LISTED IN AMAZON.COM GROWING UP FILIPINO II: More Stories for Young Adults

LISTED IN AMAZON.COM GROWING UP FILIPINO II: More Stories for Young Adults:

Amazon.com is now listing the hardcover edition of GROWING UP FILIPINO II: MORE STORIES FOR YOUNG ADULTS. Click on the link below.

http://www.amazon.com/Growing-Up-Filipino-II-Stories/dp/0971945829/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1259619206&sr=1-2

DISTRIBUTED BY: Ingram, Baker & Taylor, Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, among others
PUBLISHED BY:
PALH
P. O. Box 5099
S.M., CA 90409
Tel/fax: 310-452-1195;
email:palh@aol.com;
palhbooks@gmail.com;
http://www.palhbooks.com

BOOK DESCRIPTION: Growing Up Filipino II: More Stories for Young Adults is the second volume of the Growing Up Filipino series by PALH. In this collection of 27 short stories, Filipino and Filipino American writers explore the universal challenges and experiences of Filipino teens after the historic events of 9/11. The modern demands do not hinder Filipino youth from dealing with the universal concerns of growing up: family, friends, love, home, budding sexuality, leaving home. The delightful stories are written by well known as well as emerging writers. While the target audience of this fine anthology is young adults, the stories can be enjoyed by adult readers as well. There is a scarcity of Filipino American literature and this book is a welcome addition.

CONTRIBUTORS: Dean Francis Alfar, Katrina Ramos Atienza, Maria Victoria Beltran, M.G. Bertulfo, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Amalia B. Bueno, Max Gutierrez, Leslieann Hobayan, Jaime An Lim, Paulino Lim Jr., Rebecca Mabanglo-Mayor, Dolores de Manuel, Rashaan Alexis Meneses, Veronica Montes, Charlson Ong, Marily Ysip Orosa, Kannika Claudine D. Peña, Oscar Peñaranda, Edgar Poma, Tony Robles, Brian Ascalon Roley, Jonathan Jimena Siason, Aileen Suzara, Geronimo G. Tagatac, Marianne Villanueva

BIO OF EDITOR: Cecilia Manguerra Brainard is the award-winning author and editor of over a dozen books, including the internationally-acclaimed novel, When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, Magdalena and Acapulco at Sunset and Other Stories. She edited Growing Up Filipino: Stories for Young Adults, Fiction by Filipinos in America, and Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America, and co-edited four other books. Cecilia also wrote Fundamentals of Creative Writing (2009) for classroom use. She teaches at UCLA-Extension’s Writers Program.

[Dec 5] The Dwende That Grew Too Big

[Dec 5] The Dwende That Grew Too Big: Join us for an experimental play that shares the story of a dwende that wakes up and realizes he turned into a giant. Through live music and shadow play we explore the world of Azaro, the dwende, and his journey to make peace with a new destiny.

Part of 'Tabi Tabi Po' an art exhibition curated by Ganyan and dedicated to celebrating Filipino folklore through urban contemporary art. The Kapre, Manananggal, Dwende, Tikbalang, and Aswang are just a sampling of these haunting creatures that will be brought to life in this exhibit. A percentage of the art sales will be donated to the victims of typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng through BAYAN Philippines and BALSA (Bayanihan para sa Sambayanan).

Time: December 5, 2009 from 6:30pm to 8pm
Location: 1 Am Gallery
Street: 1000 Howard St
City/Town: San Francisco CA
Event Type: shadow, play

EVENT: Pasko! At the Asian Art Museum

EVENT: Pasko! At the Asian Art Museum:

Sunday, December 6

Art of the Parol Slide Lecture

11:30 am–1:00 pm

Education Studios

Hands–on Parol Workshop

Baybayin Demonstration

1:00–4:00 pm

Samsung Hall

Part of the Target First Free Sunday program

Celebrate Pasko, the Filipino Christmas, and explore the parol, the illuminated star, a symbol of community, which helps define Filipino Christmas festivities. Attend a lecture on the art of parol with MC Canlas of the Bayanihan Community Center and the Filipino–American Development Foundation in the Education Studios from 11:30 am–1:00 pm, and then learn how to make your own parol at a workshop led by members of the Bayanihan Community Center from 1:00–4:00 pm. Also on hand are artists Christian Cabuay and Ray Haguisan, putting a contemporary spin on the ancient Tagalog script, Baybayin. You won’t want to miss this!

“Target First Free Sundays”—free admission on the first Sunday of every month and the family programs offered on that day—is made possible by Target. Free admission to Target First Free Sundays is granted on a first-come, first-served basis. Supplies are limited. Due to capacity restrictions, admission is not guaranteed.

Check out the Asian Art Museum for more info.

A New Cadence Poetry Series

A New Cadence Poetry Series:

A New Cadence Poetry Series

Presents
Michelle Bautista
and
Nicole Mauro
reading from their works
December 12th
@ 7:30
Felix Kulpa Gallery
107 Elm Street, Santa Cruz, CA
Free

Michelle Bautista is a poet, performer, and martial arts teacher. Her first book, Kali’s Blade, based on her Pinoy Poetics (Meritage Press, 2004) essay on the intersection of Filipino martial arts and poetry, was released in December 2006 from Meritage Press. Her work can also be seen in TMP Irregular, Muse Apprentice Guild, Babaylan (Aunt Lute, 2001), and Going Home to a Landscape (Calyx, 2003).

Nicole Mauro is the author of The Contortions (Dusie, 2009). Her second book, Tax-Dollar Super-Sonnet, Featuring Sarah Palin as Poet, is forthcoming from Black Radish Books in 2010. She is the author of the chapbooks Odes, Dispatch (with Marci Nelligan), The Contortions, and Tax-Dollar Super-Sonnet. In addition, she is the co-editor of Intersection: Sidewalks and Public Space (with Marci Nelligan, ChainArts, 2008), the first in the ChainLinks book series. Her poems, criticism and essays have appeared in numerous online and print publications. She teaches writing and rhetoric at The University of San Francisco, and lives in the bay area with her husband, Patrick, and daughters Nina and Faye.

Hong Kong journal seeks submissions

Hong Kong journal seeks submissions: Online journal Cha: An Asian Literary Journal (Hong Kong) seeks submissions (poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, photography & art, reviews) for its tenth issue, due out in February 2010. Deadline: January 10, 2010. More details...

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: 12/06/09 Community & Academic Writing Programs: A Panel for Emerging Writers

PAWA (Philippine American Writers and Artists) & Achiote Press Presents:
Community & Academic Writing Programs:
A Panel for Emerging Writers

When: 12/06/2009, 2 pm
Where: San Francisco Public Library, Latino Room B (lower level), 100 Larkin at Grove
Free and Open to the public, refreshments will be provided

The California Bay Area houses a diverse array of writing programs, both community-based and academic. For this event, an exciting panel of writers will provide information to emerging writers of color who are thinking of applying to various writing programs and need some guidance. We believe it’s so valuable for writers of color who have gone through community based writing programs and MFA (Masters of Fine Arts) programs to share their knowledge and experiences with others. A question and answer session will follow.

Some questions that will be discussed: Why did you decide to attend a community based writing workshop and/or an MFA program? How did you decide on where to apply? Why did you attend the program you attended? What was the structure of your program? What were the positive and negative aspects of your program?

Panelists include:
Rashaan Alexis Meneses (St Mary’s, Fiction MFA)
Claire Light (San Francisco State University, Fiction MFA)
Vickie Vertiz (VONA, KSW IWL)
Craig Santos Perez (University of San Francisco, Poetry MFA)
Oscar Bermeo (VONA, KSW IWL, louderArts)
Vanessa Huang (VONA, KSW, Kundiman)

Theodore S. Gonzalves, The Day the Dancers Stayed Performing in the Filipino/American Diaspora

The Day the Dancers Stayed: Performing in the Filipino/American Diaspora (Temple University Press, 2009). ISBN: 978-1592137299. Available for pre-order. For course adoptions, please contact Temple University Press »

"Theo Gonzalves’ brilliant riff on the modes of cultural productions adroitly taps into new realms of discourse, locating multiple sites where cultural memories are crafted, authenticated, challenged, and reclaimed through the aesthetics of performance. Elegantly written and grounded in historical swirls complicated and connected by U.S. colonial policies in the Philippines, The Day the Dancers Stayed delves into Filipino/a experiences and the tenets of a sustained vision of nation/nationhood that marks the arrival of a talent whose remarkable work is a necessary text in cultural analyses." —Linda España-Maram, California State University, Long Beach

Pilipino Cultural Nights at American campuses have been a rite of passage for youth culture and a source of local community pride since the 1980s. Through performances—and parodies of them—these celebrations of national identity through music, dance, and theatrical narratives reemphasize what it means to be Filipino American. In The Day the Dancers Stayed, scholar and performer Theodore Gonzalves uses interviews and participant observer techniques to consider the relationship between the invention of performance repertoire and the development of diasporic identification.

Gonzalves traces a genealogy of performance repertoire from the 1930s to the present. Culture nights serve several functions: as exercises in nostalgia, celebrations of rigid community entertainment, and occasionally forums for political intervention. Taking up more recent parodies of Pilipino Cultural Nights, Gonzalves discusses how the rebellious spirit that enlivened the original seditious performances has been stifled.

"With acumen, verve, and a politics of style that effect an important counter-appropriation of performance studies in today's American academy, The Day the Dancers Stayed offers a differently historicized analysis of the processes by which cultural—kinetic, aural, visual—knowledges get produced, repeated, and transformed. Gonzalves shows us or, more precisely and more crucially, reminds us how and why culture dies. And how it always lives on." —Sarita Echavez See, University of Michigan

Also available in e-book.

Theodore S. Gonzalves is Associate Professor of American Studies at the University of Hawai`i at Manoa.

Call for Submissions: Kartika Review

Kartika Review is accepting submissions for upcoming issues of our online Asian-American literary magazine.

We accept fiction, flash fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and visual art by Asian-American (west, east, central, south, and southeast Asian) writers and artists.

We are a quarterly journal. We read submissions all year. Simultaneous submissions are okay, but please notify us immediately if your work has been accepted elsewhere.

Full submission guidelines and the email addresses for submitting work are available at our website: http://www.kartikareview.com/submit.html

Kartika Review serves the Asian-American community and those involved with Diasporic Asian-inspired literature. We scout for compelling Asian American creative writing and artwork to present to the public at large. Our editors actively solicit contributions from established virtuosos in our community in hopes their works here will inspire the next generation of virtuosos. We also want to promote emerging writers and artists we foresee to be the future powerhouses of their craft. Ultimately, Kartika strives to create a literary forum that caters to and celebrates the wordsmiths of the Asian Diaspora.

Coming Soon: Asian American Literary Review

http://www.asianamericanliteraryreview.org/

The Asian American Literary Review is a space for writers who consider the designation "Asian American" a fruitful starting point for artistic vision and community. In showcasing the work of established and emerging writers, the journal aims to incubate dialogues and, just as importantly, open those dialogues to regional, national, and international audiences of all constituencies. We select work that is, as Marianne Moore once put it, "an expression of our needs. . . [and] feeling, modified by the writer's moral and technical insights."

Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program: Book Dragon: Leaving Yesler by Peter Bacho + Author Interview

Leaving Yesler by Peter Bacho + Author Interview:

On Old-Timers, Boxing, and Lots of Sex (mostly off the page …)

[click here for more]

Readers: Young Adult
Published: 2010

[BookDragon is a project of the Smithsonian Asian Pacific American Program]

Eileen Tabios: ROMAN HOLIDAY

[Please Forward]

NAISSANCE CHAPBOOKS ANNOUNCEMENT

Naissance Chapbooks (Kingston, PA) is pleased to announce the release of
ROMAN HOLIDAY

By Eileen R. Tabios

In ROMAN HOLIDAY, Eileen R. Tabios brings us a numbered sequence of prose poem Synopses that strike the mind's eye like an oil-filled kaleidoscope. Patterns merge and emerge in shifting repetitions that succeed in what all poetry attempts: to cover more ground than they should have been able. An excerpt:

from Synopsis #7
It transcends the feminine gesture. [Consolation defined as the bat never reappeared]. She totters on ice despite thick ankles. [By his face, one can tell he's about to deliver the boot.] He has a gaze like a mirror. [There is nothing like an infant tugging on a daddy's white whiskers.] "Sulpicia, a Roman woman writer, wrote elegies in Latin that had been attributed to Tibullus." [Whatever. True love is never chaste.]

*****

ROMAN HOLIDAY is Tabios' 17th print poetry collection. It features a front cover reproduction of a drawing by her 13-year-old son Michael, as well as a back cover reproduction of a photograph of the author's family during a "Roman Holiday". The chap's witty design facilitates the author's long-held ludic approach to mixing real-life references with poetic personas.

ROMAN HOLIDAY can be ordered through the Naissance Chapbooks site at http://chapbookpublisher.com/shop.html for $10 (includes standard shipping within the continental USA). Other new releases are No L by Jennifer Hill and Two Poems by Michael Aro.

For more information: chapbookpublisher@gmail.com

Lantern Review Blog: A Conversation with Joseph Legaspi

A Conversation with Joseph Legaspi:

"Just persist on writing. I know so many talented writers across cultural lines who just stop writing. In a way, it becomes an endurance game. So just continue writing our stories.

Support other Asian American writers. Buy their books, go to their readings, teach Asian American literature. Be community leaders, be in academia, be community activists. The more of us out there, the better.

But definitely, the root of it is, just keep writing. Sit down at that desk, and tackle that blank page."

Mavericks of Asian Pacific Islander Descent (MAPID): API Writers Group (Studio City, CA)

Mavericks of Asian Pacific Islander Descent (MAPID), the producer of Breaking the Bow, announces the Asian Pacific Islander Writers group. Focus is on new and emerging writers but all are invited to apply. Due to space restrictions, the group will be limited to 10 at this time and will be formed by an application process. The group will explore varied forms of written expression including but not limited to playwriting, screenwriting, short story and long form writing. The group will concentrate on individual and collective writings with a possible project arising from the group for production at Breaking the Bow 2010. Commitment and a supportive nature are imperative. The group will also participate in giving back to the community which may include volunteering opportunities. Diva attitudes and selfish personalities need not apply.

Meetings are slated to be held evenings of every 2nd Monday of the month in Studio City, CA. Meetings will begin in January 2010.

More info here.

Philippine Speculative Fiction and/or Magical Realism

Thank you to Charlie Jane Anders at the very popular science fiction website io9 for featuring Dean Francis Alfar's "Six From Downtown," artist Kevin Lapeña, and my thoughts on magical realism. Links: io9 | Philippine Speculative Fiction | Rocket Kapre.

Patrick Rosal: TerraNOVA Dec. 3 (NY)

TerraNOVA Dec. 3

TERRANOVA COLLECTIVE PRESENTS

SUBTERRANEAN LPFUNK http://www.lpfunkrocks.com/
MARTIN DOCKERY http://web.me.com/martindockery/Martins_Site/Welcome.html
PATRICK ROSAL http://kutibeng.blogspot.com/

Thursday, December 3, 2009
10:00pm
$10.00 Entry + 1 Drink Minimum
D-Lounge 101 East 15th Street
beneath the Daryl Roth Theatre
Just off Union Square

TERRANOVA COLLECTIVE
TO PURCHASE TICKETS VISIT http://www.smarttix.com

Tabi-Tabi Po at 1AM Gallery

The vibe was positive, the art was dope, and a lot of artists were on hand to answer questions about their art. The best part of the night was the people in attendance. They were inquisitive and genuinely wanted to learn more about the Filipino culture. Also, another high point in the evening was seeing James “gaNyan” Garcia be able to relax and enjoy his time with his friends after a long week of building and setting up for the show. Cheers to James for making this happen!

Recap of opening night with photos here.

Today - Rachelle Cruz reads for the Light the Sky Poetry Series

Wed., Nov. 18th, 7-10 p.m., for the LIGHT THE SKY POETRY SERIES @ EAGLE ROCK PLAZA -- our featured poets will be:

William Archila,

Jamie Asaye FitzGerald,

Lory Bedikian,

Rachelle Cruz.

Logistics for Wed., Nov. 18th, 2009:

Light the Sky Poetry Series @ Eagle Rock Plaza

Metro Café, Upper Level, 7-10 p.m.

2700 Colorado Blvd. (where the 134 meets the 2)

Los Angeles, CA 90041 (323) 256-8763

Map of the Area: http://www.mapquest.com/maps?city=Los+Angeles+&state=ca&address=2700+Colorado+Blvd&zipcode=90041

The Poets:

William Archila was born in Santa Ana, El Salvador, and earned his MFA in poetry from the University of Oregon. His poems have been published in The Georgia Review, AGNl, Poetry International, The Los Angeles Review, Notre Dame Review, Crab Orchard Review, Rattle, Poet Lore, Poetry Daily and Portland Review among others. He is a PEN Center USA West Emerging Voices fellow. In his first book, The Art of Exile, Archila asks readers to engage with a subject seldom explored in American poetry: the unrest in El Salvador in the 1980s and its impact on Central American immigrants who now claim this country as home. The Art of Exile is the recent winner of the Emerging Writer Fellowship Award from the Writer’s Center. "A poet of the heart and head, of the personal and public, at times William Archila's poignant poems make me hear and feel an echo of Pablo Neruda and Cesar Vallejo," from the introduction by Yusef Komunyakaa, Pulitzer Prize winner.

Jamie Asaye FitzGerald was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. She has published poetry in journals Snow Monkey, Ariel, LORE, Speechless the Magazine, Poetic Diversity and Media Cake; and in the anthologies Hunger and Thirst (City Works Press, 2008) and Return from… Beyond the Valley of the Contemporary Poets (tcCreativePress, 2008); and on Seattle’s public buses. She has received an Academy of American Poets College Prize and the Edward G. Moses Poetry Prize from the University of Southern California, and holds an MFA in Creative Writing from San Diego State University. She currently works for Poets & Writers in its Los Angeles office.

Lory Bedikian received her BA from UCLA with an emphasis in Creative Writing/Poetry where she was twice nominated for the Ina Coolbrith Memorial Prize in Poetry. She earned her MFA in Poetry from the University of Oregon, where she was awarded the Dan Kimble First Year Teaching Award for Poetry. Her manuscript has been selected several times as a finalist in both the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry Open Competition and in the Crab Orchard Series in Poetry First Book Award Competition and has received grants from the Money for Women/Barbara Deming Memorial fund as well as from AFFMA: Arpa Film Foundation for Music & Art. Her poems have been published in the Connecticut Review, Poetry International, Poet Lore and Heliotrope among other journals, have been included in Blue Arc West: An Anthology of California Poets and are forthcoming in the Portland Review. She currently teaches poetry workshops in Los Angeles.

Rachelle Cruz is from Hayward, California. She has taught creative writing, poetry and performance to young people in New York City, the Bay Area and Los Angeles. She has self-published many chapbooks, in addition to being featured in Dark Phrases Magazine and Maganda Magazine. She hosts “The Blood-Jet Writing Hour” Radio Show on Blog Talk Radio. She recently received the PEN Center USA Emerging Voices Rosenthal Fellowship in 2009, and is working towards her first collection of poems, tentatively titled Ascela at the World's Greatest Fair.

LIGHT THE SKY POETRY SERIES takes place the 3rd Wednesday of every month at the Metro Café on the Upper Level of Eagle Rock Plaza, 2700 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041 (323-256-8763). Featured readings are 7-10 p.m. There is no cover charge, and--due to time constraints--there is no open mic at this time. Parking is best on the Upper Level; enter through the center doors -- the Metro Cafe is the first on the right.

For more information about the series and directions visit: www.LightTheSkyPoetrySeries.com.

Bino A. Realuyo wins Philippine National Book Award

Congratulations to Bino A. Realuyo! From Bino's blog:

thank you philippines!!!:

for the national book award for poetry for the philippine edition of the gods we worship live next door! i'm deeply honored and humbled!

my running thoughts:

the american edition of gods we worship live next door was released in 2006. i negotiated to have 'the philippines' be removed from my u.s. contract so that i could publish a philippine edition that could be more affordable to filipino readers. u.s. books are very expensive there. the umbrella country does not have a philippine edition, although it is taught in many universities in the philippines. to get a personal copy there is quite a sacrifice for many. thus, the endless borrowing and photocopying of pages. i don't understand why filipinos shouldn't have access to books written by their own people abroad. having learned from that experience, i made sure that an edition of my poetry collection be released in the philippines as well. http://www.anvilpublishing.com/bookdetails.php?id=2008000021

with this award, i do hope that the gods we worship live next door reaches a wider audience in the philippines, where i thought it would mean more. publishing a non-american book in the u.s. is a challenge for many of us with international origins. we try to bring light to the stories of our people, of our birth countries, so that the more insular world of america would understand a little more about the global villages that are so much a part of their rhetoric but can't leave the parameters of myths, wars, and symbols. there are real people in the philippines; most of us touched by american imperialism. i write in english for this reason. my father fought for this country during world war II. and i am on american soil because of this common history and for the love of american democracy. the smallest stories of the other can teach us so much about ourselves.

and oh, the trophy! i thought this sculpture was especially moving. i immediately see the metaphors of roots, uprooting, branches and branching out, the eventual return to soils of origin, and the life learned from such movements.

links:

http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=523362&publicationSubCategoryId=90

http://nbdb.gov.ph/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=753&Itemid=1

congrats to all the other winners and finalists:

http://criticplaywright.blogspot.com/2009/11/28th-national-book-awards.html

Manilatown: My Story: Documentaries of Filipinos in the Bay Area

Click on image, for more information:

How to Ignore the First Lesson in Boxing—and Make History

Poet Patrick Rosal examines the sweet science behind last night's Pacquiao-Cotto fight.

Pacquiao's preparation clearly was not just physical. One gets the sense that boxing has yet to show Pacquiao anything tougher than he has lived in the streets as a kid of General Santos, a tough Philippine city that has apparently shaped the man’s good-natured temperament. At every bout, he ascends and descends the stairs to the ring with a smile. And the smile isn’t a contrivance or a game, but an honest expression of his inner self and the sign of the kind of mental edge Pacquiao has cultivated as he’s matured—confident and always loose.

Complete article can be found here.

BARE KNUCKLE, Anthem Salgado's first-ever full length one man show!

Brava Theater presents

BARE KNUCKLE
written and performed by Anthem Salgado, directed by Evren Odcikin



photo by nara denning of distiller films


November 21 – December 3, 2009
Brava Theater, 2781 24th Street, San Francisco, CA 94110
Tix: 415.641.7657, www.brava..org

Cool Videos and Press!
Livingroom Sessions with Caitlin Meissner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_v4PCQV0p4

Highlighted in the SF Weekly
http://www.sfweekly.com/events/me-myself-and-i-1748907/

On KUSF radio's "Words on Theater"
http://www.kusf-archives.com/2009/11/kusf-111209-7-8-pm-words-on-theatre-dj.html

*****************************
BARE KNUCKLE is a 'mixtape' of text – coming-of-age stories and travelogues – wherein one man dreams himself a fighter and sets off on a mystical journey that traverses between the volatile suburbs of New York City and the dense jungle of World War II Philippines. Filled with fateful encounters with psychics, aliens, and even one man who strangely resembles Mike Tyson, BARE KNUCKLE chronicles this individual's quest for balance between his concept of manhood vs. his relationship with mankind.

Evren Odcikin: "Anthem is an accomplished MC and a very charismatic storyteller. It's personally been thrilling to work with an artist that has such a wide base of inspiration in his creative process---from his own bad-boy adolescence to "The Art of War", from found poetry to the always cryptic words of Mike Tyson. The play deals with any modern man's journey in coming to terms with his own misconceptions of what it means to be a man -- it's hard-hitting, emotional, and funny as hell."

BARE KNUCKLE shares billing in Brava Theater's ME, MYSELF, AND I solo theater artist series featuring world and regional premieres, and will appear specifically on the following dates:

Sat, Nov. 21, 8pm:
D'Lo / ANTHEM

Sun, Nov.. 22, 8pm:
ANTHEM / D'Lo

Mon, Nov. 23, 7pm:
Rachel / Jeanne / ANTHEM

Tues, Nov. 24, 7pm:
Rachel / ANTHEM

Sun, Nov. 29, 3pm:
Jeanne / ANTHEM / Rachel

Tues, Dec. 1, 7pm:
Jeanne / ANTHEM

Thurs, Dec. 3, 8pm:
Jeanne / Rachel / ANTHEM
*****************************
ANTHEM SALGADO (Writer/Performer), a multi-disciplinary artist and educator, has performed his original solo-theater creations on the stages of Asian Art Museum, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, Intersection for the Arts, and Kearny Street Workshop. He made his ensemble member debut as the lead player in Friends written by Kobo Abe and directed by Raelle Myrick-Hodges, which opened Brava Theater's '08-'09 season. Salgado has presented his spoken word throughout the Bay Area, New York, Honolulu, and Manila. As a literary artist, his fiction appears in the anthologies Field of Mirrors and I Saw My Ex at a Party.. He has held teaching artist residencies at Brava Theater and at Downtown High School. Salgado was awarded a Philippines Fulbright-Hays scholarship via Sonoma State University's North Bay International Studies Program, and was elected Young Leader of Color by Theatre Communications Group.

EVREN ODCIKIN (Director) is a San Francisco-based director, dramaturg, and set designer. He is thrilled to return to Brava after his critically-acclaimed production of Machinal last season. His other new play credits include the world premieres of Denmo Ibrahim's Ecstasy | A Waterfable (Golden Thread Productions), Sue Butler's The Greek Play (elastic future), Ignacio Zulueto's 22 Minutes Remaining (Golden Thread Productions), Jennifer Williams' Edge (Phoenix Arts Theatre), and the ensemble generated Heavy Days (Shotgun Theatre Lab). In the Bay Area, he has also directed Blood Wedding (Shotgun Players), Road to Mecca (Secondwind), and Death of Yazdgerd (Darvag). He was the dramaturg on Mother Courage and Her Children, Owners, and Quills at Shotgun Players and Blue/Orange at Aurora Theatre Company. He has directed numerous readings and workshops at Magic Theatre, TheatreFirst, Golden Thread Productions, and Bay Area Playwrights Festival and designed sets for Crowded Fire, mugwumpin, elastic future, Golden Thread Productions, and Shotgun Players. Born and raised in Turkey, he is an associate artist with Golden Thread Productions, a founding company member with elastic future, and is a graduate of Princeton University.

Save The Date 12/06/09: PAWA & Achiote Press Panel for Emerging Writers of Color FREE (SF)

PAWA (Philippine American Writers and Artists) & Achiote Press Presents:

Community & Academic Writing Programs:
A Panel for Emerging Writers

When: 12/06/2009, 2 pm
Where: San Francisco Public Library, Latino Room B (lower level), 100 Larkin at Grove
Free and Open to the public, refreshments will be provided

The California Bay Area houses a diverse array of writing programs, both community-based and academic. For this event, an exciting panel of writers will provide information to emerging writers of color who are thinking of applying to various writing programs and need some guidance. We believe it’s so valuable for writers of color who have gone through community based writing programs and MFA (Masters of Fine Arts) programs to share their knowledge and experiences with others. A question and answer session will follow.

Some questions that will be discussed: Why did you decide to attend a community based writing workshop and/or an MFA program? How did you decide on where to apply? Why did you attend the program you attended? What was the structure of your program? What were the positive and negative aspects of your program?

Panelists include:
Rashaan Alexis Meneses (St Mary’s, Fiction MFA)
Claire Light (San Francisco State University, Fiction MFA)
Vickie Vertiz (VONA, KSW IWL)
Craig Santos Perez (University of San Francisco, Poetry MFA)
Oscar Bermeo (VONA, KSW IWL, louderArts)
Vanessa Huang (VONA, KSW, Kundiman)

November 21st (Saturday) at Hanuman Center in San Francisco

From Baylan Megino:

Hello Everyone!

Please help us spread the word for next Saturday, November 21st:

You are invited to a Ritual Gathering

being held to raise funds for the

1st International Babaylan Conference
organized by the Center for Babaylan Studies.

"Babaylan is a Filipino word that refers specifically to an individual or a group of healers, mostly women, who were acknowledged by friends and family as possessing extraordinary gifts… having a gift of vision; an ability to see through schemes or situations and later advise on future plans... or the gift for healing; a specific touch or intuited or passed-on knowledge to specific processes of 'fixing' and 'putting' people and things together. The first priority of all Babaylan [is] her community." --Carlos Villa

The Gathering will be held Saturday, November 21st at

Hanuman Center
4450 18th Street (by Douglass)
San Francisco, California.

5pm Reception
Becky Lloyd DesRoches will provide music
Light snacks will be served at the Reception, provided by J. Stewartz Catering.

6pm Program includes:

Baylan Megino, Dugso Ritualist
Titania Buchholdt, Dancer
Holly Calica, Dancer

Napoleon Batalao, Kalinga Elder

Jenny Bawer Young, Kalinga Community Member

Jodie Olympia, Spoken Word

Aimee Suzara, Well-known Writer/Performer/Educator

Diwa, Women's Kulintang Ensemble with Guest Dancer, Patrick Tamayo

"From deep within the earth
She draws strength.

From the surrounding world
She gathers information.

From the Spirit World
She receives guidance.

With willingness to be
Loving
Compassionate
Generous

With intent to facilitate
Clarity
Healing
Harmony

This sacred channel
Weaves her dance
Spills forth her song
Creates her story."

by Baylan Megino

$20 minimum requested donation.
(Make checks payable to "IHC" and include in the memo: "Center for Babaylan Studies")

Space is limited, and reservations are encouraged.
RSVP: baylan@babaylan.net

We offer our sincere gratitude to Arch and Rube de Leon for hosting us in their beautiful space at Hanuman Center.

For more information about the conference to be held at Sonoma State from April 17th to 18th, 2010, visit http://www.babaylan.net

The Center for Babaylan Studies (CfBS) is a 501c3 tax-exempt nonprofit activity of
the International Humanities Center (IHC) http://ihcenter.org/.

Bino A. Realuyo: National Book Awards (Philippines)

Congratulations to Bino A. Realuyo, whose The Gods We Worship Live Next Door, which was published in the Philippines by Anvil, is a finalist for the National Book Awards (Philippines).

List of finalists is here.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Dean Francis Alfar (SF Signal)

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Dean Francis Alfar

... how did you first become acquainted with speculative fiction? What's the appeal of the genre for you?

I've always loved speculative fiction, fantasy in particular. I was exposed to it when I was a child, in the form of fairy tales. As a teen, fantasy novels and comics keep the sense of wonder alive. As an adult, short fiction from writers around the world both sate my appetite for the wondrous and encourage me to tell stories of my own.

The multiple genres of speculative fiction are trapdoors to other places that I willingly fall through. The appeal lies in the marvels of another author's imagination, in their capacity to articulate observations of what it means to be human - but through different lenses than the real.

Read more.

interview with Michelle Cruz Skinner at HawaiiReaders.com

In the Company of Strangers ... interview with Michelle Cruz Skinner
Posted by Michael Little

In the Company of Strangers, Michelle Cruz Skinner's new collection of short stories from Bamboo Ridge Press, is set to launch on Tuesday, November 17 (6:30 p.m. reception and book signing; 7:00 p.m. book launch and reading by Michelle; Luke Lecture Hall, Wo International Center, Punahou School; free and open to the public).

R. Zamora Linmark, author of Prime Time Apparitions and The Evolution of a Sigh, describes the book this way:

“Sixteen deceptively simple stories comprise Michelle Cruz Skinner’s much-anticipated follow-up to Balikbayan and Mango Seasons, many of them about Filipinos tongue-tied and alienated in the motherland, or scattered across the map of heartaches and homesickness in the company of strangers called countrymen, family, lovers. A book of quiet gems definitely worth the wait.”

Michelle Cruz Skinner teaches at Punahou School. She was born in Manila and raised primarily in Olongapo City, Philippines. A short story from her first collection was selected for the PEN Syndicated Fiction Project and her second book was nominated for the 1996 Philippine National Book Award. Her work has been adapted for stage and public radio and she has read extensively at universities and conferences, both in the Philippines and on the mainland.

Read more.

FACINE16: The 16th Annual Filipino American Cinefest (SFPL)

FACINE16: The 16th Annual Filipino American Cinefest

The FACINE festival is the longest-running festival of its kind in North America that features films by and/or about Filipino/a and Filipino/a Americans. Now on its 16th year, the festival runs for two days, November 20-21, 2009 at the San Francisco Main Library.

Click here for schedule of screenings.

Review of Michelle Cruz Skinner, Balikbayan: From Hawaii Book blog

Book Review – Balikbayan: A Filipino Homecoming
posted by A.Alba

It’s my mom who is always bugging me to go in my closet and pick out some old t-shirts that I don’t want anymore and any used hats or cheap trinkets lying around the house. I am a bit averse to doing so because a) I’m somewhat of a packrat, and b) I’m lazy. Eventually, through pangs of guilt, I’ll sort through my closets and drawers and pick a few shirts I’ll probably never wear again (who wants Red Sox t-shirts?). She asks me for these things so she can prepare a Balikbayan box to send back to our relatives in the Philippines. My contributions are in addition to the non-perishable food, toiletries, American or Hawaiian souvenirs and other household items that she so skillfully packs into that big, cardboard box. The box along with the relationship of the people who send and receive them are such a unique part of the Filipino culture—an aspect that is touched on along with numerous others in Michelle Cruz Skinner’s debut collection Balikbayan.

Read more.

Asian Journal feature: baybayin.com

Asian Journal feature on Baybayin.com:

Baybayin as artwork

In the Bay Area, one of the young Filipinos who has embraced the Baybayin with much enthusiasm is Christian Cabuay. Running a number of websites dedicated to educating Filipinos about this writing system, Christian’s passion about the Baybayin makes it an opportunity for the next generation of Filipino-Americans to touch this part of their heritage

Read the article online

Download PDF

Digital newspaper

http://www.asianjournal.com/data/PDF/2009_SF/2009_11_13/2009_11_13_SomethingFilipino_p%202.pd

Usok: The Webzine of Fantastic Filipino Fiction

From Paolo Chikiamco:

Greetings all! Rocket Kapre Books is proud to announce the launch of Usok its free quarterly webzine for speculative fiction short stories by Filipinos. You can find the first issue here. We are also now open for short story submissions, and our guidelines can be found on this page--I'd greatly appreciate it if list members could also spread the word to any Filipino writers, whether established or jist beginning their journey, who might be interested.

Please do drop by if you have the time, take a look at our stories, and let us know what you think. ^_^ Here's the Table of Contents for Issue 1:

Stories:

* The Startbox by Crystal Koo

* The Saint of Elsewhere: A Mystery by chiles samaniego

* Mouths to Speak, Voices to Sing by Kenneth Yu

* The Coming of the Anak-Araw by Celestine Trinidad

* The Child Abandoned by Yvette Tan

Coverart:

by Kevin Lapeña

Bihag, my choreographic take on the Hip hop Tinikling

Dulce Capadocia at Counterpulse:

“Bihag”, my choreographic take on the Hip hop Tinikling
Bihag, my choreographic take on the Hip hop Tinikling – part 2

TALKS! Philippines: Immigration Politics and the Body

TALKS! Philippines: Immigration Politics and the Body at Counterpulse (SF)

Wed. Nov. 18, 7:30pm, Free

This panel brings artists and scholars together who work in the areas of Filipino history, colonization, decolonization and the creation of cultural forms. It will evoke and address our diasporic, transnational and shifting identities as Filipinos/Filipino-Americans and political relationships historically and today between the Philippines and the United States. Aimee Suzara, Aimee Espiritu, Leny Strobel, and Jorge Emmanuel.

Click here for more information.

A Conversation with Luisa Igloria

From Lantern Review's blog:

A Conversation with Luisa Igloria:

Luisa A. Igloria and two of her most recent books

LUISA A. IGLORIA is the author of Juan Luna’s Revolver, recipient of the 2009 Ernest Sandeen Prize (University of Notre Dame, 2009 ); Trill & Mordent, recipient of the 2006 Global Filipino Award for Poetry (WordTech Editions, 2005); and 8 other books. Luisa has degrees from the University of the Philippines (B.A.), Ateneo de Manila University (M.A.), and the University of Illinois at Chicago (Ph.D.), where she was a Fulbright Fellow from 1992-1995. Other awards include Finalist in the 2009 Narrative Poetry Contest, the 2007 49th Parallel Prize from Bellingham Review, the 2007 James Hearst Poetry Prize (North American Review), the 2006 National Writers Union Poetry Prize, the 2006 Stephen Dunn Award for Poetry; and 11 Palanca Awards and the Palanca Hall of Fame Distinction in the Philippines. Originally from Baguio City, she lives in Norfolk, Virginia and is an associate professor on the faculty of Old Dominion University, where she directs the MFA Creative Writing Program. She keeps her radar tuned for cool lizard sightings. Visit her online at her web site or at her blog The Lizard Meanders.

* * *

LR: When did you first decide that you wanted to become a writer, or have you always known?

Read More.

Friends & Neighbors: Weekend Roundup (Nov. 13-15, 2009)

From Lantern Review's blog:

Friends & Neighbors: Weekend Roundup (Nov. 13-15, 2009):

For your perusal, a list of interesting literary, arts, and cultural events happening in different cities this weekend. (To add to this list, leave a comment below; we will continue to check back and update it during the next few days).

Read more.

EVENT: 1AM SF – Tabi Tabi Po

EVENT: 1AM SF – Tabi Tabi Po:

“Tabi Tabi Po” is an art show dedicated to celebrating Filipino folklore through urban contemporary art. The Kapre, Manananggal, Dwende, Tikbalang, and Aswang are just a sampling of these haunting creatures that will be brought to life in this exhibit. A percentage of the art sales will be donated to the victims of typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng through BAYAN Philippines and BALSA (Bayanihan para sa Sambayanan).

1AMSF.com

Opening Reception: November, Friday the 13th from 7-10:30pm. The gallery will run for 1 month. Check it out at 6th & Howard, downtown SF.

The artists include:

Stateside:

Angry Woebots, Stuter, gaNyan, Marikina, Gem Mateo, CeCe Carpio, Pancho Abalos, Mark Canto, Miguel (Bounce) Perez, Darvin (Boohi) Vida , England Hidalgo, Jerrell Conner, Nic Cowan, Andre Sibayan, Ciriaco Sayoc II, J2, Marc Aure, Peabe, Marlon Sagana Ingram, Minette Mangahas, Dyno, Christopher de Leon, Cat Chiu Phillips, Isabel (Pepper), Roxas, John Yoyogi Fortes, Allison Torneros, Mel Vera Cruz, Simbulan, Ray Haguisan

Philippines:

Manuel Ocampo, Analog, Boy Agimat, Dex Fernandez, Bru, Nelz Yumul, Katwo Puertollano, Jigger Cruz, Sam Ramos, Okto, Abi Dayacap, Melancholy, Liza Flores, Luis Lorenzana, Jon Jaylo, Mica Cabildo, Bjorn Calleja

Norway: Jet Pascua

Joseph Legaspi on The Blood-Jet Writing Hour

Join Rachelle as she talks with poet Joseph O. Legaspi

Streaming Live on Friday, November 13th at 10 am PST

at www.blogtalkradio.com/onword

Joseph O. Legaspi is the author of Imago (CavanKerry Press), winner of a 2008 Global Filipino Literary Award. He lives in New York City and works at Columbia University. A graduate of New York University’s Creative Writing Program, his poems appeared and/or are forthcoming in American Life in Poetry, World Literature Today, PEN International, North American Review, Callaloo, Bloomsbury Review, Poets & Writers, Gulf Coast, Gay & Lesbian Review and the anthologies Language for a New Century (W.W. Norton) and Tilting the Continent (New Rivers Press). A recipient of a poetry fellowship from the New York Foundation for the Arts, he co-founded Kundiman (www.kundiman.org), a non-profit organization serving Asian American poets. Visit him at www.josepholegaspi.com.

The Kundiman Poetry Prize: Accepting Submissions 11/15/09 - 01/15/10

From the Kundiman website:

Introduction

Kundiman and Alice James Books will be accepting submissions of poetry manuscripts for The Kundiman Poetry Prize postmarked between November 15 and January 15, 2010. The Kundiman Poetry Prize welcomes submissions from emerging as well as established Asian American poets. Entrants must reside in the United States.

The winner receives $2000, book publication and a feature reading.

For more on Alice James Books, please click here

Guidelines for Manuscript Submission

1. Manuscripts must be typed, paginated, and 50 – 70 pages in length (single spaced).

2. Individual poems from the manuscript may have been previously published in magazines, anthologies, or chapbooks of less than 25 pages, but the collection as a whole must be unpublished. Translations and self-published books are not eligible. No multi-authored collections, please.

3. Manuscripts must have a table of contents and include a list of acknowledgments for poems previously published. The inclusion of a biographical note is optional. Your name, address, and phone number should appear on the title page of your manuscript. MANUSCRIPTS CANNOT BE RETURNED. Please do not send us your only copy.

4. No illustrations, photographs or images should be included.

5. Send one copy of your manuscript submission with two copies of the title page. Use only binder clips. No staples, folders, or printer-bound copies.

6. The Kundiman Poetry Prize is judged by consensus of the members of Kundiman's Artistic Staff and the Alice James Books Editorial Board. Manuscripts are not read anonymously. Please click here for a description of our judging process.

7. For notification of winners, include a business-sized SASE. If you wish acknowledgment of the receipt of your manuscript, include a stamped addressed postcard. Winners will be announced in June 2010.

8. Entry fee for The Kundiman Poetry Prize is $25. Checks or money orders should be made out to Alice James Books. On the memo line of your check write "The Kundiman Poetry Prize."9. Mail your entry to:

Kundiman
P.O. Box 2565
Staunton, VA 24402-2565

Checklist for entry:

¤ One (1) copy of manuscript enclosed, with acknowledgements and two (2) copies of title page
¤ $25 entry fee
¤ Business sized SASE
¤ Stamped addressed postcard
¤ Postmarked between November 15 and January 15, 2010

Bindlestiff Stories High XI

Stories High XI

Dates From November 05, 2009 8:00 PM
Through November 21, 2009 8:00 PM

Location
The Climate Theater
285 9th St. @ Folsom St.
San Francisco, CA 94103

Price $15.00 - $20.00

Info Line 415.255.0440
http://bindlestiff.ning.com/

Contact Allan S. Manalo
1072 Folsom St. #470
San Francisco, CA 94103

415.515.2248
allan@bindlestiffstudio.org

Doors open at 730pm. Seating is extremely limited so please come early. Thanks!

Description
Lust or Loyalty? Age or Beauty? Your Girlfriend or Fantasy Girl? Lover or Secret Lover? Dolls or Death? How many questions can movie trailers ask?...

It's STORIES HIGH XI, the eleven installment of Bindlestiff Studio's annual showcase of new works developed by Filipino American artists through summer workshops in writing, acting, and directing.

This year's new works will feature:

Busy Little Bs
By Nina de Torres Ignacio
Directed by Andrea Almario...

Through A Doll Darkly
By Joselito Cordero
Directed by Kevin Correa...

20 Minutes Past Tomorrow
By Alexis E. Dayers
Directed by Tatiana X. Dayers...

Its So Natural
By Manny Cabrera
Directed by Yato Yoshida...

Adam & Steve
By Ethan Umali
Directed by Allan S. Manalo...

The Multiplex
By Patrick Silvestri
Directed by Stories High 11 Directors Group...

CAST:
Melvign Badiola,
Joe Cascasan,
Chris Crug,
Alex Deguzman,
Melanie Espiueva,
Franz Jundis,
Jessica Margesson,
Aura San Miguel,
Jaime Nallas,
Dennis Rodis,
Sabrina Sandalo,
Carlomagno Seletria,
Rob Trinidad,
Jasmine Ty,
Annie Wang...


ABOUT BINDLESTIFF STUDIO:
Originally built in 1989 as an experimental black box theater space, Bindlestiff Studio was established in 1997 as the nation's only independent and permanent community-based performing arts venue dedicated to the cultivation of emerging and established Filipino American artists. Its mission is to inspire community involvement and social awareness through the arts. Bindlestiff provides an affordable, professional theater to encourage artists to redefine the boundaries of social and artistic expression and provides the community access to diverse offerings in theatrical productions, music and film festivals, workshops in directing, production, acting, stand-up comedy, and writing, in addition to a children and youth theater program. Currently, Bindlestiff Studio is awaiting the build-out of it's new theater space which sits at it's original location on Sixth Street in San Franciscos South-Of-Market-Area (SOMA) and is slated to open Spring/Summer 2010.

NOTE: No one under 18 years old will be admitted.

Notes
Due to the delicate staging of this show and the limited capacity of the venue, late seating will be difficult to accommodate. So please come on time. Thanks!

BABAE SF: Pinay Stories, December 4 and 5!

December 4 and 5!:

Six Days of Mr. Hyphen: R.J. Lozada

Six Days of Mr. Hyphen: R.J. Lozada:

Mr. Hyphen 2009 contestant R.J. Lozada will represent the Center for Asian American Media (CAAM), a nonprofit organization dedicated to presenting stories that convey the richness and diversity of Asian American experiences to the broadest audience possible. To do this they fund, produce, distribute and exhibit works in film, television and digital media.

About R.J.:

A story teller from San Diego, where the carne asada fries are best and the beaches better, R.J. first became involved with CAAM in 2005 when they screened a short film by him. The relationship continued when, later, they supported a documentary for which R.J. was co-producer and cinematographer.

Now, R.J. is a member of CAAM’s screening committee for the third year in a row, a position he’s humbled and honored to be a part of. Working in the legal field, R.J. hopes to continue his work with inmates and youth. A good listener, he hopes to take in the narratives he is privy to and, in turn, turn them into knowledge and change.

R.J. Says:

[As Mr. Hyphen], I hope to sustain the work that I do, and challenge others on what it means to tell stories that most people have given up on. Despite the complications, one cannot deny the power of catharsis and empathy when a story is told. Empowerment, and culling the nuances of the human condition are parts of change -- creating that bond is a portal to more... more questions, more answers... and movement towards that change. As Mr. Hyphen, advocating for more willing ears, and more willing hands to help are some suggestions I can extend to others.

--
Mr. Hyphen 2009 will take place on Saturday, November 14 at the Oakland Asian Cultural Center. Buy tickets here!

Scenes from the 11/07/09 PAWA Arkipelago Literary Series

YouTube videos from the 9.19.09 edition of the PAWA Arkipelago Literary Series featuring Justin Chin, Sarah Gambito, Marianne Villanueva, and musical guests Myrna del Río and Bo Razon can be found here.


Flickr photos from the 9.19.09 edition of the PAWA Arkipelago Literary Series featuring Justin Chin, Sarah Gambito, Marianne Villanueva, and musical guests Myrna del Río and Bo Razon can be found here.

11/13 and 11/15: Kularts presents River, River by Merlinda Bobis

Contact: Dianne Que

Phone: 415.239.0249

Email: program@kularts.org

Web: http://www.kularts.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kularts presents

River, River by Merlinda Bobis

“To keep a place alive in your heart, it must dwell in your mouth”

SAN FRANCISCO, California – October 28, 2009 - Kularts presents award-winning Filipina Australian author and performance artist, Merlinda Bobis in River, River, a stage adaptation of her acclaimed 1994 short story, Fish Hair Woman.

RIVER, RIVER

Time and Date: Fri, Nov 13, 8pm

Sun., Nov 15, 6pm

Location: Bayanihan Community Center, 1010 Mission St. (@ 6^th St) San Francisco, CA 94103

Admission: $12 student/senior, $14 advance; $16 – 20 at the door

Tickets: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/79728

Info: 415.239.0249, www.kularts.org, http://facebook.com/kularts, info@kularts.org

In her dynamic cross-genre play, River, River, award-winning Merlinda Bobis weaves storytelling and drama with poetry, traditional Philippine chanting, and Western music. Based on her 1994 short story-turned-novel, Fish Hair Woman, Merlinda Bobis tells a story of sadness, magical realism, and terror on the last stop of her 2009 World Tour. In this dramatic work, Estrella Capili, the Fish-Hair Woman, uses her 40-foot long black hair to pull corpses from the river in Iraya, a militarized village in the Philippines. The river has become the dumping ground of victims of summary executions. Each time a body is thrown into the river, the water changes flavor: from river sweetness to brine, then later, to lemon grass. Is this myth? A trick of memory? An attempt of the village to story itself out of grief? Estrella remembers a night with no moon but lit by fireflies. She is taken by the soldiers to the river to retrieve a body from the water.

ABOUT MERLINDA BOBIS: Award-winning writer/performer Merlinda Bobis grew up in Albay, Philippines at the foot of an active volcano, which figures prominently in her writing and performance. Her plays have been produced on stage and radio in Australia, the Philippines, France, China, Thailand and the Slovak Republic including the Western Sydney Aurora Festival, Darwin Arts Festival, Sydney Asian Theatre Festival, the Philippine-France Festival-Paris, Cultural Centre of the Philippines-Manila. She has received numerous awards including the Philippines’ National Balagtas Award, the Steele Rudd Australian Short Story Award, the Prix Italia, the Australian Writers' Guild Award (AWGIE), the Pamana Philippine Presidential Award, among others. Her novels, short stories, dramas and poems have been published by Pier 9, Murdoch Books-Australia, Anvil Publishing- Manila, Spinifex Press North Melbourne, De La Salle University Press-Manila, Aunt Lute Books-San Francisco, Delta, Bantam Delta USA. For ten years she taught Literature and English at Philippine universities before coming to Australia in 1991 on a study grant. She completed a Doctorate of Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong where she now teaches creative writing. She lives in Wollongong, which echoes her first home: a city nestled between the mountain and the Pacific.

ABOUT KULARTS: Kularts is the nation’s premier presenter of contemporary and tribal Pilipino arts. Founded in 1985, Kularts aims to inform ad expand the understanding of American Pilipino culture through works that address contemporary issues in the community; to preserve the spirit and integrity of ancient Pilipino art forms through research, education and documentation. Kularts proudly serves the San Francisco Bay Area, home to the largest number of Pilipinos outside of the Philippines.

11/14/09: The US Book Launch of Merlinda Bobis's The Solemn Lantern Maker (SF)

Contact: Dianne Que

Phone: 415.239.0249

Email: program@kularts.org

Web: http://www.kularts.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Kularts, Arkipelago Books, and Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc. present

The US Book Launch of The Solemn Lantern Maker

By Merlinda Bobis

Time and Date: Saturday, November 14, 2009 3PM

Location: Bayanihan Community Center, 1010 Mission St. (@ 6^th St) San Francisco, CA 94103

Admission: FREE

Info: 415.239.0249, www.kularts.org

Award-Winning Filipina Australian author and performance artist visits San Francisco to hold the US Book Launch of her latest novel, The Solemn Lantern Maker. Ten-year old Noland, a mute lantern maker, imagines an angel falling from the sky. But it is only an American tourist caught in a drive-by shooting. Manila, where the magical and the seedy collide: shimmering lanterns and poverty, Christmas carols and prostitution, dreams of friendship and the global war on terror. This raw and hard-hitting tale is delicately spare in its prose, with room for silences. Moderated by Lucy Burns, PhD (UCLA) and Dr. Joi Barrios (University of the Philippines, Diliman). Books will be available for purchase at the event.

“A SUMPTUOUSLY SHIMMERING NOVEL.”—Independent Weekly

ABOUT MERLINDA BOBIS: Merlinda Bobis’ novels, short stories, dramas and poems have been published by Pier 9, Murdoch Books-Australia, Anvil Publishing- Manila, Spinifex Press North Melbourne, De La Salle University Press-Manila, Aunt Lute Books-San Francisco, Bantam Delta USA. She has received numerous awards including the Philippines’ National Balagtas Award, the Steele Rudd Australian Short Story Award, the Prix Italia, the Australian Writers' Guild Award (AWGIE), and the Pamana Philippine Presidential Award. Her plays have been produced on stage and radio in Australia, the Philippines, France, China, Thailand and the Slovak Republic in the Western Sydney Aurora Festival, Darwin Arts Festival, Sydney Asian Theatre Festival, the Philippine-France Festival-Paris, Cultural Centre of the Philippines-Manila, among others. For ten years she taught Literature and English at Philippine universities before coming to Australia in 1991 on a study grant. She completed a Doctorate of Creative Arts at the University of Wollongong where she now teaches creative writing. She lives in Wollongong, which echoes her first home: a city nestled between the mountain and the Pacific.

ABOUT KULARTS: Kularts is the nation’s premier presenter of contemporary and tribal Pilipino arts. Founded in 1985, Kularts aims to inform ad expand the understanding of American Pilipino culture through works that address contemporary issues in the community; to preserve the spirit and integrity of ancient Pilipino art forms through research, education and documentation. Kularts proudly serves the San Francisco Bay Area, home to the largest number of Pilipinos outside of the Philippines.

ABOUT PHILIPPINE AMERICAN WRITERS AND ARTISTS, INC: The Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc. (P.A.W.A.) is a Northern California based nonprofit organization whose main goal is to create and encourage literature and arts for the preservation and enrichment of Filipino and Filipino American historical, cultural and spiritual values.

ABOUT ARKIPELAGO BOOKS: ARKIPELAGO The Filipino Bookstore is the source for the finest in Filipino heritage materials. This bookstore is a full service, community-based specialty bookshop that serves as a resource center for all Filipinos and for those desiring to learn more about the Philippines. It is a center where emerging artists and writers can showcase their works as well as a meeting place for other community related events.

11/07/09: PAWA Arkipelago Reading Series @ 2 pm FREE

Who's coming?

Asian American Literary Festival (New York)

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Kcn Chen, Executive Director
Phone: (212) 494-0061
Email: kchen@aaww.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 27, 2009

SONNY MEHTA, CHAIRMAN AND EDITOR IN CHIEF OF THE KNOPF DOUBLEDAY PUBLISHING GROUP, TO BE RECOGNIZED WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AT INAUGURAL ASIAN AMERICAN LITERARY FESTIVAL

— Legendary editor and publisher has championed writers of color; will be honored at intimate gala dinner on November 13, 2009, featuring conversation with novelist Michael Ondaatje —

NEW YORK, October 27, 2009 — Legendary literary figure Sonny Mehta, chairman and editor-in-chief of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, has been named the 2009 winner of The Asian American Writers’ Workshop’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Mehta has shepherded books by such Nobel Prize-winning authors as Gabriel Garcia Marquez, V.S. Naipaul, and Toni Morrison.

The Workshop will hold an intimate cocktail reception and gala dinner in Mehta’s honor on Friday, November 13, at the up-scale Indian and Latin American restaurant At Vermillion, 480 Lexington Avenue, New York City. Mehta will receive the award from prominent Sri Lankan-born Canadian novelist Michael Ondaatje. More information and tickets are available at aaww.org/dinner or by calling (212) 494.0061.

“Sonny Mehta is a seminal figure in publishing and the literary life of New York. By recognizing him, The Asian American Writers’ Workshop for the first time formally acknowledges the vital role that the publishing community plays in nurturing great writers of color,” said Ken Chen, Executive Director of The Workshop.

The dinner will mark the commencement of PAGE TURNER: The Inaugural Asian American Literary Festival, an unprecedented, two-day event showcasing more than thirty award-winning authors reading together for the first time at the powerHouse Arena in Dumbo, Brooklyn. The Festival will culminate in The Twelfth Annual Asian American Literary Awards, which will honor the best Asian American writing published in 2008. More information about PAGE TURNER is available at pageturnerfest.org.

The Asian American
Writers’ Workshop
Est. 1991
Executive Director
Ken Chen
Programs
Nina Sharma
Design
Jeffrey Lin
Board of Directors
Harold Augenbraum
Morteza Baharloo
Simon Chen
Nusrat Durrani
David Eng
Luis Francia
V.V. Ganeshananthan
Vivek Garipalli
Andrew Hsiao
Beena Kamlani
Sally Kim
Amitava Kumar
Jennifer 8. Lee
Andrea Louie
Tan Lin
Sanda Lwin
Leslie Norton
Gerard Raymond
William Schwalbe
Lilia Villanueva
Michael Yi
Monica Youn
Honorary Advisors
Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Jessica Hagedorn
Kimiko Hahn
Stewart Ikeda
Gish Jen
Elaine Kim
Russell Leong
David Mura
Arthur Sze
Shawn Wong

The Asian American Writers’ Workshop | 16 West 32nd Street, Suite 10A | New York, NY 10001-3808

tel 212.494.0061 | fax 212.494.0062 | email desk@aaww.org | web www.aaww.org

The opportunity to conquer the New York publishing market came in 1987 when Mehta got a call from then-Random House chairman Si Newhouse, who asked him to move to New York and take over Knopf, replacing editor Robert Gottlieb, who left to succeed William Shawn as editor of The New Yorker. Mehta accepted the job and moved stateside. Among the many notable authors Mehta has published are Joan Didion and John Updike, as well as a number of prominent writers of Asian descent, such as Naipaul, Ondaatje, Haruki Murakami, and Jhumpa Lahiri.

Michael Ondaatje is “one of North America’s finest novelists” (Wall Street Journal) and the author of twelve collections of poetry and five novels, including the Booker Prize-winning The English Patient, which was developed into an Academy Award-winning major motion picture. Other critically acclaimed works by Ondaatje include Anil’s Ghost, Divisadero, and In The Skin of the Lion, all of which were published by Knopf.
Past winners of The Workshop’s Lifetime Achievement Award include novelist Maxine Hong Kingston, the author of The Woman Warrior, and Tony Award-winning playwright David Henry Hwang, author of M. Butterfly.

About The Asian American Writers’ Workshop. Founded in 1991, The Asian American Writers’ Workshop (aaww.org) is the most prominent organization in the country dedicated to exceptional literature by writers of Asian descent. A community of sophisticated readers and writers, the Workshop serves as an advocate and support service for Asian American writers and an intellectual and cultural center for Asian American ideas. Recently ranked by the United Asian American Organizations as one of the top five Asian American groups in the country, the Workshop believes that Asian American literature is not simply a niche genre, but offers something irreplaceable for all readers, regardless of ethnicity or national origin. In other words, Asian American literature is for everyone, not just Asian Americans, and a vital chapter of the story of what it means for all of us to be American.
- END -

Cookin’ Up Blogsilog: An Introduction to Web Blogs by Ninoy Brown

Cookin’ Up Blogsilog: An Introduction to Web Blogs by Ninoy Brown: "

Have you been curious what all the blog hoopla’s about? If you’re wondering what this means for online publishing or how you can take part by creating your own blog, come by KSE’s “Cookin’ Up Blogsilog: An Introduction to Web Blogs” workshop presented by Ninoy Brown of FOBBdeep, an experienced blogger who has a thing or two to say about this exciting new medium of expression.

Participants will work hands-on to create their own blog, learn about all the skills necessary to creating a successful blog, explore their blogging potential, and discuss ways to maximize online communities to help build their audience as well as help support community-building efforts beyond the Internet.

As with all our workshops, space is limited, so please RSVP by emailing LKCledesma@gmail.com or calling (650) 641-2891 x573.

"

SF Fil-Am Jazz Series 09

Charito at Yoshi's Oakland October 27

The SF Filipino American Jazz Festival would like to thank everyone who came out in support of Charito's performances at Yoshi's Oakland and at the 7 Mile House in Brisbane. We understand that some of you who had planned to go were affected by the closing of the Bay Bridge. Both of Charito's shows were fantastic. At Yoshi's, she received two standing ovations and performed two encores! At the 7 Mile House, it was a very special performance backed by the Al Molina Quintet. The smaller, more intimate setting without a doubt pleased all the serious jazz fans in the audience. Charito will return to the USA in December as part of the 5th Annual Los Angeles Fil-Am Jazz Festival.

SF Fil-Am Jazz Series '09

This Friday, November 6th - the SF Fil-Am Jazz Series will continue at a new location, Vo's Restaurant in Uptown Oakland. It is on the corner of Webster and Grand, near Broadway. This area in the heart of Oakland is rapidly developing, with many new restaurants, art galleries, and the Paramount and the Fox Oakland theaters nearby. I will be performing at Vo's with pianist Joe Simiele in a duo setting. This is a beautiful venue - with a grand piano, delicious food, and an elegant environment. Join us! www.vosrestaurant.com

On Saturday, November 7th, vocalist Myrna Del Rio and guitarist Bo Razon will perform at the Bayanihan Center in San Francisco. The Center is located at 6th and Mission Streets. This event is presented by Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc. Information on the PAWA Author Reading Series can be found at www.pawainc.com

We invite you to attend these two events. It is a great way to continue supporting our Filipino American Jazz artists. As we approach the Holiday Season, the San Francisco Filipino American Jazz Festival will continue to present our artists at different events and venues. Thanks again for your continued support.

Mabuhay!

Carlos and Myrna Zialcita

San Francisco Filipino American Jazz Festival

www.sfpinoyjazzfest.com

Interview with Lysley Tenorio in Grist Journal

"My narrators, as well as their circumstances, are pretty different from each other—a young woman falling in love in a leper colony, a kid obsessed with comic books, a man coping with his transsexual brother’s sudden death. But because my stories deal with the idea of clashing and melding cultures (America and the Philippines), my characters are trying to figure out where they belong, negotiating where they want to be vs. where they’re supposed to be. So they’re constantly keeping themselves in check, staying a step or two outside their immediate situations in the hopes of not drowning in them."

Poetry Daily: What I Don't Tell My Children about the Philippines, by Kristin Naca

Poetry Daily: What I Don't Tell My Children about the Philippines, by Kristin Naca

11/12/09: Center for Southeast Asia Studies Calendar: Hush, I know a story you don’t know: The Small Story/The Big Politics

Merlinda Bobis at UC Berkeley: Center for Southeast Asia Studies Calendar: Hush, I know a story you don’t know: The Small Story/The Big Politics

11/06/09: Center for Southeast Asia Studies Calendar: Fruit Fly with H.P. Mendoza

Center for Southeast Asia Studies Calendar: Fruit Fly with H.P. Mendoza

11/20 and 11/22: 16th Annual Filipino American Cine Festival at the San Francisco Public Library

Click on image to enlarge, for more info:

http://sfpl.org/

THE 2009-2010 FILAMORE TABIOS, SR. MEMORIAL POETRY PRIZE!

From Eileen Tabios. Congratulations to PAWA's own Karen Llagas, and to all the finalists!

[Please Forward]

Meritage Press Announcement
[http://www.meritagepress.com/babaylan/]

Meritage Press, a multidisciplinary literary & arts press based in San Francisco & St. Helena, is pleased to announce the recipient of The 2009-2010 Filamore Tabios, Sr. Memorial Poetry Prize ("Prize"): Karen Llagas, with her manuscript entitled ARCHIPELAGO DUST. Congratulations to Karen, whose book is scheduled to be published in 2010 by Meritage Press (www.meritagepress.com).

The Prize results from a global competition among Filipino poets; more information about the Prize is available at http://meritagepress.com/babaylan/?p=19 .

As regards the Prize's recipient, Karen Llagas' poems have appeared or are forthcoming in Crab Orchard Review, {m}aganda magazine, Broadsided Press, Quay and Wompherence, as well as in the anthologies Field of Mirrors (PAWA, 2008) and Poems of the San Francisco Bay Area Watershed (Sixteen Rivers Press, 2010). A recipient of a Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Prize in 2007, she holds an MFA from the Warren Wilson Program for Writers and a BA in Economics from Ateneo de Manila. She lives in San Francisco and works as a small business consultant, a Tagalog interpreter & instructor, and a poet-teacher with the California Poets in the Schools (CPITS). ARCHIPELAGO DUST will be her first poetry book.

Meritage Press also would like to congratulate the following Finalists, listed in alphabetical order of authors' last names:

Loved Letters: Mailed Without a Scent of Home by Niki Eskobar
traje de boda by Aileen Ibardaloza
A Dark Continent Companion by Sean Labrador y Manzano
RIZAL IN SAN FRANCISCO AND OTHER POEMS by Don Pacis
TATTOO by Joel Vega

Meritage Press would like to thank all the poets who participated by sharing their poetry manuscripts. We are honored to have read all of the poems, and are delighted to conclude that the high quality of participation bodes well for the future of Filipino-authored poetry.

Eileen R. Tabios, Publisher, Meritage Press
Beatriz Tabios, Poetry Judge

+++++

Click on http://www.meritagepress.com/prau.htm for information about the inaugural recipient of THE FILAMORE TABIOS, SR. MEMORIAL POETRY PRIZE: Prau by Jean Vengua.