New Year Catch Up + Pages Feature: “In Certain Seasons” Anthology

Hello! I am back after a brief (and unplanned) hiatus! Just to quickly recap, the new year started a bit crazy for our family with the release of the new Ella Arcangel comics. We spent days and nights just packing and shipping out orders. I also started a new hobby that I happily let myself become obsessed with– it’s called diamond painting and it’s like a cross between cross stitching and paint by numbers. It’s the most perfect thing to do while listening to audiobooks. I’ll be featuring some of my completed art projects here from time to time.

January also turned out colder than I expected and sadly I went down with colds and fever. I’ve always hated getting sick but somehow it feels more stressful during a pandemic. I was in bed rest for almost a week. It’s like one day I woke up and it’s already February. I know I am behind on a number of things I’ve planned to do for the new year, but I’m just grateful it was nothing worse than what it was.

In the midst of all these, another momentous occasion happened. Late last year, I wrote my first ever short fiction “Linggo” (Sunday) and I am proud to share that my piece is included in the anthology “In Certain Seasons: Mothers Write In The Time of COVID” published by the Cultural Center of the Philippines through its Intertextual Division last month.

From the CCP INTERTEXTUAL DIVISION press release: ⁣

CCP INTERTEXTUAL DIVISION LAUNCHES “IN CERTAIN SEASONS: MOTHERS WRITE IN THE TIME OF COVID” E-BOOK

The Cultural Center of the Philippines, through its Intertextual Division, launches the “In Certain Seasons: Mothers Write In The Time of COVID” e-book on January 23, 2021, 2PM, via the official Facebook pages of the CCP, CCP Intertextual Division and Philippine PEN.

Edited by Che Sarigumba and Jenny Ortuoste, the e-book features 41 literary pieces, focusing on the experiences of mothers during the COVID-19 health crisis, as well as quarantine, isolation and healing.

The project highlights the literary geniuses of the following Filipino mother writers namely Kora Dandan Albano (Nanay); Nikki Alfar (Surviving Ourselves); Merlie Alunan (Pilgrim Heart); Alma Anonas-Carpio (Pandemic Kitchen); Lualhati Bautista (Usapang Rape); Adelle Chua (Nest Never Empty); Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz (Some Terms of Reference for a Pandemic); J.G. Dimaranan (Sa Wakas); May Dolis (Ang Iyong Ama); Heidi Emily Eusebio-Abad (Isang Panalangin).

It also features: Rowena P. Festin (Tanawin Mula sa Aking Bintana); Geraldine Flores-Ingco (Braso ni Mercedes); Christine V. Lao (Violin Practice); Babeth Lolarga (Dreaming of When It’s Over); Maricel Padua Lopez (Sabay: Buhay-Guro, Buhay-Nanay); Gina Lumauig (When Kindness Becomes Contagious); Ruth Elynia Mabanglo (Pamamaalam); Liwliwa Malabed (Mahal Kong Sampinit); Princess Malonzo (Linggo); Alma Cruz Miclat (Lola Love in the Pandemic).

Other featured writers are: Banaue Miclat-Janssen (Learning in the Time of Covid-19); Aimee Morales (Mother in Blue); Reina Mae Nasino (Mensahe ng Pasasalamat at Panawagan); Marot Nelmida-Flores (Life-Changing); Eunice Barbara Novio (Yet, We Had Each Other); Rica Paloma-Espiritu (Chicken Soup); Mae Ann Reginaldo (Mga Lalaki sa Cubao sa Panahon ng Lockdown); Rae Rival (Paliligo sa Bakuran); Hope Sabanpan-Yu (The Garden is Always There); Adelma Salvador (Bisikleta).

Completing the list are: Anna Felicia C. Sanchez (Snapshots from the Pandemic Summer); Aida F. Santos (Being a Mother in the Underground); Heidi B. Sarno (Ponx Not Dead); Lee Sepe (Sa Bawat Bukas); Neni Sta. Romana-Cruz (Cocooning with No Complaints); Eleanor Strata (Shelved); Angela Stuart Santiago (Way to Live); Almayrah A. Tiburon (Pagluluwal); Mia Tijam (Directing Grace); Winnie Velasquez (Takipsilim ni Granny Google); and Lalaine F. Yanilla-Aquino (Roller Coaster of Emotions, Blessings in Disguise, at Reversal of Roles).

The book cover features a painting entitled Salinlahi’y Iligtas created by Imelda Cajipe Endaya during lockdown. The e-book also contains artworks by Imelda Morales, Jenny Ortuoste, Kora Dandan Albano and Chua Keng Keng – Lua.

Together with the Philippine PEN, the book project aims to understand the importance and the role of women, specifically mothers, and their literature during a global crisis. It also aims to promote the narratives of women who are mothers by highlighting that women can be both child-raisers and artists amidst the struggles of being a parent.

The e-book will be accessible to the public and will be available for free download. It can be a part of a parent’s reading list, and can also be used by schools in tertiary level as reading material for their students.

⁣For more literary events and publications, visit the CCP Intertextual Division FB page or send an email to ccpintertextualdivision@gmail.com or text 0919-3175708.

This post may be awkwardly late, but I love that my opening “Pages Feature” for 2021 is something with my name on it as a writer/contributor. So surreal. It’s my first published work and I am honored and grateful to have my short piece be a part of this epic project. ⁣I am especially thankful to Ms. Beverly Wico Siy of the CCP Intertextual Division for inviting me and of course to my husband Mervin for being my first reader/editor and for always encouraging me.

“Linggo” is a slightly perverse coming of age story. It’s very short but I hope it conveys my thoughts on the sad nature of lost innocence, growing up in poverty, and on the hypocrisy of institutions. It is written in Filipino but the anthology itself includes a number of titles in English. I am planning to post a translated version of “Linggo” here as well, I just haven’t had enough time to focus on it. I am currently in the process of writing my next piece (for a new exciting project!!) so most of my extra mental energy are spent on that. I will definitely post both the story and the translation here soon, but in the meantime, please do get a copy of the book and enjoy the wonderful pieces created by Filipina moms in the collection.

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That is it from me for now, and thank you for staying with this small blog despite the occasional inactivity. I feel so refreshed after taking a break and I am super excited for the next few weeks– I have been fortunate to have the opportunity to read a number of superb new titles from various independent authors. I’m looking forward to sharing all of them with you.

Any updates for me? Any new favorite authors, or books? Any new hobbies? Let’s chat in the comments!