Coming full circle

In the late ’50s and the turn into the ’60s, Edilberto K. Tiempo and Edith L. Tiempo pursued graduate studies in the United States and attended the writing workshop at the University of Iowa, then under the directorship of Iowa poet Paul Engle.

The so-called New Criticism was getting in vogue, straight out of the mouths and pens, or clunky typewriters, of Chicago academicians. "Mom" Edith, now a National Artist for Literature, often recounts how she practically foisted herself on the workshop sessions, such was the latency of feminism at the time, until Paul had to relent and take her in.

At one time she had occasion to ask visiting panelist Robert Frost about the meaning of some of his lines that continued to befuddle her. "Easy does it," the great poet replied. Edith still chuckles to herself when she brings up that anecdote. "Easy does it," she repeats to her listeners.

Returning to Dumaguete, the Tiempo couple started the Silliman University Summer Writers Workshop in 1962. It was patterned after the Iowa experience. Invited as guest panelist was Nick Joaquin. There, too, was Wilfrido "Ding" Nolledo, supreme fiction writer a la Mr. Dazzle. Among the fellows were Cesar Ruiz Aquino, now Dr. Sawi of Silliman U., as well as Wilfredo Pascua Sanchez, now in Chicago, and Pete Daroy, who has left us.

A very young, very waifish-looking Ninotchka Rosca, now in New York, titillated the older writers with her pioneering brand of latent feminism.

Well, I don’t know, I may be mixing up certain details like attendance in relation to year; that could be 1963 I’m talking about re Ninotchka. I know that poet-novelist-pugilist and now champion shooter Erwin Castillo was there too as a fellow, maybe on the second year, because he doesn’t appear in a group photo taken of the participants in the 1962 pilot program – a black-and-white treasure handed by Ding Nolledo to Sawi Aquino some years before Ding passed away in Los Angeles.

That dog-eared photo has the Tiempos (with Edith looking so beauteous, as she does still, in a rather wizened way, heh-heh), Pete also seated on the grass in the front row, like Edith and several other summer-dressed ladies, and in the back row, Nick J., Ding, Sawi and Willybog. Plus a number of unidentified participants, with the group totaling a little more than 30.

This May marks the 44th edition of that program, renamed the National Writers Workshop after Silliman U. pulled out of sponsorship about a decade ago. It started last Monday, May 9, with a dozen "fellows" – and guest panelists Susan Lara and Dave Genotiva and resident panelists Bobby Flores-Villasis and Sawi Aquino helping out Mom Edith. Rowena Tiempo Torrevillas arrived from Iowa City last Wednesday to catch up on the first week’s sessions.

Today Jimmy Abad and I start helping out in the panel for the second week, with Jing Hidalgo joining us on Thursday. Also joining the workshop today, marking the start of the 1st International Workshop-Seminar on Creative Non-Fiction, are Prof. Robin Hemley, director of the Non-Fiction Program at the University of Iowa, and nine of his students as our "international fellows."

Their non-fiction pieces will be workshopped all week during the morning sessions, together with those of five of the "local fellows" who made it for that genre, with afternoon sessions given over to the usual fiction and poetry of the seven other young Filipino writers.

On Friday and Saturday, the seminar portion is conducted, with the Iowa Hawkeyes delivering their papers in public, at a venue being provided by Silliman University. These public sessions will see the participation of a good number of official registrants – literature teachers from Dumaguete, Bacolod, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, and as far away as DLSU Manila. Late registrants may still be accommodated at a fee of a thousand pesos for the three sessions of paper-reading and discussion.

One of Paul Engle’s legacies is a volume titled The World Comes to Iowa, featuring the works of the US State Department grantees from all over the world who attended the International Writing Program he instituted upon breaking away from UI. Rowena helped out in that publication while she was serving long years as program administrator in Iowa.

Now Iowa has come to Dumaguete, and Silliman U. is back in the healthy picture that is the long-running summer workshop under Edith L. Tiempo. Hooray for things coming full circle!

The contingent from Iowa actually had a few break-in days in Manila last week. They stayed at Malate Pensionne, walked around in the torpid heat and enjoyed the Baywalk, took in the National Museum and Intramuros, had day trips to Tagaytay and Corregidor. A hardy bunch, they even scaled Taal Volcano in 40-degree torture, and must have given mineral water companies a big summer boost in bottle sales.

Last Wednesday, Jimmy Abad and I welcomed Robin and the students, a few with spouses or significant others, at UP Diliman, where we had a photo-op before the Oblation. We then dropped in at the UP Press Bookshop for gift titles courtesy of UP VP for Public Affairs Jing Hidalgo.

At sundown we repaired to the Executive House, which was generously turned over by new UP President Emerlinda Roman, who also hosted for dinner, in coordination with UP Institute of Creative Writing director Vim Nadera. National Artist for Literature and UMPIL (Writers Union) chair emeritus Rio Almario welcomed our guests, who also had the privilege of being introduced to, and feted by, a strong assembly of Filipino poets and writers (which means singers and rollicking performers).

Among these were Dr. Bien Lumbera, "Ma’am" Amelia Lapeña Bonifacio, Butch Dalisay, Erlinda Panlilio, Teo Antonio, Karina Bolasco, Arnold Azurin, Charlson Ong, Marra PL Lanot, Mabi David, Issy Reyes, Fran Ng, Joel Toledo, Carlomar Daoana and Patricia Evangelista. The usual suspects warbled for the guests: Susan Fernandez, Jess Santiago, Celina Cristobal, Gugu de Jesus, Khavn de la Cruz, and Israel Fagela who’s our latest writer-lawyer. RayVi Sunico, Marne Kilates, Kris Lacaba and Jimmy Abad read or recited poems.

Thanks to Wilson T. Young, president and COO of Tanduay Distilleries, all the dinner guests savored the fine new Tanduay Rum 1854, a 15-year premium, among a barful of drinks handled by a couple of attractive, mini-skirted tenders.

Strangely enough, despite the energetic counter-performance by a couple of the UI writing students, the only piece that seemed to escape Fil-Am Day in May, or what Vim billed as the Summer Writers’ Night, was "American Pie." Maybe if Dr. Dalisay hadn’t just arrived from Cebu in a polo barong, that classic of late-night caterwauling wouldn’t have gone, uh, undone.

Another instance of coming full circle has been jazz standout Mishka Adams’ current sojourn in the UK, courtesy of Candid Records. Her mom (and my kid sister) Agnes Arellano sent cards from Bath to keep us posted on Stonehenge forays and other sun-spotting and musical activities, such as at the Chetenham Jazz Fest.

A flyer informs us that "the captivating" Mishka ("20-year-old jazz minstrel… a British-Filipina, immaculately pretty and blessed with vocal prowess that belies her tender age.") will be performing on May 27 at the PizzaExpress Jazz Club on 10 Dean Street, London.

More from the invite: "Mishka’s charismatic innocence is put to good use in a repertoire ranging from classics like Change Partners and Autumn Leaves to her originals Where Do We Begin? and War of the Skies." Here’s topping off all that well-deserved text: "The collective whisper of the crowd suggests she is predestined to be a star."

Meanwhile, Agnes the sculptress can’t help but appreciate "the hanging stones" despite the "bloody cold with howling wind and all," as well the crescent features of Georgian architecture, much as she finds London too hectic and misses "the bird songs from the champaca tree" back in Blue Ridge B, QC.

Well, soon enough we should all be coming around again to challenge the stoning properties of ye olde British Druids, ey wot?

And for another bit of news from London, Ed Maranan at our embassy there reported last Friday that Kevin Punzalan and Julie Prescott, our candidates for the English Speaking Union’s International Public Speaking Competition, did very well despite having been placed together in a tough heat.

This "handicapping" was of course an offshoot of Patricia Evangelista’s topping the entire field last year. Which was why we of the ESU-Philippines chapter-to-be weren’t exactly holding our hopes so high, much as both Kevin and Julie have impressed us. But it was the South African and Australian girls who advanced to the finals, beating out what Ed said was "exceptional competition."

More from Ed: "It was obvious both were enjoying the camaraderie of this big group of young talented speakers from all over the world. They’ll be in London until Sunday. We have suggested to Kevin and Julie that they write a report on the competition for ESU-Phil."

Says the follow-up report from Loline Reed, who was instrumental in getting our ESU-Phil steering committee started three years ago, and who hosted our candidates:

"The group our two wonderful young people competed in was an ‘upgrade’ for our position in this year’s competition, as (they) were placed in the toughest heat, with Australia, South Africa, the USA, Canada, UK, Malaysia, India and Pakistan – all either past champions or past finalists’ countries.

"Kevin received the most applause from the audience consisting mostly of his peers. He surprised me with his delivery and his stage presence, which he did not show at rehearsals. Our group headed by Amb. Ed Espiritu and Mrs. Espiritu, Ed Maranan, Linda Guzman and Leo Herrera-Lim, Kevin’s parents and brother Kenzo gave both Julie and Kevin great support. We are all very proud of them and so should we be.

"Julie will be returning on the 16th while Kevin… has another competition in Singapore to attend. I am sure that you will give them a resounding welcome."

Oh yes, we will. In fact, Butch Dalisay, ESU-Phil chair, is making sure that Julie, who’s from Iloilo City, will be received at NAIA and taken to his and Beng’s place at the UP Diliman campus, where the 19-year-old girl will be staying until she can fly home, certainly with fine memories of her dad’s home country still filling her heart.

And since Butch sent in his column earlier, let me tack on his grace note to this late one. "Let me add my own warmest thanks to you, Loline, and to Ken for being such generous hosts to our two young wards, and my congratulations to both for giving it their best shot! Thanks again as well to Ed Chua of Pilipinas Shell and to our other sponsors, and to Carl Ng and the IIDC for producing our candidates."