A Company that loves to read

I caught the musical Aspects of Love of Andrew Lloyd- Webber currently being staged at the Republic of Malate on A. Mabini. I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent staging by the New Voice Company. I was very fortunate to have seen the original musical some years back in London. Having personal experience with theater producing in this country, I know the challenges that come with the territory. The small stage did not faze the brave company. Director Wilson used the entrances and exits from within the audience to enlarge the small stage’s limitations.

The musical continues every Friday and Saturday this November. Here are the lead stars talking about their favorite books.

Monique Wilson

1. WRITTEN ON THE BODY and POWERBOOK by Jeanette Winterson – I like Jeanette Winterson’s lyrical and poetic style of writing, as well as her feminist perspectives. The way she is also able to so fully and richly evoke emotions and such rich visual imagery also appeals to me.

2. A ROOM OF ONE’S OWN by Virginia Woolf – I am a very, very big fan of Virginia Woolf since I was in high school and I love all her books. But this book in particular resonates with me – being an artist, a woman, and a feminist. That a writer captures what one needs as an artist and as a woman is what captivates me about the book. Over the years, this has become sort of like a companion for me.

3. COLLECTED POEMS of Sylvia Plath, John Donne and Stevie Smith (1, 2, 3) – the poetry of Sylvia Plath has always attracted me. Its isolation and loneliness, as well as its evocative imagery and emotions, move me profoundly. I also love John Donne’s poetry for its romanticism and lyricism.

4. THE TEMPLE OF MY FAMILIAR by Alice Walker and I know why THE CAGED BIRD SINGS by Maya Angelou – I love Maya Angelou and Alice Walker – their strong feminism, their courage, their wisdom – how they inspire so freely and easily – their sense of sisterhood and strength. Their books have been my constant companions while growing up.

5. WOMEN WHO RUN WITH THE WOLVES by Clarissa Pinkola Estes – This is one of the greatest books ever written for women and men that dispels motions of the way women are stereotyped and therefore, the way they are perceived and treated. This book gave me a lot of courage to be and remain a strong woman – to listen to my own voice as a strong woman – and to celebrate that strength and that voice.

6. THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED and THE ROAD LESS TRAVELED AND BEYOND by M. Scott Peck – In this age of fear, doubt and anxiety – this book is a great guide and teacher to finding spiritual growth and enlightenment – to finding your path and the courage and wisdom to stay on that path, no matter how difficult. When I’m in doubt, or fearful, anxious, lonely or depressed, I open these books, and the wisdom contained in them allow me the space and the time inside my heart and head to think – fully and deeply.

Jake Macapagal

OH, THE PLACES YOU’LL GO! by Dr. Seuss – In his inimitable, humorous verse and pictures he addresses the great balancing act while encouraging us to find success within us.

Rito Asilo

I read about anything – from Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things to John Grisham’s derivative but highly entertaining legal thrillers to Mitch Albom’s schmaltzy Tuesdays with Morrie.

I recently, albeit belatedly, discovered Nan McCarthy’s Chat, Connect and Crash, the American novelist’s cybertrilogy about two star-crossed individuals – book editor Bev and ad agency copywriter Max who by accident, meet online and find friendship, intimacy, even tragedy along the way. The book franchise, a very fast and light read, chronicles the relationship as well as the deepening intimacy that develops between the two star-crossed individuals through Internet correspondence via e-mails and chat- room exchanges. As a reader, there’s an unlikely satisfaction derived from "eavesdropping" on the lives of Bev and Max, not unlike the guilty pleasure we get from watching reality TV shows. Pulp fiction they may be, but, what the heck, they are well-written, funny, touching and ultimately tragic. What’s not to like?

Julia Abueva

My favorite book is Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. The story is about an abused puppy who was rescued by a little boy. I love the book because the story is centered around a beagle. I love dogs, especially beagles, because we have one named George. I also like books by Jacqueline Wilson (some titles are Sleepover, Double Act, Bad Girls). They’re fun to read!

The Reading Club recommends two original Filipino- authored books: Neni Sta. Romana’s NGALANG PINOY and Anji Blardony Ureta’s Pilgrim’s Travels. These books are available at all National Book Stores and Powerbooks Stores.

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You may email me at readclub@aol.com.