Thanks to the fax machine, and eventually the wonders of e-mail, this has become much less of a time-consuming procedure. But there is still that unique Pinoy factor of good-neighborliness that ensures full and proper delivery.
When I review books, the copies or covers have to be sent physically, since I have yet to avail of scanning expertise. As luck would have it, when I started my column for STAR, our editor Millet Mananquil lived in the vicinity. It took five to ten minutes to drop off books and photo prints at her residence. When I managed to learn the simpler nuances of digital photography and jpg attachments, I didn’t even have to rely on a photo shop for my column’s visual requirements.
A few months ago, however, I received the sad news from Millet about her family’s change of address. There went her special courier services for this regular columnist. Now I miss our text exchanges on Thursday mornings on what time she’d be leaving for the STAR office that day.
I’ve found a fallback in my kumpare Juaniyo Arcellana’s own relative proximity. Our driver only had to make it to Shaw Blvd., do the Pioneer St. route to cross EDSA into Bonifacio Ave., and drop off the stuff around noontime at Juaniyo’s highrise on the corner of the quaintly named Sacrepante St. Oh, it took at best 15 minutes to get there. But hey, we’ll take that anytime over the minimum full hour just to reach the Port Area.
In fact, there have been times that that special trip had to be conducted —- whenever I missed out on Millet’s or Juaniyo’s alerts on their earlier departure for work. I should really get a scanner that’s compatible with my, uhh, work station.
In any case, this deadline consideration has not only taught me to observe a calendar built around Thursday or Friday, but also helped flex literary muscles. As I always tell my Fiction and Poetry students, practicing journalism even only on a part-time basis hones a writer for regular production, if occasionally done on the run, as well as for expedience and versatility.
When engaged in travel, I still have to find an Internet connection to make my deadline. In certain foreign cities where hotels utilize WiFi or other hi-tech procedures that are still beyond my non-techie range, or that of my laptop, I have had to walk blocks to find an Internet café, figure out the strange keyboard system, and devote a couple of hours at least to encode and transmit a column.
It has become exactly that: devotion. The weekly practice has taught me patience and determination. My Arts & Culture column, more often than not on books and literary events, but sometimes also crossing over to other arts and lifestyle concerns, has made me many friends and correspondents, especially from abroad. The feedback has been generally positive, and always eventually leads to beneficial developments.
Thus have I been invited to attend writers’ get-togethers in the US, where I’ve had the pleasure of meeting up with our dynamic expat and Fil-Am poets and writers such as Nick Carbo, M. Evelina Galang, Jon Pineda, Patrick Rosal, Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Barbara J. Pulmano Reyes, Paolo Javier, Lara Stapleton and Eileen Tabios, as well as reunited with old friends such as Bert Florentino, Wilfrido Nolledo, Oscar Peñaranda, Luis Cabalquinto, Wilfredo Pascua Sanchez, Luis Francia, Ninotchka Rosca, Eric Gamalinda, Luisa Igloria, Eugene Igloria and Gina Apostol.
In London, I’ve gotten together with Ed Maranan, Gene Alcantara, Jun Terra, and Paris-based writer Reine Arcache Melvin. I’ve traveled, read poetry and lectured in Italy and Belgium with National Artist Virgilio Almario and Benilda Santos. In Sydney, I’ve broken bread with Merlinda Bobis and Filipino painters like Alfredo Roces and Jon Altomonte.
With a Writers Union of the Philippines delegation, I’ve been entranced by the Stone Forest in Kunming, Yunnan Province, China – together with Sedfrey Ordoñez, Mike Bigornia, Marne Kilates, Charlson Ong and Wilson Lee Flores. In Hong Kong, it was the company of Marra PL Lanot, Nadine Sarreal and Wendell Capili I fondly remember. And in various occasions in Singapore, I’ve helped launch a book on Bencab together with art critic Cid Reyes, and done poetry fests and media "fam trips" with Ophelia Dimalanta, Erlinda Panlilio, Gemino Abad, Cirilo Bautista, Ricardo de Ungria, Marjorie Evasco, Dinah Roma and Ramil Digal Gulle.
Yes, be a STAR columnist and see the world. I realize that my role has become that of a "popularizer" for literature, and occasionally for visual arts, film, music, theater, why, even travel.