The LLhhaan Anthology of Philippine Literature in English 353

Breakirg Barriers:The Essay and theNon-Fiction NarrativeCRISTINA PANTOJA HIDALGO

A Brief Introductionf ire essay has always been a kind of outsider. When it records personalI impressions, reminiscences, or reflections in a light, whimsical, humorous

tone, it is grudgingly accepted as a kind of stepsister. When it deals with serioussubjects in a sober, analytical, formal tone, it is declared to be philosophy, history,sociology or political science, and banished altogether.

Tiue, the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature and the ManilaCritics Circle National Book Awards now include the essay as an official category;and courses in the writing of the essay are part of the Creative Writing curriculumin the University of the Philippines. But one proof that it is still not regarded asequal in importance to poetry, fiction or the drama is that the national creativewriting workshops-held in Baguio, the Visayas and Davao (by the Universityof the Philippines), in Dumaguete (by the Creative Writing Foundation), and inIIigan (by Mindanao State University)-are not open to essay writers.t Anotherproof is its neglect by literary critics.2

The idea seems to be that the essay is easy to write. After all, politicians,priests, and pedants of every stripe produce countless lectures, speeches, sermons,papers, theses and dissertations which could all be called "formal essays." Andpractically everyone who thinks he or she can write-from the newspapercolumnist, pounding out his weekly 400 words, to the college freshman strugglingtlrrough his English composition assignments-produces what is referred tovariously as the "informal" or "personal" or "familiar" essay.

Because of tlris notion-that anyone can write an essay-many in fact do.-l'hc

resr,rlt is matcrial oIsuch voluminous quantity and such uneven quality thatit rlrrly rcirrlorccs tltc prejudice against the essay as a literary form.

Writers wlro lrt' rnuinly essayists contribute to this confusion by beingrrpologclit irlrrrr rl tlrcit w ritittg. Cttrttrcn G uerero Nakpil, for instance, commentingrrrr lrlr ollcrr lrcirrg t'nllrtl "lrr expcrl in tlrc l'iclrl oI the essay," wrote:

354 The Lihhaan Anthology oJ Philippine Literature in English

I am afraid rhat distinction was earned only by my having been sucha bad short story writer. My short stories were so bad that my friendswould say O[ course they're bad. They're not short stories, they're essays'When one is not much good as a [ish, one becomes a frog.

In desperation, I put together some stulf that had appeared innewspapers and magazines under my by-line into a kind of nonbook calledWoman Enough and called it a collection o[ essays. But somebody has nowwritten that a few of the pieces in that item are not essays but short stories.(Nakpil 1973:4)

Moreover, there is no clear definition of what an essay is. To quote Nakpilonce agarn:

Essays, then, are what no other form o[writing seems willing to be Abad short story a letter that lets one off from an undesirable engagementor money debt, liction that can never be publlshed as fiction because ithas too much truth in it, a libelous tract, propaganda material, an extendedjoke, a parody or satire, a private quarrel or a public flirtation-any andall of these can be called an essay and the subject ofprose writing. (P 5)

ln fact, it is as difficult to write a good essay as it is to write a good shortsrory or poem or l-act play. And despite the tendency o[ "creative writers" to besnobbish toward the essay, some gifted fictionists, poets and playwrights makerather bad essayists. Whereas many journalists, who are generally disinclined tomake claims regarding the literary value of their writings, produce fine essays.

But when does a feature article become an essay, hence, "literature"? Howabout an interview story? or a column? or a movie review? Is "literariness" amatter of subject or style or approach or tone? For that matter, when does a storyor narrative become an essay? And given the paradigms of poststructuralistcriticism, should we be worrying about these distinctions at all? Are not all thesematerials simply "texts?"

Since it is necessary, in a book of this sort, to decide upon what particular"r.exrs" are to be covered by the label, I shall begin by specifying that for purelypractical reasons, this short overview will not concern itself with that type of"formal essay" which may be called an intellectual treatise and includesphilosophical disquisitions, academic lectures, political speeches, and a wholeslew of other texts not generally regarded as "imaginative literature" or "creativewriring," and therefore not generally included in literature textbooks. But it shouldlrt. rrolcd that there is, in the Philippines, a rich tradition of the essay as politicaltrr.rtt is(,; ilnd today's newspaper columnists like Adrian Cristobal, Yen Makabenta,( ,ll,r(l() tlt.(Jr.riros, and others like them, have illustrious predecessors in the\\'illr'r', r,l tlrt' I)ropagallda Movement, who wrotc in Spanish ancl whose vehiclerr',r,,,t1',,r,r r('wsl)ill)cr, thc l-a Solitluriducl.

\', lrrr llrr- ro t'itllt'tl "ittlotrttrtl t'ss;ty," itt trty vit'w, it tttlty llt'itllottlttt llr rt,,tl,l, ltottt lltt pto tltttttt'/|trl ltlt',lr'lr,rlc lrr lltt't'vlttlt'stt'ttl

irrryllrirrglrt'ltrtly ol

The Likhaan Anthology oJ Philippine Literature in English 355

summer blossoms lt may be written in any style-straightforward or oblique,simple or complex, laconic or exuberant, humorous or lyrical. And it ma1, adopIany tone, frorr dead earnesI to whimsical to self-mocking. The only requirementis that the voice of the writer ring clear and true and fine. Which is just anotherway of saying that the writer should have something significant to say and thathelshe should say it well

As to the matter of the difference between essay and story that is, betweencxpository and narrative writing, I agree with Edward Hoagland that "the point anessayist is trying ro illustrate takes precedence over his'story"' (Hoagland 1993:74)

The personal essay is meant to be like a household implement, afrying pan hanging from a punchboard, or a chat at the kitchen table,though it need not remain domestic; it canbecome anguished, confessional,iconoclastic, or veer from comfortable wit to mastectomy, chemotherapy,and visions of death, just as the talk in the parlor does. Essayists areambidextrous, not glamorous; switch-hitters going for the single, not thehome run They're character actors, not superstars. They plug along in amoclest manner (if any writer can be called modest), piling up masonryincrementally, not trying for the Taj Majal like the ambitious novelist. (p.78)

From this perspective, Danton Remoto's book reviews are essays. So areDoreen Fernandez's columns on food. And so are some of Dr. Margarita Holmes'responses to readers' queries regarding their sexual hang-ups.

The field today is an incredibly varied place, and it is also located in thepages of newspapers and magazines, as indeed it was in the time of the firstFilipino essayists in English during the Commonwealth period.

Pre-War

There seems to be a consensus that the Commonwealth Period was a kindof golden age lor the familiar essay.] Among the prominent practitioners of theart were: Jorge Bocobo, Carlos P Romulo, Vidal Tan, Mauro Mendez, CristinoJamias, I.V Mallari,Juan Collas, An[onio and Ariston Estrada, Federico Mangahas,M aria Luna-Lopez, Lydia Villanueva-Arguilla, Maria Kalaw-Katigbak, A.E.t-itiatco,Jose A. Lansang, Francisco B. Icasiano, Fernando M. Maramag, Amadol)ayrit, Alfredo Gonzalez, Pura Santillan-Castrence, Francisco Arcellana, Estrellal). Alfon, Arturo Rotor, andJosefa Estrada.

Unfortunately, all the collections of pre-war essays in English are out oflrrirr t.

'l-hc [irst ol these, Dear Devices, Being a First Volume of Familiar Essays inl:nglisl, pLrlllislrcd in 1933, was a collection of essaysbysome of the members o[r lrlt lirst gt'rrclat ion of Filipino essayists in English (Antonio Estrada, A.E. Litiatco,Mlrriir I rrrlr I opt'2, l;ctlcric'o Mangahas,Jose A. Lansang, Ariston Estrada, Marialr,,rl,rw K;rtililrrrli irrrtl l;tlrttt'ist'o l]. Icasiano).

I lr lrr',t ,,rrr1il,' ;rlllrot lrooli ol lrrrrrililrcssayswas TheCallof theHeightshy,'\llr,,l,r (,) (,ol,.,rlr ,' ( lr) i/), rr t ollt'r'tion rrl wltal rnay perhaps be callcrl I

II

L

l'l

uiilll

356 The Likhaan Anthology of Philippine Literature in English

"inspirational pieces." Literature and Society by Salvador P. Lopez, published in1940, collected some familiar essays that originally appeared in his column, "SoIt Seems," in the Herald (along with the piece titled "Literature and Society,"included in this collection because of its importance in articulating an aestheticwhich continues to influence some Filipino writers today). This was followedby Horizons fromMy NipaHut (1941) by Francisco B. Icasiano, a selection of hiscolumns inthe Sunday TribuneMagazine. And mention should be made here ofSand in the Palm, which, although published in I976, is a collection of MariaLuna-Lopez s pre-war essays.

In these volumes rr.ay aheady be found practically all the varieties of theessay in English as practised in the Philippines today-social commentary, reverie,reflection, recollection, meditation, humorous sketch, journal entry letter, travelsketch, profile. The contemporary reader will probably find some of these piecesrather naive, both in the use of the English language and in the worldview theyreflect.

For instance:

After it was decided that I was going to enroli in the University, Ibroached the subject ofjournalism. I was disgusted to find out that ajournalist is a newspaper man, a hunter of news, o[ anything to thrill andexcite the public It belonged to the earth, not to the beautiful heavens Idreamed of soaring to with the sweet and tender words from my pen. (Kalaw-Katigbak ll929l, "What I Should Like Most to Be," in Reyes 1977 22 )

Or this:

Another lesson I learned from Bacong is found in the fact that theriver was not. merely determined to flow just an)'where but to reach thegreat end Many streams manage to surmount barriers they meet alongthe way, but they come out of obstacles after much labor, only to end in afoul and stagnant marsh or lake. How like so many human livesl How likeso many people who, in the springtime of their youth and in the summero[ their early manhood, showed splendid heroism against frowning odds,determined to overcome those hostile barriers, only in the autumn of theirlives to end in defeat, disgrace and remorse. (Gonzalez [19371, "The Willo[ a River," in Reyes, 228)

On the other hanci, he/she will also be much struck by the sophisticatedIrrtrnor o[ Francisco B. Icasiano's ruminations on Filipino idiosyncracies andlr,rlrils, rrsirrg as a technical device the point of view olMang Kiko, "the nipa-.,l r,rt li l r lr ilosop lrcr. " Take, for instance, his account oI the baptism o I the "unhappy,lrrlrl" rvlro, rrntorrstrltcd, faced a lllcak lirttrrc with thc naurc o[ "Jtran I'.cclclyLrrrrp,rl,rr,rrr " I )rrr ing lltc ccrentony, tlrc t lril

Iili

rl

358 The Likhaan Anthology oJ Philippne Literature in English

Very typical is her santacruTan piece

The santacruTan, th^t seasonal phenomenon which helps justily themonth oI May in the Philippines, is probably the only exclusively Filipinofeature of Filipino life. There are nipa huts and carabaosjust like ours allover Southeast Asia; the carinosa, anyone will tell you, is derived fromSpain; the hundiman is a cross between the Spanish cancion and theAmerican "blues;" and the national costume is rightly calledtraje demestizaBut nowhere else in the world is there anything hke the Santacruzan.(Nakpil 1964:76)

Less well known are the tender nostalgic pieces like "I Remember Ermita"and "A Christmas Memoi " (Nakpil I964), which, once again, cross the borderrnto narratrve

Another respected woman essayisl and teacher, Dolores Stephens Feria, haspaid Nakpil this tribute:

Tl.re most distinguished writing being done in the essay in thePhilippines today is to be found in the newspaper column of CarmenGuerrero Nakpil (Feria 196I:4)

Some of Nakpii's later essays are collected in two other books, A Question ofIdentity (1973), and in The Philippines and the Filipinos (1977).Pre Martial Law

The sixties and early seventies were [he era of the Philippines Free Press, thePhilippine Graphic, the AsiaPhilippines Leader, and the Sunday supplements of theManilaTimes andtheManilaChronicle, a high point in Philippine journalism. Theseperiodicals attracted as staff members and regular contributors some of the bestwriters of the time: NickJoaquin (who wrote as Quijano de Maniia), flictionistsKerima Poloun, Gregorio C Brillantes, Wilfredo Nolledo, Gilda Cordero-Fernando,Ninotchka Rosca, Norma Miraflor, Arnadis Ma. Guerrero, and Rosario A. Garcellano,poets Jose Lacaba, Marra PL. Lanot, and Edel Garcellano; essayists Petronilo Bn.Daroy, Luis Teodoro, Antonio Hidalgo and Sylvia Mayuga. These writers raised themagazine feature article to the level o[ literature.

Nick Joaquin's historical essays were Iater collected in A Qaesti on oJ Heroes(1977), a handsome coffee table book. And some of his lighter pieces werecollected in 8 small voiumes published by Nationa Bookstore in 1977-I981:licprtt Ltrge on Love, Reportage on CrLme, Nora Aunor and Other Profiles, Ronniel'rrr' 11111f Other Silhouettes, Manila: Sin City? and Other Chronicles, Language oJ/lrr' \lrr'r'/s rrntl Other Essa1,.s, etc Since then, Joacluin has ptrblishccl at least a,1,,,'r'r rrort' rrotr-[iction lroolis, int:lrrtling tollctliorrs ol-t'ssuys orr crrllrrrc, lrrr,tlttr.ttr,tr , ,utrl .'otnt' lriognrplrit's llis writittlls itlt'so wcll linowu ls lo rrrrrlit'trry,Ir,'t,rtri'n,, ol lr.r',sllAt's lrorrr tlrcrrr rlrrilr',,rr1r, rllrr,rrr,,

The Lilzhaan Anthology of phtlippine Literature in English 35g

Kerima Polotan's essays are collected in two volumes: Author\ Choice (l9zl)'tnd Adventures rn a Forgotten Country (1975). These range in subject from(()ntemporary news events, like the I967 massacre of the Lapiang Malaya in"'-fatang' and the Lapiang Malaya," to reminiscences of her unorthodox weddingin "Anniversary," to travels in Iran in the company of Imelda Marcos in "persepoliswithout the Trimmings." Their style varies, from rambling and evocative in"Memories" to clipped and tersed in "Midwife from pampanga."

And their tone varies from the poignant nostalgia in "sma[ Town Filipinos"lo the alternating contempt and compassion in "Filipinos in America." Many ofllrcse tex[s could also be called non-fiction narratives.

Gilda Cordero-Fernando has not thought of making a book out of hertolumn, "Tempest in a Teapot," which ran for six years, first in the Chronicle,tlren in the obsewer, and finally inveritas;so rhese charming, witty pieces are('ve n more difficult ro find.

Now

What is the scene like today as far as the informal essay/non-fiction narrativeisc ybeonea nsoexciting.on, media g. It was suddenly

l)()s one want d. There was alsorrrrPrecedenred activity in the publishing field, initiated by the groundbreaking, ifslrortlived Kalikasan Press, whichbegan ro publish new, relatively unknown wrirers.

Today, writers have the choice of raking their work ro Anvir publishing,( rrcho Hermanos, Bookmark, rhe pioneering New Day, which is still very muchrrror-rnd, the new Giraffe Publishers, or lhe university presses (U.p, Ateneo and| )e l-a Salle), which are now publishing literary titles. The effect of all rhis acrivity,rrr non-fiction as well as fiction and poetry is obvious.

Because mosr of these rexrs are still widely available,a I shall not quorel)irssages from them. I wish merely ro menrion some examples which will, Itlrirrk, suggesI the range of what the new crop of essayists are doing with the old-lirslrioned "personal" or "familiar" essay.

M ost oI the non-fiction being published today consists of collections of essays,r igirrally published as newspaper columns. This, despite the fact that mosrjrrrrrnrlists, iI asked, would probably agree with Adrian Cristoba].

I bclieve that a collection ol newspaper columns in book form isshccr vanity: what is perishable-and newspaper pieces are perishable-slr.Lrltl bc lllowed to perish without benelit of clergyz (cristobal 1993:ix)

lltsrlttirtrtrl's ( 199 l), a sclcction from pieces originally published as part of his,,,lrurrrr irr tlrt. l)rrily (ilolrr', r'orrtains sonre of Cristobal,s best personal essays_prtlry,

"vitty rrrr,l ,'rrr, lirl willrrrLrl evt'r lrccorrrirrg pedantic. Conrado cle euiros hasr ollt't lt rl ttt,tttl' r"",,r\/', (rrrliirrrrlly ;rrrlrlislrt'tl ils l)irrt ol'his Daily Globe columns in

360 The Lihhaan Anthology of Philippine Literdture in English

several books. Luis Teodoro has compiled some of his columns inNationalMidweehandTheManilaTimes into one book While these consist mainly of political essays,they include the occasional pieces which are marvelous examples of the familiaressay, like "Respite" inFlowers from the Rubble (1990) by de Quiros, arrd "TV andthe Household" in Teodoro's The Summer of Our Discontent (1990) . Confessions of aQ.C House-Husband and Other Privacies (1991) consists entirely of personal essaysby poet/fictionist Alfred A Yuson, since Yuson, even when he is writing politicalcommentary always does so with the lightest of touches and his tongue firmlyplanted in his cheek. The same light touch is displayed by historian Ambeth Ocampoin his column, "Looking Back," published first in the Globe and then in the Inquirer;and longer articles published inWeehend. Some of these pieces have now collectedin several books which might all be subtitled "History Made Easy" Poet/scholarGdmino H. Abads "letter-essays" tn State of PIay (1990), also surprisingly firstpublishedaspartofacolumncalled"Exchange," tnTheManilaChronicleonSunday,are examples of a variant of the familiar essay, what is sometimes called the "literaryessay," not.just because they are of[en about language and literature, but becausethey are written in a style would best be described as lyrical. A different type ofliterary essay cum memoir is to be found in N.VM. Gonzalez'sWorh on theMountain(1995) andTheNorel of Justice (1996).

Fictionisl Amadis Ma Guerrero has two collections of travel essays Traveller\Choic e : F rom N or th to S o uth, ( I 993 ), and A J o urney T hrough the En chanted Isle s,(1995) A different type of travel writing-adopting in epistolary form andfocusing on details that normally elude the ordinary tourist-forms part ofSeductLon and Solitude (1995) by poet Danton Remoto. And sculptorJerusalinoV Araos has published the lavishly illustrated beautifully produced The Gardenof Two Dragons Fuching (1992), which could be called an extended personalessay but actually defies classification.

A compilation of the essays which ran as the column "Barfly" by fictionist/poet/playwrightJose Y. DalisayJr. was released by Anvil in L997, surely amongthe finest in the genre.

The women essayists are even more adventurous. Elsewhere, I have describedtheir work as "among the best examples of English prose being produced in thecountry today" (Hidalgo 1994:15) They resist genre classification, beingcombinations of the autobiographical narrative, the personal reflection, the travelessay, the book review, the hard-nosed reportorial account, and what onc writerorrcc described as "the lyrical etude."5

(.onsicler the foliowing: Sylvia Mayuga's two collections,Spy Ln My Own( irrrrrlry: li.sscry.s (1991) andEarth, Fire and Air: E-ssay-s of a Dccada (1992), arl, lrlilrt, :tt nrrtt'lr lirr the irnrnense vrricty ancl corlplcxity ol thcir subjccts as [orIlll ,,rr',r',1( ntlyltrrninousclualityol'tlrcirlurrgrrlgt';llosurioA.(ilrxclllrrrolsMlrrn',1, r r l', ( l'l') I ), tvltit lr rlcPit ts "llt'rll:rrrr rrrrtl gr it'1" ttr :t lrtttgttrrgt' lrl ()n( t' so lyr it lrlrll n,lrr llt,tt ol('lt'cls lr,'1,t'1t.,.,('tlltl', r1,,,'ll ,,r,tr llrt ,l,sP:rir,ll,rrlr:rr:r (r,,,rr tl, ,"Iltt',lt,,tlt',1,r'lr'11;tttlll,ttotttr llrrl'l)rr)i'ttlrl,,tllirtttl'r'rttl,,rtrr'li,rtl,',

The Lihhaan Anthology of philippine Literature in Englis'h 36Irvlrich purports to be a manual for single parenrhood, a uniquely postmodernt('xr, in which the medium is truly the message, and the message is ,grace underl)r'('ssLrre, rhe stiff upper lip behind the engagingsmile, a kind of iachismoinrt'vt:rse" (Flidalgo 1994:r49); Doreen Fernandez's essays on food as culture,t'rrllt'cted insarap: E-ssays onFilipinoFood (l9gg) and.Tihim:Essays onphilippineI'ttpal 6ni Culture (1994).

And there is more. Fictionist Cecilia Manguerra Brainard tackles the exparriate.xlrcrience from rhewoman's poinr of view inphilippine womaninAmerica(r99r).l)trrrrir-ri rorrevillas-suarez,and RinaJimenez-David train the sharp reporter's eye'rr tlrc quotidian in Sounds oJ stlence, sounds of Fury (lgg9) andwoman at l_arge( l()94) respectively sylvia Mendez venrura surveys her many worlds wirh gre"atrrrlranity and charm in Ragtime inKamuning: sari-sariEssays (1992). Gemma cruzrt'rrrirrisces in Sentintiento (1995) Julie Daza proposes an Etiquette for Mistresses( l(x).1). Leni sta. Romana-cruz surveys the sundays of ourLives (1995). Redpencil,lll;. Pencil: Essays and Encounters (199r) is an imposing collection of Dolores\tt';lhcr.rs Feria's political and literary essays but it also includes some delightfultrrvclogues. And my own contriburion to the field takes the form of personalrrrn.ar-ives cum travel essays, which have been collected into 6 books.

one of the most interesting of the new women essayists is Jessica Zafra,r'lrtrsc interests, idiom, and wacky humor have turned her into a kind of cultlrgrrrc for thar portlon of the population that likes to call itself ,,Generation X "lle r'lwisted (I995)and Twistedll: Spawnof Twisted (1996), collecrions of essaysIrr rrr hcr column inToday, andwomanagerie andother Tales Jrom the Front ( t99i),,r ('()nrPilation of her earlier columns irwomanToday, depicta world shaped asr r rr rt lr by her early convent school education and the classics which she absorbedrrr hcr English literature classes at rhe U.p, as by MT! rock music, comicbooks,l,rst l.ods, Holl)rvood, local showbiz, rhe gay culture, cyberspace, etc.

A.nother developmenr worth mentioning is the recent publication of,rrrtlrologies of essays by womenwriters. The forerunner he rewasFilipina2 (r9g5),lrut r()llcther by a group of women journalists who had organized themselvesrrrto Wonten Writers in Media Now (WOMEN) to assert the difference betweentlrt'rrsclvcs and the "newshens" of the previous generation. A product both oftlrt' Political activism that immediately preceded martial law, and the resistanceil r( )v('nrc11[ clr,rring the dictatorship, the book was edited by Mila Astorga Garcia,lvl:rrrrr l)l-. [-anor and Lilia Quindoza santiago, and included pieces (by, among,tlrt'rs, Arlcrre Babst, LettyJimenez Magsanoc, Ma. Ceres Doyo, etc), whichrrrort' propt'rly bclorrg in a discussion of the formal essay.

ln lt)t)2, llnbcth Lolarga and Anna Lea sarabia editedkllingLives: EssaysbyI rlilrirrrr wtntrrtr, wlrich vcry quicl

362 The Lihhaan Anthology of Philippine Literature in English

essay on {bur Filipinas as representative of four aspects of the Filipino woman'scharacter ("The Filipino Woman: Cory and Leonor, Gabriela and Imelda"); PaulaCarolina Malay's simple, touching narrative of her mothers life ("Recuerdos:Shadows of My Generation"); her own daughter, Paula Malay's account of hercoming of age as a writer and freedom fighter ("The lnvisible Ceiling"), RosarioA Garcellano's narrative about watching her stepmother die ("Besieged"), myown profile of my mother; Ester Dipasupil's harsh but humorous indictment o[ aconvent school education ("Liberation and Crochet Work"); Emmie Velarde'sunderstated but poignant account of the end of her marriage ("Room with noView"), and Elvira Mata's short vignettes about women and their failedrelationships with men ("Xeroxed Palms and Other Tales of the Heart"). It is asignificant anthology, as it opens a door into a woman's private world, a worldwhich until very recently Filipino women kept carefully shielded, allowingstrangers in only after it had been carefully disguised as fiction.

One effect o[ the publication of this slim volume is that it appears to havestarted s 11snd-2 type of writing by women for which one label might be"confessional writing." In 1994, Criselda Yabes published A lourney of Scars, acandid account of her efforts to get over a lost lover. And then, there was Comingto Terms (1994) edited by Lorna Kalaw-Tirol, a collection of astonishingly frankessays on mid-lifing by fifteen women, among them Dr. Margarita Holmes, ImeldaNicolas, Tessie Tomas, and Neni Santa-Romana Cruz.

Finally, there is Ladies' Lunch and. OtherWays to Wholeness, a tour de forcebyGilda Cordero-Fernando and Mariel Francisco (1995). This unusual book, apastiche of memoir, essay, sketch, journal entries, letters, recipes, advice, songfragments, passages from both fiction and non-fiction, drawings, sketches, andold photos, might be described as a jointautobiography of the authors, or again,a postrnodern biography of middle-class Filipina, touching on prac[ically everyaspect of her life, from childhood to old age.

Another kind of anthology is the lovely little volume edited by poet/artistRicardo M. de Ungria,LunaCaledonia: FtueFilipinoWritersinHawthomdenCastle(1992-).It contains poems, fiction excerpts, and the lyrical, impressionistic essays-cum-journal-entries of poets and fictionists Rofel Brion, Eric Gamalinda, AlfredA. Yuson, Marjorie Evasco and de Ungria himself.

And then there is the beautiful little book published by the Atene o Heights.The Art of Writtng (1995) includes essays on their craft by, among others, N.VM.Conzalez, Marjorie M. Evasco, Doreen Fernandez, Danton Remoto, andJose Y.l)llisayJr.

I lnvc, thr-rs far, limited myself to writers whose essays have been collected inI'o,rli' Nowuwordaboutsomewriterswhohaveenteredorre-enteredthefieldof(,,',,r\'$'rrlinlillrroLrghthenewspapers,thuscnsuringitscontinrrccl vigoranrl varictyrrr tlrr , r rtlt), to t'1;1rr.. I rcli'r to l'ictiorrists l:r'win t:. (,irstillo, Ilrit.(iarnalirrtll irntlr lr,ttl,,rtt(lrll, rvlttt wtott'tolrrrrrrrs lor tlrc slrorllivt'rl l:vlrrirr( llr|r'r; to llrt'vt'r-y\,,rrrrtr l",r I firrr'lrlr'Vt't'rt, wlro wtilr'., lor llrc I'lililltittr l)tillv Irtr: ritrr; trrrrllo tlrrt't'

The Lihhaan Anthol,ogy of Phi.Iippine Literature in English 363

ol cle Vera's very talented contemporaries, fictionists Katrina P Tuvera and ClintonI'rrlar-rca, poetJ. Neil C. Garcia, and poet/fictionisrAngelo Lacuesra, whose columns,rrlso in the EveningPaperwere sometimes lyrical, often funny and always intelligent.

It now remains for NickJoaquin to collect the end-of-the-year essays thatlre used to publish inthePhilippinesFree Press as Quijano de Manila, delighrfulpicces that summed up all tl-re events of the previous year, including vagaries ofthcweather,fashion,art,etc.; forGregBrillantesto publishhisseriesof travel('ssays on Latin America, first printed inMidweeh magazine; for Gilda Cordero-licrnando to compile some of the essays that appeared as part of her column" lL'rr-rpest in a Teapot" in the Chronicle, the Obsen,er, and Veritas; and for Lettylirrrcnez Magsanoc to publish her own essays.

An effort has been made to ensure that the selec[ions that form part of thislrrrol< are fairly representative. Nonetheless, choices of this sort are necessarily1rt'rsonal, and inevitably rellect the editor's taste. No claim is being made for thesepict'cs as the "best" examples of the genre, or even necessarily the best examples oftirch writer's work. But they are certainly among the finest informal essays/ non-Irt titln narratives to date, and they are very different one from the other. Thus they, r r n ply demonstrate the richness of the genre in the Philippines today

NOTESI Last year, I997, the U P National Writers Workshop in Baguio accepted works

, ,rlt'gurized as "Mixed Genre,"' The landmark text, Brown Heritage (Manuod 1967), which purported ro be as

r'rlnustive a study of Philippine literature as had ever been attempted, gave the essay,,rrly the most cursory attention

'See especiallyYabes (1 949), Reyes (1977), and Pur4 Santillan-Castrence (1967:559):" I lrc cssay was, curiously enough, less neglected during the period under survey than itr', rrow The short story fits more than the essays, it seems, the psychology o[ the presentIrrncs -l-heessayisforgraciouslivingandquiet,deliberatethinking,theshortstoryisfortlrl r;rrick-moving, tense kind of human existence that we go through today."

'I 'l'hc llre which razed the warehouse o[ Anvil Publishing in January 1996 hastr tnportt'ily turned most of its titles into rare books. Anvil has promised to reprint them.

'' I'ilipino Woman Writing: Home and Exile in the Autobiographical Narratwes oJ Ten\\irtr'rs by Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo (Ateneo, 1994) studies some of these texts, i.e thenrn li( li()r) nrlrratives of Maria Luna-Lopez, Paula Carolina Malay, Carmen Guerrergll,rliprl, l(crirrra Polotan, Gilda Cordero-Fernando, Cecilia Manguera Brainard, Sylvia[\1,r1'rry',:t, :ttttl llttsitritt A Garcellano

\l;l Ii(.'l'l:l) IIIBI.IOGRAPHY\lr,rrl, (,r'rrrrrro ll \lrrlr'rr/ I'lry Manila: Kalikasan Press, I990.\r,r,.,, fr'rrr,,,rltrr,, V llr, r itttltn ol lwo l)rtr(rrns Fuching. Philippines: Miratala

l'rrlrll ,llttrl', l 'tr).t I

364 TheLihhaanAnthologyofPhilippineLiteratureinEnglish

Arcellana, Francisco. ,,Art and Life." 1g40. The philippine Informal Essay in English:

1918- 1963 by Estela Anna Fernando Reyes' Voi' Z' fr'l'n' thesis' University of

the PhiliPPines,1977.

Arguilla, Lydia Villanueva. "On a Pencil'" I938' The Philippine lnformal Essay in

English: 19I8-f963 by Estela Anna Fernando Reyes' Vol' 2' M'A' thesis'University of the Philippines, 1977

The Art of Writing.Quezon City: HEIGHTS, Ateneo de Manila University' 1995'

Brainard,CeciliaManguerra.PhilippineWomaninAmerica'QuezonCity:NewDay'1991.

Certain Filipinos. Dear Devices Manila: The Authors' 1933'

Cristobal, Adrian- Pasquinades' Pasig: Anvil Publishing' 1993'

"TrlT ng the Lord'" Philippine Daill Inquirer' November 14' 1995'

cruz, Gemma Guerrero. sentimiento. Pasig: Anvil Publishing, 1995'

Cruz, Neni Sta. Romana. Sundays of Our Li'tes' Pasig: Anvil Publishing' 1995'

Dalisay, JoseJr. Y. Best of BarJty' Pasig: Anvil Publishing' 1997'

David, RinaJimenez. WomanatLarge' Pasig: Anvil Publishing' 1994'

Daza, Julie. Etiquette t'or Mistresses' Philippines: 1993'

de Quiros, Conrado. Flowers t'rom the Rubble' Pasig: Anvil Publishing' 1990'

de Ungria, Ricardo M., ed. Luna Caledonia: Fi,le F ilipino Witers in Hawthornden CastleManila: Aria Editions ,1992'

Feria,DoloresStephens.RedPencil,BluePetcil:EssaysandEncountersManila:Kalikasan Press, I99I'

..SomeCurrentsinFilipinoEssays.''PhilippineCollegian,November15,196I.

Fernandez,Doreen-Tihim:EssaysonPhilippineFoodandCulture'Pasig:AnvilPublishing, 1994.

Fernandez,DoreenandEdilbertoAlegre.Sorap:EssaysonFilipinoFood.Manila:Mr.& Ms. Publishing House, 1988'

Fernando, Gilda cordero and Mariel Francisco. Ladies Lunch and other ways toWholeness. Quezon City: GCF Books, 1994'

. "Motherhood Statements'" TellingLitesPasig: Anvil Publishing' 1992'

( 'nt('e lltlll(1, lkrsario A- Mean Streets' Manila: Kalikasan

Press' l99l '

( rdrr 1f,, Mlln Astorga ct al., ccls Filipina 2: l:ssays hy Won'trn Writcrs in Mcdia Now( )lletrrll ( 'lly: Ncw l)ay Ptrblishe rs, l()tt4'

The Lihhaan Anthologlt of Philippine Literature in English 365( irrrrzalez, Alfredo Q. The Call oJ the Heights. Manila: Community Publishers, 1937.

"The Will of a River-" The Philippine Informal Essay in English: 1918-1963, by Estela Anna Fernando Reyes. Vol.2. M.A. thesis, University of thePhilippines, I977.

( iorrzalez, Barbara. How Do You Know Your Pearls Are Real? Pasig: Anvil Publishing,I 991.

(ittcrrero, Amadis. Alourney ThroughtheEnchanted Isles. Pasig: Anvil Publishing,1995

Trayeller's Choice: From North to South. Pasig: Anvil Publishing, 1993.llidalgo, Cristina Pantoja. ComingHome Pasig'. Anvil Publishitg, 1997.

Ffue Years in a Forgotten Land: A Burmese Notebooh. Quezon City:University of the Philippines Press, 199I.

.I Remember . Trayel Essays Quezon City. New Day Publishers, 1992.Shyscrapers. Celadon and Kimchi: A Korean Notebooh. Quezon City:

University of the Philippines Press, 1993.

The Path of the Heart, Pasig: Anvil Publishing, f 994.FilipLno Woman Writtng: Home and Exile in the Autobiographical N onatiy es

of TenWriters Quezon City: Ateneo University Press, 1994. .

llrragland, Edward. "To the Point: Tiuths Only Essays Can Tell." Harper\Magazine,March I993.

lcrtsiano, Francisco B. "At the Baptismal Font." I94I. The Philippine Informal Essayin English: 1918-1963, by Estela Anna Fernando Reyes. Vol. 2. M.A. thesis,University of the Philippines, I977.

Horizons from My Nipa Hut Manila: Nipa Publishing, 1941.

lrrirquin, Nick (Quijano de Manila). Amalia Fuentes and Other Etchings. Manila:National Bookstore, I977.

Doteglion and Other Cameos. Manila: National Bookstore, 1977.

Gloria Diaz and Other Delineations Manila: National Bookstore, I977.

Language oJ the Street and Other Essays. Manila: National Bookstore,

Manila: Sin CLty? and Other Chronicles. tvtanila, National Bookstore,l()80.

Nrrrrr Aurrrrr und O(hcr ['rol'ilcs Manila: National Bookstore, 1977.A Qttr'rliort r,/ lrr'r(,r'\ Mlrrilir: Ayitlit Muscttm , 1977.

lc)80.

366 The Lihhaan Anthology oJ Philippine Literature in English

Reportage onPolitics. Manila: National Bookstore, 1981'

Ronnie Poe and Other Silhouettes. Manila: National Bookstore, 1977

Reportage on Lovers. Manila: National Bookstore, 1977'

Reportage on Crime. Manila: National Bookstore, I977'

Intramuros. Manila: Philippine Daily Inquirer, 1988.

Kalaw-Karigbak, Maria. "What I Should Like Most to Be." 1929. The Philippinelnformal Essay in English: 1918-1963, by Estela Anna Fernando Reyes. Vol' 2.M.A. thesis, University of the Philippines, 1977'

Lolarga, Babeth and Anna Lea sarabia, eds. TellingLi,"es: Essays by Filipino women.Quezon City: Circle Media Publications, I992'

Lopez, Maria Luna. sand in the Palm. Manila: University of the Philippines Press,t976.

Lopez, Salvador P- Literature and Society. Manila: Philippine Book Guild, 1940.

Marking, Yay.Where aCountry Begins. Manila, 196l'

Mayuga, sylvia Earth,FireandAir:Essaysof aDecade.Pasig:AnvilPublishing,1992.

Spy in My Own Country: Essays. Manila: ["consortium of Filipinopublishers"L I981.

Miraflor, Norma. OneWoman\ Opinion Singapore: Media Masters, 1990

Nakpil, Carmen Guerrero. Woman Enough and Other Essays. Quezon City: VibalPublishing, 1964.

The Philipp ines and the F ilipino s. Manila : Vess el Bo oks, I 9 77'

A Question of ldentity. Manila: Vessel Books, 1973'

Ocampo, Ambeth. Aguinaldo\ Breaht'ast. Pasig: Anvil Publishing, 1993'

Bonifacio\ Bo7o. Pasig'. Anvil Publishing, 1995.

LoohingBach. Pasig" Anvil Publishing, 1990.

Mabini\ Ghost. Pasig: Anvil Publishing, 1995'

Rizal Without the Overcoat. Pasig: Anvil Publishing' 1990

Polotan, Kerima. Author\ Choice . Manila: Bustamante Press, l97l'Adyentures in a Forgotten Country. Manila: Alemars-Phoenix Press,

l()75.l(r'rrrrrlrr, l)rilllon. StductionandSolitutle' Pasig: Anvil Publishing, 1995lllyrr,l,rtrlrr Arrrrir l;crnunrlo 'l'lrc I'lrilippinc lulirrnrirl fissrry in [:rrglish: lc)ltl-lc)63

M A llrrrlc, t)rrivcrsity ol tlrc I'hilippitres, l()77

The Lihhaan Anthology oJ Philippine Literature in English 367

SirrrJuan, Benjamin. A Criticism of Post-War Editorials and Columns in the PhilippinePress. M.A. thesis, Ateneo de Manila University, 1949.

SrrirLez, Domini Torrevillas. Sounds of Silence, Sounds of Fury. Quezon City: New DayPublishers, 1989.

lrryag, Katoks . Recollections and Digressions Manila: Philnabank Club, 1985.

le odoro, Luis. The Summer of Our Discontent Manlla'. Kalikasan Press, 1990.

I'irol, Lorna Kalaw, ed. Comingto Terms: Writings onMid-liJeby 15 Women Pasig:Anvil Publishing, 1994.

Vcntura, Sylvia Mendez Ragtime in Kam.uning: Sari-Sari Essays. Pasig: AnvilPublishing, 1992.

Vcra-Cruz, Sixto. Five Major Filipino Woman Essayists in English: An AppreciativeStudy M.A thesis, National Teachers' College, 1956.

Yrrbes, Criselda. AJourney of Scars. Pasig: Anvil Publishing, 1994

Yrrbes, Leopoldo P The Filipino Essay in English: A Critical Study with an Anthologyof RepresentativeEssays (f9I2-1918). M.A. thesis,Universityof thePhilippines,1949.

Yuson, Alfred A. "The Adopted Hometown." The Sunday lnquirer Magazine, May 3,t992.

ConJessions of a Q.C. House-Husband atd Other Privacies. Pasig: AnvilPublishing, I99I.

/.rrlra, Jessica. Twisted. Pasig: Anvil Publishing, 1995.Twisted II: Spawn of Twisted Pasig: Anvil Publishing, 1996.

Womanagerie. Pasig: Anvil Publishing, 1995