PHOTO OF THE WEEK

SPi Camera Club's Odie Gementera (Journals) makes SPi proud when a photo he took was hailed Photo of the Week by Manila Bulletin's Picture Perfect Section (please see March 20, 2007 issue). This was taken during the Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Clark, Pampanga last February.

If you wish to get a print, please contact Odie Gementera at o.gementera@spi-bpo.com. If you have a photo you want us to feature here as Photo of the Week, send us a watermarked copy (.jpg or .gif) at spiwritersguild@yahoo.com.ph. Keep on shooting!

Watch out for sample shots from SPi Camera Club's first Shoot Out activity at the La Mesa Dam last March 10, 2007. Writers Guild Correspondent: Dai Miranda.

BOOK TALKS (March 30, 2007 2nd Edition): WOMEN

Click on photos to enlarge.

CALL FOR ENTRIES: MANINGNING MICLAT POETRY AWARDS

THE Maningning Miclat Art Foundation Inc. (MMAFI) is calling on young poets writing in Filipino, English and Chinese to participate in the 2007 Maningning Poetry Competition.

The poetry contest consists of three divisions—Filipino, English and Chinese—is open to all poets, age 28 and below. An entry must consist of at least 8 but not more than 15 poems. Authors may join all the divisions but can submit only 1 entry in every division. All entries should be original in every language and not a translation of another entry.

All entries should be submitted in 4 copies, double-spaced on 8-1/2 by 11 inches bond paper with one-inch margin on all sides and with Arial or Times New Roman size 12 font. Entry should be submitted using pen name only. Real name and pen name should be submitted in a separate sealed envelop together with a bio data, copy of birth certificate and a notarized declaration of originality and authenticity of authorship of the entry.

Entries must be addressed to the Maningning Miclat Art Foundation Inc. (MMAFI), 2nd Floor Mile Long Building, Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City, (tel. no. 816-7490 to 91) not later than 5 p.m. of April 17, 2007. Entries sent by mail should be postmarked/invoiced not later than April 3, 2007.

The Maningning Miclat Awards was launched to honor her short but meaningful life and to encourage, recognize and nurture young talents like her. This year's grand winners will receive a P28,000 cash award for each of the three categories, copies of collector's edition of "Voice from the Underworld" and "Beauty for Ashes: Remembering Maningning" as well as the Miclat family journal, Beyond the Great Wall and trophies by the eminent sculptor, Julie Lluch.

Log on to www.maningning.com and email maningningfoundation@gmail.com for more information.

CALL FOR ENTRIES: LINANGAN SA IMAHEN, RETORIKA, AT ANYO (LIRA) NATIONAL POETRY WORKSHOP

Applicants are invited to participate in the upcoming LIRA Poetry Workshop. The Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo (LIRA) is now accepting entries for its annual poetry workshop. The worshop will be held during the weekends (Saturdays and Sundays) of June and July 2007 at the College of Arts and Letters, UP Diliman, Quezon City.

National Artist for Literature, Virgilio S. Almario, is the workshop facilitator.

If you are interested, please submit five poems in Filipino together with a short bio-data and a 1x1 picture to:

LIRA Workshop
c/o Dir. Vim Nadera
UP Institute of Creative Writing
2/F Bulwagang Rizal
UP Diliman, 1101 Q.C.

You may also email to liraworkshop@gmail.com before April 30, 2007.


About LIRA

LIRA is an organization of poets writing in Filipino. It conducts annual poetry writing workshops, covering topics from traditional Filipino poetry to post-modernism. From these poetry workshops sprung respected and award-winning poets like Vim Nadera, Romulo Baquiran, Michael Coroza and siblings, Rebecca and Roberto Anonuevo.

LIRA celebrated its 21st anniversary last December 2006. Beverly Siy is its current president. If you're trying to improve your poetry writing, check out the LIRA Poetry Workshop this year!

Note from the Writers Guild: If you need help, please do not hesitate to let us know. Our Poetry Editor Dai Miranda or Workshop Manager JP Canivel would be more than willing to assist you.

POETRY CRITIQUE: REVOLT FROM HYMEN

HYMEN: Art by Georgia O'keefe

REVOLT FROM HYMEN

O to be free at last, to sleep at last
As infants sleep within the womb of rest!

To stir and stirring find no blackness vast
With passion weighted down upon the breast,

To turn the face this way and that and feel
No kisses festering on it like sores,

To be alone at last, broken the seal
That marks the flesh no better than a whore's!



HYMEN: Mixed media installation by Jehanne-Marie Gavarini


"Revolt from Hymen" and the Feminist Thought

by Jacquiline Dy

The hymen is a fold of mucous membrane the wholeness of which differentiates someone who is a virgin from someone who is not. In Angela Manalang-Gloria's poem, the hymen becomes a symbol for the society's concept of femininity. The persona in the "Revolt from Hymen" can be compared to a woman writer who aims to free herself from the constricting boundaries of the feminine position. The lines "O to be free at last… / To be alone at last" echoes women's pleas for independence from the society's controlling grip and its social constructs. The persona wants to be a woman who is free to write without experiencing the "anxiety of authorship," the "blackness vast / With passion weighted down upon the breast"; a woman who can attempt the pen without worrying whether she has the right to do so; a woman who can express herself, her desires and her story without being ashamed of it.

The kisses on the third stanza are a symbol of patriarchal society's high regard for women who conform to the stereotypical female attributes of purity and passivity. These kisses then turn into sores whenever women, in exchange for social acceptance, confine themselves just to what society constructs them to be. The persona believes that these kisses, just like festering sores, are things that women should not want for themselves. A woman should learn how to "turn [her] face this way and that," to assert herself within the Order and to do her own thing in spite of the condemnation she would probably receive as its result.

The last two lines of the poem lead to the virgin/whore dichotomy. The virgin, whose hymen is still intact, is a symbol for all the women who chose to submit to the standards connected with femininity. The whore, and her broken hymen, meanwhile, comes to stand for everything that the virgin is not—active, aggressive and subversive. Women writers are like whores because both of them transgress the society's concept of femininity. A woman writer ceases to become passive at the moment she is able to create a story of her own. Her writing is a practice that gives her power and yet transmogrifies her. Both of them—the whore and the woman writer—are subversive because they chose to rebel against these stereotypical roles.

The persona in the poem chose to write and free herself despite being labeled a whore than to be a virgin and remain forever muted. The lines "[breaking] the seal / That marks the flesh no better than a whore's" pertains to the process of severing the chains that bind the feminine role to the female body, as well as the deconstruction of the virgin/whore, angel/monster dichotomies to which women are circumscribed, things that the poem "Revolt from Hymen" sought to address.

_________________
Jacquiline Dy is from Journals.

THESE MONTHS OF MARCH & FEBRUARY IN BACKSPACE

February-March

Issue 2 Volume 2

+ FROM THE CHIEF EDITOR. The Guild President looks back to his discovery of the joys of reading. Read more.

+ EVENTS. The reading project everyone has been waiting for is finally out. Here's a peek at the fabulous launch program you may have failed to attend. Read more.

+ EXCLUSIVE. What is Readvolution all about? What's in it for you? Read more.

+ EVENTS. Here are the photos of the Joint Employee Council-Clubs Planning Session last January 2007. Will the group really make the call of One People, One Voice, One SPi a reality? Abangan! Read more.

+ STANZAS OF STILLNESS. Resident Poet and Storyteller Alev Maniago launches into the deep with more serious - and mature - poetry. Is she ready for LIRA? You be the judge. Read more.

+ BOOK TALKS SERIES. The 1st edition of BOOK TALKS opened last February 28. Here's a look at an evening that was like no other. Read more.

+ WGimik. For those who missed the visit to the M/V Doulos, now there's no reason to say you didn't get to see it. Read more.

+ WGimik. They say charity should begin at home but what if the voices of special children harken? Some of the Writers Guild's storytellers heeded the call. Read more.

+ WRITING CONTEST. The World Bank wants you to win USD 5,000 and 1,000. Here's how to do it. Note: deadline is on March 15! Read more.

+ BOOK REVIEW. Mahros Abaño gives John Grisham a taste of his own medicine. Read more.

+ WGimik. The Writers Guild spends a night with The Pretenders. Read more.

+ CLUB SPiRIT: SPi Clubs Bulletin. Tm President Espie Vitug brings home the bacon. Read more.

Click on photo to enlarge.

FROM THE CHIEF EDITOR

Dear readers,

It was only months ago when we thought of having some kind of a book borrowing-cum-sharing project among readers in SPi. This eureka moment was brought about by books that are stored at home, lonely in their dust-covered skins begging to be read again. God knows how many times I’ve read Count Tolstoy’s War and Peace (the mere mention of this book usually comes with a standard joke I read from a Time magazine cartoon, but you have to personally ask me about it) and I don’t recall how many times I’ve reread my Amy Tans or Isabel Allendes that I swore never to touch them again while I’m still living. Lately, DVDs have been taking over my life (not in the manner that you are thinking, no) and I admit to having seen books-turned-films even before I read the print version. Talk about a decline. My work schedule has rendered me sluggish and I do not mean just lately. Oh yeah, give and take a few more other reasons for ignoring the alarm clock and going back to sleep only to rush and cuss (in no particular order) when I’m about to be late. How cool is that?!

Lately, I found myself dusting my old books and opening them. As a habit, I always make a note re when and where I acquired a book. I opened one and it said “National Bookstore. Mango Ave. 1998.” A-ha! This book was bought in Cebu. I imagine that it must have been one of those super boring slow Sundays when simply staying at the dormitory could render one catatonic. Mango Avenue, formely Maxilom, is a windy winding avenue of schools, eateries, shops, one old seedy theater (which comes alive only at night) and a large National Bookstore branch across Jollibee. I used to spend my time there when nothing good is showing at the Ayala or SM Cinemas. Living on a pauper’s budget in those days meant hours of tulo-laway moments at titles I can only dream of having. These days, anybody can just enter Powerbooks, grab a book, finish it in one seating, put it back on the shelf and then leave without even having to pay for reading it. Readers in this age and time are so lucky. Back then, my friends and I would put together coins and bills to buy one Jessica Zafra book. Whoever gave more cash would get to keep the book after everyone else has read it. We were so agog over Zafra then. Thank goodness I am so over her now. I do not even read her blog for fear of having to read the same things over and over again but I digress.

Eventually, I found myself a job in my friend’s pseudo-Greek restaurant in Ayala and then I was able to afford to buy books again albeit on a 15-day interval (minimum wage earners cannot afford to be impatient, you know). The modus operandi was if I find a good book and can’t afford it yet, I would hide it in another shelf behind other books where it cannot be found. Come pay day, I would re-claim it, triumphant that my plan worked. The thing is I am not alone. I later found out that many other (poor) readers like me do the same thing. I had to hatch another plan pronto.

When did I start reading? As a kid, naturally, and that’s stating the obvious. When you grow up with an English Literature major-teacher for a mother and a journalist-lawyer for a dad, you cannot afford not to read. No, let me rephrase that. It would be a scandal to not read a book.



In all honesty, even if my life memory started when I was 5 years old, I don’t recall the books of my early childhood (anybody out there who does?!). I did have a favorite compilation of story books before which had Charlotte’s Web, etc. One of my favorite stories then was about this statue of a prince covered in gold leaf who asked a bird (yes, the statue did talk) to peel it all off piece by piece and give it to the poor whom he sees every day from atop his pedestal. It was a very touching story. I also miss reading Tin Tin and Friends, the never-ending adventures of a French boy and his white dog, Snowy, but then again this is a comic book. Does this count?

Since a better part of my elementary days was spent in the public school system, I also discovered the joys of reading from donated Adarna books. For once there was a reason to thank Imelda Marcos for supporting the dreams of one National Artist named Virgilio Almario to produce storybooks for children. I recall lazy afternoons of being cocooned in our dark library with only storybooks to keep me company.

In college, things were different. I had nothing with me but science books and I was then dead set on becoming a physician. I gave up drawing, painted little if at all, never attempted to learn even one musical instrument. I cannot recall reading one novel or such during the first half of my college life. Eventually I got bored and found myself getting lost in the dingy halls of our University library. I discovered a section there which a library assistant later told me was very notorious for midday trysts of the rhythmic kind between campus lovers, much to the chagrin of library assistants, but what struck me as peculiar to this section were volumes upon volumes of classic titles which when opened would make their hapless discoverer sneeze for days on end. That’s when I started a love affair with books by Mark Twain and Charles Dickens, more so on the latter than the former. At least I didn’t have to give the university janitors a reason to be irritated, hah!

If my mother labeled herself a Romantic (the poet Robert Frost, who belonged to that literary period, was her personal favorite), I labeled myself a Dickensian. Being in a Jesuit-run university, I found a real-time link between the perils of Europe’s Industrial Revolution in Dickens’ books to the life of peasants and farmers in Northern Mindanao where my university is based. Looking back, I wish I took on the character of Pip in Dickens’ Great Expectations. He seized the moment and lived his dream. For is this not what books are for? To inspire? To push? To change perspectives? These days, one can only do so much with a busy schedule of running a household, doing business and maintaining a 9-hour job. I am sadly stuck in this routine. I am hitting 32 this 2007 and I am not even halfway there yet when it comes to achieving my life goals.

Was I reading the wrong books? I can’t really tell. Many readers read to escape, ‘di ba? Maybe this is the reason why self-help books aren’t such hits.

Last February, I lost my mother to cancer. She was the main reason why I got a day job instead of pursuing medicine. I recall how I used to frighten myself to sleep with horror stories when I was 11 or thereabouts and Mom would remove my eyeglasses because I have fallen asleep – yet again - with them still on. She also bought me The Hardy Boys because it was the fad back in Don Bosco. I still have them. I miss the many weekend nights we’d sit on the porch and discuss poetry, history, and our life together as mother and son, and how we’d retreat to our books when we run out of things to say. A copy of Robert Frost’s poems stands next to her cremation jar at home – a reminder that she once had “miles to go before I sleep, miles to go before I sleep.” (from Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening) I owe her so much, my mother.

Last March 2, the Writers Guild which I am most unfortunate to be heading at the moment launched Readvolution. This is a reading project designed for readers in SPi. By “designed” we mean a 24-hour access to reading materials. At the onset, the plan was really just to lend our own books to whoever would find them interesting. I brought my Milan Kunderas while Mahros brought her Kafkas and Zukavs in our vain attempt to be haughty (but, thankfully, not pretentious). JP brought out his Adarna storybooks to be used for our storytelling sessions. We simply wanted to share what we read to whoever was interested.

The day Elaine Kunkle, Director of Operations of Content, donated to us a sackful of books, things changed. We thought, oh wow! What do we do with it? In the beginning, book borrowing was done through text messaging. Someone would text me a title, and I’d leave the copy with the guards. Now, with over 150 titles to choose from, bookcases had to be bought and a plan had to be drawn.

Readvolution was born. Two bookcases (B1 and B2) now form the Guild’s little library. Each will stay in a business unit for six weeks before it moves on to another unit. We still are figuring out how to send these to Laguna, Cebu and Dumaguete but we are confident we’d be able to find ways to do it.

Last night, while everyone else were either sleeping soundly at home or hunched over their computers at work, I sneaked into the Journals lobby where the bookcases were left prior to assignment. Looking over the books, I felt that there are many lessons to be learned from the collection. The morning before the launching, I espied some guys poring over my Che Guevarra biography, Compañero. As of this writing, I believe Tikboy of the Mountaineering Society has it. “Idol ko”, he says. I’m happy that finally, people can discover this physician-revolutionary with depth than simply knowing him as a pop icon from shirts, caps and stickers which carry his Andy Warhol-esque images.

And then there are contemporary titles like Dan Brown’s (in)famous Da Vinci Code. I seriously hope readers and the plain curious would pick it up just to discover how much has been left out in that horrible film version. Oh, add to the list Arthur Golden’s Memoirs of a Geisha which I and my Cebu friends drooled over for years only to be disappointed by the film. Fortuitously enough, the bookcase also carried several Salman Rushdie titles. My favorites are Midnight’s Children and Fury. The former has a funny take on books and their film counterparts. It has a scene between two goats munching on reels of film left on the floor.

Goat 1: “Hmm, this tastes really good!"
Goat 2: “I heard the book is better!”

Priceless! Never fails to make people laugh during dinner parties.

For those born decades after the war, there’s also a chance to sneak a peek into a famous little girl’s diary. Anne Frank’s entries would probably make an eye or two cry among the readers but she can be funny and stubborn, too just like any other girl her age. There’s also a wonderful collection of science fiction stories in Bookcase 2. Isaac Azimov fans will be very delighted.

And then there are the poetry books - love / hatred, life / death, joy / mirth, sadness / glory. Each poem can be the voice everyone wished they had.

Allow me to end this long epistle with an exhortation: Let the books of Readvolution help you discover more about yourselves and the world. Do it while you’re still young and there’s a chance to make things better for yourselves. Read now or forever rue it.

Best regards,

Dylan

March 6, 2007
Parañaque City
SPi

READVOLUTION LAUNCHING (MARCH 2, 2007)

Last March 2, the Writers Guild of SPi launched its first major project for 2007 - the READVOLUTION. This is a reading project-cum-book club that was born last year and originally was called Project R.E.A.D.

Boosted by donations from Elaine Kunkle, Director of Operations for Contentm, and May Dizon, Manager for Communications, the collection is now 200-titles strong with the entry of more books that were loaned to the project by some SPi employees.

The launch, which was held at the Journals Lobby, was attended by several readers who already joined us during the M/V Doulos visit, as well as Ms. Elaine Kunkle herself who gave a short talk on how she discovered the joys of reading. We are also honored to have with us Ms. Susan Sy whose generosity has allowed us the use of her spacious lobby. Participants were treated to a poetry reading by Project Backspace's Poetry Editor Dai Miranda, as well as a raffle of Bob Ong books (Alamat ng Gubat and Stainless Longganisa) and Volume 1 of the Writers Guild's Music for Readers Series CD. Ms. Kunkle, assisted by Guild President Dylan Gozum, cut the ribbons of the bookcases.

Our own Goddess of Poetry, Dai Miranda, reads a poem by Margaret Atwood entitled The Woman Who Could Not Live With Her Faulty Heart.

The ribbons are cut! Let the borrowing begin!

During the assignment raffle, Readvolution's Bookcase 1 was to be assigned first to Content (how apt!) and Bookcase 2 will be hosted by Healthcare, both to stay in these BUs for 6 weeks. From there, they will move to Journals and Legal. As agreed upon with Ms. Kunkle, her books will also travel to Content in Laguna. SPi employees in Cebu and Dumaguete will also enjoy these books as they will be sent via courier to their areas.

The Guild thanks Ms. Dhang Rondael of Employee Relations, FMG, CBRE, Ms. Susan Sy of Journals for making the launching a success. To Mss. Elaine Kunkle and May Dizon, we are indebted to you forever. May your love for reading and generosity of heart be a shining example to other SPi employees and managers. Maraming salamat po at Mabuhay!


Ms. Kunkle shared how she started to love reading. Behind her are bookcases B1 and B2.

A participant wins a Bob Ong book from the Guild, represented here by Workshop Manager JP Canivel (holding the bowl), Dylan Gozum, President, and Perps Poblador, Blog Manager and host of the program.

"And the winner of a Bob Ong book is...." *drums roll*

Let Readvolution be your friend...

Yum-o! Brownie and butterscotch delights by Pia Manzano, WG Vice President and Readvolution Chief Librarian. For orders... (Hep, bawal nga pala magbenta sa SPi, hehe!)

________________________________

Photos by Odie Gementera of OBRA's Camera Club. Thanks so much! For those interested in joining the Camera Club, please email Odie at o.gementera@spi-bpo.com.

READVOLUTION Q & A

Click on posters to enlarge.

Q: What is this Readvolution? Is this another one of those spur of the moment, hare-brained monsters on the loose?
A: Readvolution is a reading project that aims to promote reading in the workplace. It also comes with a Readers Circle component wherein you can meet other readers during Fellowship Nights, have book sharings, read poetry, get invited to book sales and launchings, and win prizes like books and Readvolution gift items every month! All you have to do is text your name and e-mail address to 0926.622.3359 (Globe) and we'd take care of the rest.

Q: Do I have to be a member of the Readers Circle in order to borrow books?
A: No. Every Juan can borrow books anytime you want to. However, only members of the Readers Circle can enjoy the benefits listed above (See Q&A1). They will also receive an exclusive pin that reads I AM A READER! (See yellow circle above).

Q: So what if there is a reading project / book club?
A: Most Filipinos do not read, or do not have the luxury to read. The National Book Development Board said that at least 45% of Filipinos haven't read a book in the last six (6) months. Among the top reasons for non-reading include the expense that comes with buying books. Most individuals would rather buy essentials than buy books. The Readvolution project has in its care many books which have been donated or loaned. Now you have a chance to enjoy reading without having to buy books! Just look for the topic that interests you, borrow, and enjoy!

Q: What do I get from this project?
A: Expanding your horizons, for one. Life can be such a bore if it's just a home-work-home routine. Read and you'd discover more of the world! Bring home some storybooks and read to your kids! Isn't that a great way to bond before bedtime? Some of the best things in life do not come with a price tag. Sometimes all it takes is a book to change the way you look at things.

Q: How do I borrow? Do I need to return the book?
A: First, make sure the bookcases are assigned to your BU. That being established, you can contact the assigned Librarians (these are normally posted on the bookcases' glass panels). Next, choose your desired book, sign your name and the date borrowed and leave the Borrower's Card with your friendly Librarian. Enjoy the book. Of course you have to return it, silly. There's a Late Return Charge, by the way. Unreturned books will be charged to your EC Chairperson's account so have a little mercy and return borrowed books promptly.

Q: How do I contribute to making sure this project stays as a permanent fixture here in SPi?

A: Thanks for this question. You can contribute by reading the books made available. Second, you can donate some books if you can spare some. Third, you can promote the project by encouraging your non-reading friends to try some of the titles for starters. You can join the Writers Guild Readers Circle to get updates on books, share your thoughts and win prizes!

BOOK TALKS: BOOKS BY KATHY REICHS

Kathy Reichs during a lecture

BONE JOUR

By Mahros Abaño

There was a phase in my reading life that I would read a particular author and get all excited, and quicker than you can say “Anne Rice,” I am out the door and hoarding all the books that that author wrote. Then I will be enormously pissed that the rest of his or her stuff stank like three-day-old eggs (you hear me, John Grisham?).

Nevertheless, I never soured at reading genre fiction although this time in a less-obsessive manner. My taste in genre fiction as of late has been leaning towards the macabre and gore category, so it was a blast for me that I have discovered Kathy Reichs. And my obsessive hoarding has begun its vicious cycle once more.

I discovered Ms Reichs while watching the television series, Bones. For all those not familiar with this show, this is a procedural drama in the likes of CSI and Crossing Jordan. I might be hearing a collective groan of disgust, “No, not another show about corpses,” but this is a really good show. Its protagonist is the forensic anthropologist, Temperance Brennan (played by Emily Deschanel), and she helps the FBI (with Special Agent Seeley Booth, played by the hunka hunka burning love, David Boreanaz of Angel and Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame) identify the bones of the mutilated, burned or long-buried victims who are in need of justice.

The show was based on Kathy Reichs’ main character in her books, Temperance Brennan. Tempe is based on Ms Reichs, as she is also a forensic anthropologist in North Carolina and Canada. She already wrote nine books and I’ve already got my filthy hands on five of them. Ironically, her books are not very famous here, judging that the only book of hers that I have bought at Powerbooks was her third one, Deadly Decisions, and the rest I have scoured from the shelves of local Booksale shops. She was usually compared to Patricia Cornwell who has Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist, as her heroine but since I am reviewing Kathy Reichs, I’ll stick to her bones (pun intended).

Like all genre fiction especially the ones with a recurring protagonist, the plot is basically the same with each of the five books. Her first novel, Deja Dead, is set in Quebec, Canada and tackles a series of grisly murders of women that seemed to not be connected; one of the victims’ skeletons was found in the grounds of an abandoned of a monastery. It turns out there is a serial killer on the loose and it came to the point that Temperance became its next target. She eventually killed him, of course, when he broke into her apartment and she stuck a knife in his eye during the struggle.

One of my least favorite, Fatal Voyage, was about an airline disaster. This is her fourth book and it was set in North Carolina. As she helps identify the remains of the crash victims, she stumbles upon a secret organization of modern-day cannibals who mutilate old people. Like any fiction worth its salt, this secret organization’s members are from very high places so the heroine not only encounters a lot of corpses in the way but also a lot of red tape that almost killed her reputation. This book, as Reichs’ mentioned in her foreword, was inspired by the work she did with the 9/11 attacks. The plane crash was what she meant of course, not the cannibalism, which metaphorically could be seen as that if you watch the news.

Reichs set her next book, Grave Secrets, in Guatemala where Tempe Brennan was commissioned to work for the Historical Society to identify the victims of mass graves, who were killed during a series of rebel cleansing by the Guatemalan government. Of course, there was again an attack of a serial killer who put her victims in septic tanks and she was asked to help solve it.

What is fascinating by Reichs’ writing is that her heroine is not perfect. Sure, she may be smart and gutsy but she is also a recovering alcoholic, a divorcee, a single mom and has a nasty crush on her partner, Agent Andrew Ryan. I am not familiar with how much Kathy Reichs is in Temperance Brennan other than the career profile but it is refreshing to see a character who doesn’t wear Chanel pumps and getting the bad guys.

Another thing that I like about the series is that I don’t have to be a forensic pathologist to get the jargon. Maybe it also is an advantage for this writer that she knows what she’s talking about and can explain it to her readers without making them fall asleep. Stuff like forensic entomology or cranial reconstruction in writing can be really boring but Reichs was able to make it interesting and relevant to her novels. Her character’s continuous pop culture references also help the readers identify with her as being human not just information-spewing machine.

Its not that the novels doesn’t have its faults, it has. Inasmuch as I am enamored with the heroine, there are a lot of times I find her annoying. She gets herself in situations that usually get her into trouble. Reichs makes no bones (pun again intended) in making her heroine transition from a lab habitué to an action hero after a few pages. And sometimes the change of pace is not as fluid as it should. There are a few “how did she do that?” moments and at one point I just wanted to move along.

If the heroine was well-written, sadly, the others were not. Some of them are so stereotypical I have to roll my eyes when they were introduced. Then again, this is a suspense novel, not a Pulitzer Prize winner anyway.

All things aside, I cannot say enough that reading these novels is an enjoyable experience. A nice balance of geekiness and action. A love story that is not sappy. I can’t wait to read my next Kathy Reichs’ book.

1st THEATER EXPERIENCE NIGHT

The Writers Guild held its first Theater Experience Night at the Cultural Center of the Philippines last February 24, 2007 on the eve of the 21st Anniversary of the EDSA People Power 1.

All writers, officers and members of the Writers Guild Collective (storytellers, etc.) are entitled to one ticket pass to a stage play of their choice once a year. The play this first batch chose was Ang Mga Huwad (The Pretenders), the last in the five-book series called Rosales novels penned by National Artist for Literature Francisco Sionil Jose. The book was adapted for theater by noted playwright Rody Vera, who also did the script for the very first Sionil book to be done on stage, The Mass.

The Mass, which was shown last year during the regular season of Tanghalang Pilipino, was topbilled by actor Yul Servo. This time, The Pretenders had Romnick Sarmienta essaying the lead role of Antonio Samson. The evening turned out to be lucky as Manong Sionil himself was in attendance.

The Pretenders is the last of the series of novels F. Sionil Jose wrote which revolved around a character who hails from the town of Rosales, Antonio Samson, and about his ancestors. The series has three parts: Po-on (or Dusk), Don Vicente (Tree and My Brother, My Executioner) and The Samsons (The Mass and The Pretenders). These books have been translated into 22 languages making Sionil Jose the most widely read Filipino author in the English language. Rich in stinging criticism of the upper class (represented by the high Manila society of the '60s) and exposing the yawning class struggle that is very characteristic of the post-colonial Philippine society, The Pretenders, first published in 1962, is his most popular novel.

A roundtable discussion and reflection was held after the play.

We wish to extend our warmest appreciation to a friend, Rudy Lagman, of The Japan Foundation Manila of the Embassy of Japan for free tickets to the play.

The second batch has chosen to see the 4th staging of Zsa Zsa Zaturnaah, originally written by illustrator, writer and set designer Carlo Vergara. (Note: No schedule is available yet.)

Please visit
www.tanghalangpilipino.com
www.jfmo.org.ph

F. Sionil Jose titles available at the Writers Guild’s Readvolution Book Case 2 (currently in Healthcare):

Gagamba
The Samsons
Viajero
Ermita

STANZAS OF STILLNESS

Sa Isang Araw Sa Isang Linggo

ni Alma Evita Maniago (Content)

ang sabi Mo, kailangan pa ring magpahinga.
Pinilit kong tupdin ang nasasaad sa kautusan Mo
at nagbubunyi ang diwa sapagkat sumunod sa Iyo.

Sa paglipas nga ng panahon,
dahan-dahang nagbago ang lahat;
pati ang ikot ng mundo'y pumaindayog.
Paano na ang kautusan Mo?
Paano ko tutupdin ang isinasaad nito?

Pagod na ako sa pamamahinga sa itinakdang araw;
kailangan ko pa kasing lumikom ng buhay.
Ano nga ba’ng kailangang ipagtimbang:
ang utos Mo o ang buhay ng aking mga inakay?

Nakasisiguro ako sa paniniwala ko ––
yaon ang di ko maipagpapahinga.
At kahit siguro masuway ko ang isinaad Mo
at di ipagpahinga ang isang mahalagang araw,
sana malirip Mong ako pa ri’y nananambitan
sa araw na ito ng linggo.

CLUB SPiRIT: SPi Tm CLUB PRESIDENT WINS IN AREA 76 INTL SPEECH CONTEST

by Perps Poblador, CC/CL

“No pain, no palm; no thorns, no throne; no gall, no glory; no cross, no crown.”

Speech contests are annual events in the Toastmasters community during which the best speakers are recognized and their best stories heard.

SPi Toastmasters Club participated in the Joint Area 75 & 76 Speech Contest that was held last March 17, 2006 in the Bureau of Customs in Paranaque City. Club President Espie Vitug won First Place in the International Speech Contest category. Together with her are Toastmasters Rohit Wad and Competent Communicator and Leader (CC/CL) and Past President Raul Escandor who also competed in the Impromptu Speaking and Evaluation Speech Contest categories respectively.

From left to right, starting at the top: 1) Prepared Speech Contest Champ, Tm Espie. 2) Rohit, Espie and Raul as representatives of SPi Tm Club 3) Tm Espie, very proud of her champion medal (puwede ba ito isangla? *giggles*). 4) SPi Tm club-representatives making faces in front of everyone!

Story 1: The Lady Who Brought Home the Bacon

Tm Espie Vitug is one of the charter members of SPi Toastmasters Club back in 2000. Her membership was cut short immediately after leaving SPi to serve a full-time mission to her church. When she got back to SPi by 2004, she reinstated her membership in the club. In 2004 and 2005 she was elected as the club’s Secretary and Treasurer respectively. She was unanimously elected as the Club President by 2006. She’s now aiming to achieve her Competent Communicator and Leader norms before June 30, 2007.

Q: How does it feel to win the toughest yet most prestigious speech contest in Toastmasters Club?
E: It was a huge honor! It was a stiff competition to begin with. I have never been to any speech competitions before. I competed with three good speakers from other corporate clubs namely, Airspeed (our neighboring club), DHL and BOC. I was the last one who spoke so there was lingering nervousness in me all throughout the contest. It’s like there was nothing in my head but air! When my name was called in as the winner, I said, “It was all worth it.” And I said a silent thanks to God.

Q: What were your preparations? In what specific areas do you deemed you still need to improve on in preparation now to the upcoming division speech contest?
E: I draw mutual support from my fellow Toastmasters like Perps, Raul, Rohit and Luz. I also practiced a lot and continuously prayed to God for strength. I was hoping I could conquer my fear and the ideas would flow as smoothly as possible. My end in mind was to inspire the audience through my speech, not to compete with fellow contestants. After the speech contest, our Area Governor advised me to work hard on my facial expressions, body gestures and vocal variety (especially with differentiating characters I imitate!). I totally agree with her. I hope right now that Perps, Rohit, Raul, Luz and the rest of the gang will stick around to help me hone on those specific areas.

Q: What’s your best advice to prepared speech contest wannabes?
E: Prepare. Practice. Pray. Listen to the people as they evaluate you, as they give you feedback. Then, show up in the contest. As the saying goes, “90% of success is just showing up.” Somehow, it is true.

Q: How did Toastmasters help to you?
E: Toastmasters has become an important part in my life. It has changed the way I speak and write in English. Although there are still a lot of things I need to improve on yet without a sheer doubt, Toastmasters has given me the confidence I am expected to have at work. I regularly communicate with our foreign clients and with my English-speaking bosses. Speaking good English is a must. Now I can say, I am a better and more effective communicator than ever before and I owe it all to Toastmasters.

Story 2: The Man Who Bravely Stopped the Jinx

Toastmaster Raul Escandor, CC/CL was also a charter member back in 2000. Since then, he has assumed numerous club positions such as Protocol Officer (then Sergeant-at-Arms), Secretary and Vice-President for Education. His huge break in Toastmasters was in 2005, when he was elected as the Club President. His presidential term was known to everyone as a break to that vicious cycle of resigning club presidents; it was also the turning point when Toastmasters club has got its feet back. Now the Past President, he now serves as a consultant and adviser in the club, while he aims to achieve his Advanced Communicator norm at the same time.

Raul is never new to speech contests. Last 2005, he joined and won the Area 75 Humorous speech contest. This year, he joined the Evaluation speech contest.

Q: You’ve been through a lot of speech contests. What makes this contest different this time?
R: It is my first time to join an evaluation speech contest. And it is also my first time for not witnessing the performance of other contestants. I was the last contestant and had gotten isolated in a room before I came to speak. It would have been more rewarding if I was able to see and listen to the evaluation of my fellow contestants.

Q: In case one encounters a test speaker for evaluation who he thinks he wouldn’t find any areas to improve on, what would be the best evaluation strategy you could advice?
R: I believe there is neither a perfect speech nor a perfect speaker. I can always spot areas of which the speaker may improve on. Actually, you may spot one or two areas. Limit to that number and focus more on your recommendations. Never make your evaluation sound personal by avoiding saying phrases like “I think” or “I believe.”

Story 3: A Novice Who Never Failed Speaking On His Feet

Toastmaster Rohit Wad may be considered a Toastmasters baby, yet he bravely joined the speech contest! Though hesitant at first about joining the club, Rohit joined Toastmasters last year after attending a few club meetings. As he had once said, he liked getting the chance to improve his public speaking skills in front of the people who he knew. Apparently according to him, Toastmasters has not only helped him gain his self-confidence but also applying at work what he has learned in the club, on more than one occasion.

Q: Answering questions on the spot is surely taxing, isn’t it? How did you manage?
R: Answering questions on the spot can either be very easy, or very difficult, depending on the topic being asked. From practice and experience (at the contest), I noted that my main area for improvement wasn’t so much about the topic, but losing my train of thought while speaking. Since you only have two minutes to speak, it was much easier for me to end my speech quickly, so as to minimize my nervousness.

Q: As a first timer in this competition, what did you learn?
R: Considering it was my first time in a speech contest, I felt I did well in the sense that I confirmed what my main area for improvement was, and that was keeping on topic, even if that meant repeating what I was saying.

Division K Speech Contest will be held on April 14 at the Bureau of Customs in Paranaque City. Let us wish Toastmaster Espie the best of luck!



About the Correspondent

___________________________

Perps Poblador, CC/CL is currently the Immediate Past President of SPi Toastmasters Club. She isn’t new to speech contests as she already competed in Impromptu Speaking and Prepared Speech Contests. Now called upon to judge in speech contests for several times, she shares her two-cents' worth to speech contest wannabes. First, prepare, practice and seek feedback from peers. Second, confront your fear. Be aware of what triggers that fear. Find your own way of overcoming it. Lastly, if you win, stay grounded and remain humble. If you lose, keep on learning and improving your speaking skill.