eugene Evasco, the conference will discuss topics like the Filipino concept of child and childhood, the state of Philippine children’s literature, national identity, book piracy, children in television, children’s media, children and the social problems, literacy program for urban poor children and the deaf, and the formation of childhood identity. Evasco serves as the conference director. I’m particularly interested in children and the media, especially because half of my professional career now involves going back to writing a children’s TV show. I began my scriptwriting career on TV by being part of writers’ pools of children’s edutainment shows about 10 years ago, and it’s interesting and exciting to note the differences of writing for such shows then and now, a decade hence. With the advent of the computer technology and everything going digital, children’s sensibilities have been changing, and children’s literature is, of course, getting affected by leaps and bounds. I’m particularly interested in what the speakers would say about this. I’ll write about my reflections on the conference, too, once it’s over. If you want more information, please e-mail their secretariat at pagongatmatsing@yahoo.com. I’ll see you there, OK? Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 14 June 2009: "It’s raining lit!"

original post here.

basically, it's just about publicizing a lot of people's stuff hehe. notably, yung books na bago nina iwa at vlad. talaga lang nalimas pera ko sa powerbooks last weekend noh hehehe. pero masaya naman. daming good finds, and now i'm speed reading harry potter and the half-blood prince (eep! lapit na ipalabas!). baka di na rin ako pumunta sa book launch kasi nga binili ko na yung mga books (kasi may powercard discount card ako e hehe) pero bahala na...

to new readers and comebacking ones and those who decided to follow this blog, salamatz! :)

THE SCRIBE VIBE By Libay Linsangan Cantor It’s raining lit!

June is already here, signifying not only the start of the school year but the “official” start of the rainy season. But besides rains, we also have a deluge of literary stuff pouring this month, which began last month and continues to the next. It’s exciting to know that there are a lot of new books out in the market penned by local authors. A couple of weeks back, scriptwriter extraordinaire Ricky Lee re-launched his old book entitled Si Tatang at Mga Himala ng Ating Panahon which contains a hodgepodge of his writings, notably some short stories, reportage, essays, and even the script of his famous film Himala. This volume gets an updated look but most of its contents remain essentially the same. This was first published in 1988, so imagine it reaching a new generation of audiences this 2009. On June 15, Mag:Net Katipunan in Quezon City will be the venue of the regularly scheduled Happy Mondays poetry sessions. But that date marks more than the usual literary gathering of friends and literary lovers as it is also the launch date of three new titles from three very diverse authors: Vladimeir Gonzales comes out with his latest book entitled A-Side/B-Side: Ang Mga Piso sa Jukebox ng Buhay Mo which is a collection of essays written in Filipino while Carljoe Javier launches his book entitled And The Geek Shall Inherit The Earth. Both titles are published by Milflores Publishing Inc. Completing the trio is Norman Wilwayco’s launching of his latest novel entitled Gerilyera. This novel was the top winner in the Filipino novel category at the 2008 Carlos Palanca Awards. Congrats Vlad and Iwa! By the fourth week of June, a book compilation of plays will be launched at the opening of the annual Virgin Labfest at the Cultural Center of the Philippines on June 23. The yearly festival of new plays penned by members of the Writers Bloc Inc. will, once again, showcase edgy new material from contemporary playwrights. The anthology, edited by Rody Vera, will feature about four years’ worth of plays from the four years that the Virgin Labfest has been staged. Now that’s a collection worth having. Call the CCP box office for details. These are just some of the new titles I encountered lately. But browsing through the collection in bookstores these days, it’s exciting to see that there are more Filipino-penned titles offered and featured by the stores. Those who want to buy a lot of these titles should visit Powerbooks branches as they are having a month-long sale of Philippine publications. Now you know where my money went last weekend. But buying local titles is always worth it, believe me. So many books, so many plays, so many literary happenings to watch out for and attend. Who says Philippine literature is dead? Long live the word! Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 07 June 2009: "To be read and watched by (almost) all"

original post here.

plugging. for more!

dapat last week of may column ko ito pero nagkaroon nga ng tech glitch sila sa newsroom. so...

THE SCRIBE VIBE
By Libay Linsangan Cantor
To be read and watched by (almost) all

Ideally, writers would really want their books to be read by a lot of people, their screenplays or stage plays to be made into films or plays that will be watched by many. But by “a lot,” does that mean almost everybody in the planet or the country? That might be a hard feat to achieve no matter what type of writing you do.

Creative writers usually include universal themes in their writings, such as falling in love, heartbreak, betrayal, and all those things that have been used over and over in literature, film and TV melodramas. But in essence, writers ideally have a target audience to begin with when they write; it makes crafting the plot easier, and it is also challenging to discover what kind of story development/details will excite a particular audience.

This is the reason why I chose to decline writing for a TV show before called Lovely Day, which I eventually directed when the producers decided to remake it from a plain newsmagazine type to a hybrid of narrative fantasy-newsmagazine. The executive producer (or EP) proposed that since I was already directing the show, I should also try my hand at writing the main narrative script since it might be easier for me to direct what I wrote. I mulled over it and asked who the primary target audience of the show was. Her answer startled me: anyone from age 2 to 92. Wow, that’s a large scope to please in thirty minutes, nationwide! I don’t think a single narrative storyline will captivate that wide an age range at any given time. Nothing is that universal, not even love (or Pacquiao’s boxing matches). I mean, could a 5-year-old fathom love like how a 60-year-old would? I don’t think so. So as much as I wanted to go back to writing children’s or family-oriented TV shows, I declined.

Last month, I was offered to be the scriptwriter of a new show. Since the focus is clearer this time (with the EP clearly labeling it as a “children’s show”), I accepted. This time, the audience is clearer, as it is going to be aimed at preschool viewers, grade school students and everyone in between that age range. Of course it helps if parents and other relatives from other age ranges would watch it, but that’s just an added bonus. The show, called Happy Land, replaces Lovely Day in its Saturday morning time slot of 9:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. at GMA7; it premiered yesterday.

The show is primarily educational in nature but with a mix of fantasy and reality narrative storylines in it. Let’s see just how wide an audience it will reach this time.

Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 24 May 2009: "Just how factual should fiction be?"

forgot to post this here earlier this week.


original post here.

so parang mini-review ko na rin pala ito ng ANGELS AND DEMONS.

slight.



THE SCRIBE VIBE
By Libay Linsangan Cantor
Just how factual should fiction be?

I never imagined I’d be using the word “factual” and “fiction” in the same sentence; blame Dan Brown and his latest book-to-film oeuvre, Angels and Demons. The Internet is buzzing with “fact checks” about just how factual are the details used in the novel-turned-film’s story. I wonder if the fact-checking is necessary at all, though.

This isn’t the first time Brown’s work was subjected to this type of flurry. Who could forget 2006’s The Da Vinci Code, led by no less than the Roman Catholic Church. And with the church at the helm of such an “investigation,” one could never forget it so easily—but that’s another story.

I saw the film when it opened, and Angels and Demons was entertaining, to say the least, as it was like a virtual tour of the Vatican City. (It was tourist eye candy to the highest level). Don’t ask me about the book version as I am not a fan of Brown’s literary skills. As a friend once said, Brown writes like he wants his books to be made into films (it screams for it, he said), so I just wait for the film version.

Many are questioning the authenticity of details in the film, from the biggest (the accuracy of events in the Catholic Church’s history) to the smallest (the exact locations of certain churches). The story revolved on finding key places in the Vatican where kidnapped bishops will be killed next, using centuries-old documents/writings as clues. Did Brown really need to be that accurate when he was using existing facts to fashion his narrative development? Well, yes, and no.

There is such as thing as “artistic/creative license” and, according to his critics, Brown uses his quite liberally, to the point of making it as an excuse for the seeming lack of research in his material. It’s one thing to fictionalize a story running parallel to actual events, say a star-crossed love story inside an ill-fated cruise liner that crashes in its maiden voyage (hello Titanic, is that you?). But hey, that one actually worked. What about Brown’s?

For purely entertainment purposes, the use of historical information was handled well in most parts of the story. But there is still that danger of audiences taking everything as true. The medium is the message, as Marshall McLuhan once said, and people still has that tendency of believing everything they read, hear and watch over the media. So yes, I know how Brown’s critics feel, but I am also entertained by these facts he presents, as I enjoyed his artistic licensing of most of them.

In the end, you can’t please everybody. But maybe everybody should think of just how they want to be pleased, and not impose their standards on the rest of us “commoners.” What do you think?

Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 17 May 2009: "Getting ‘them’ to read ‘us’"

original post here.

THE SCRIBE VIBE
By Libay Linsangan Cantor
Getting ‘them’ to read ‘us’

If we don’t have access to foreign books, will Filipinos reacquaint themselves with local books and rediscover our own classic and contemporary writers? Well, that remains to be seen.

So much has been written about that “Great Book Blockade” thing about the Bureau of Customs placing tax on imported books (which violates a certain treaty, so it seems, that stipulates books should remain tax-free), presumably the reason why local bookstores haven’t had new titles for months now. Book lovers decried this move, with some citing it as “just another corrupt move of the government.”

If we debate about the corruption practices in this country, it would take months. But let’s stop and see its connection to how we could persuade readers to read local authors instead. If our country imported less foreign titles, will local readers read local titles more? Instead of howling that they want their latest Twilight series book or the latest Dan Brown-penned mystery, could the government perhaps persuade them to take home the latest Anvil, Milfores or UP Press-published anthology of new writings from local authors instead? I don’t know. As Jose Dalisay Jr. once said in a public lecture, “Filipinos love to read; they’re just not reading us.”

In film, we have the Metro Manila Film Festival, which stipulates that at least in ten or so days in December, all films to be shown within Metro Manila should be local films only, banning foreign titles. In a country where ticket sales of Hollywood movies fare better than locally produced ones, that’s a very nice incentive, even if it seems like such a token kind of incentive. Now do we have something similar for authors?

It often saddens me when I visit mainstream bookstores in the metro, as they all have very impressive shelves of a lot of books from most regions of the world. But when I want to look for my own country’s latest titles, it’s sad that the salesperson directs me to a small little nook, corner or wall entitled “Filipiniana” as if I am entering a section of a library where one enters to research for academic purposes only. I wonder when Dalisay, Kerima Polotan, Lakambini Sitoy or Luis Katigbak would share the same sectioning with Salman Rushdie, Chuck Palahniuk or Jeanette Winterson. Am I dreaming? I certainly hope not.

Call me crazy but one day, when I want to buy local titles, I don’t want to go to specialty shops in Manila or specialty bookstores of local presses just to avail of them anymore. I want to buy them in local bookstores where at least half of its titles are local. There are so many Filipinos out there writing in their own languages; where are their books?

Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 10 May 2009: "Writing what you know of the world"

original post here.

THE SCRIBE VIBE By Libay Linsangan Cantor Writing what you know of the world

In writing workshops, beginning writers are often encouraged to start writing about what they know first, before venturing out into writing about more complex and unfamiliar material. I agree, and I also don’t. I think all writers—newbies or not—should heed this encouragement. In literary workshops, I have often heard the advice that a writer should focus on the world that s/he knows, first and foremost, before writing about things outside their worlds. We writers are often trained to look for that precious insight, that one thing (or two) that would differentiate our story from others’ stories, the thought that would hopefully inspire or rouse readers to think about things around us, about a particular aspect of human existence. I agree with this. Far too often, writers tend to turn their back on their own backyards, so to speak, and write about things that are “more exciting” or “more challenging” that they see in “other worlds.” I just wish they could look around them sometime, so they could discover that something or someone within their vicinity could actually serve as an inspiration for a story waiting to be told. For instance, I remember meeting this woman whose maiden name sounded like the name of a very old school in Manila. When I inquired about this, it turned out that the school was indeed owned by their family and it was about to be sold. That alone puts their family in a certain historical position that only she has the privilege to tell and unfold in a story. Since we were in a documentary workshop when we met, I suggested that she write and make a documentary about that aspect of their family, and she mentioned that it was indeed one of her future plans. I hope she went through with it. This is not to say that we writers should just stick to writing what we know. If we want to write about things outside of our own spheres of existence, that’s also great, but only if the proper homework is done. What I mean is that writers should do their research when they’re writing about something unfamiliar to them. It also happens that sometimes, writers tend to take short cuts and write what they know of a certain thing without the benefit of research. Thus, material such as these appears shallow, impressionistic and often unrealistic. Authenticity is still the key; if your plot seems unbelievable because of faulty information or details, then the story won’t fly. Just imagine the tons of stories we’ll hear from different walks of life, if only one out of a hundred Filipinos shared them with the world. That’s a lifetime’s worth of anthologies, not to mention a good contribution to our recorded culture and history. Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay.scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libaycantor.multiply.com.

Manila Times column for 03 May 2009: "Just how many books have you read, so far?"

original post here.

hehe, this post might "hurt" page poseurs out there, but what the hey. yes, they do exist! i based these on real people! of course i won't name names lang, though... inuman tayo, dun ko isisiwalat hahaha! chos.

THE SCRIBE VIBE
By Libay Linsangan Cantor
Just how many books have you read, so far?

Since I saw Dia Del Libro’s poster with the tagline “Cuantos libros has leído?” last month, I couldn’t stop and think about just how many books have I really read, so far, in my life, as this Spanish tagline so asked.

The event, after all—by Instituto Cervantes and supported by the Spain Tourism Board—is a celebration of people’s love for books. Thus, there was a book sale, literary discussions and even a talk from a visiting literary luminary—Argentinean poet Juan Gelman. The book sale part is always a hit ever since the Spanish cultural institute began conducting this Day of Books event. And we Filipinos love sales of all sorts, even when it came to books. I mean, this is the country where the concept of the Book Sale nook thrived, right? So yes, we love bargains, buying books, and collecting books.

OK, how about the reading part? Now that’s another story.

I found it funny once that some people bought books for the sake of owning them. Seriously. One such person I met said she just kept buying because they were on sale, and they were rare/good/popular titles worth having. When I saw her collection, it was indeed impressive, until I discovered that she has never read most of them, because she was too busy with her work to actually read. Yes, I meet really weird people in Metro Manila.

I’ve also met some people who treat books as “proof” of their intellectual capacity. Seriously. It’s like when others discover them owning certain titles, they automatically get credit for being “so well-read” (read: intellectual). Or at least that’s what others assume of them. A friend even discovered that some of these “page poseurs” only went as far as reading the book’s blurbs so that they’ll know the story’s gist, and fake their way into conversations about the whole thing. Talk about literary loopholes. Yes, there are many weird people in Metro Manila.

As for me, there are titles I don’t mind buying in regular bookstores when they first come out. I also like scouring the shelves of bargain bookshops. And yes, I do read these books I buy. Some I read immediately if I am excited about them—like the newest works of my favorite authors. Some I set aside and find a better time to read them—some books/stories call for that. Or maybe I’m just a moody reader. Nonetheless, the books get read, eventually.

As for the number, I find that it’s so hard to quantify. What I remember are good stories, and not all books have them. So maybe I’ll just leave it at that, for now.

Comments? Suggestions? E-mail libay. scribevibe@gmail.com. She is also at libay cantor.multiply.com.