Browsing Tag

#FilipinosCreate

General

Balay Sugidanun (House of Storytelling)

Genevieve Asenjo, of indie Hiligaynon publisher Balay Sugidanun (House of Storytelling). She published a beautifully illustrated children’s book, “Si Bulan, Si Adlaw, kag Si Estrelya” by Early Sol Gadong in Hiligaynon (a Visayan language).

If you’d like to order a copy, you can contact Genevieve at vvasenjo(at)gmail(dot)com. The book sells for P250 / US$7 + delivery fees.

Book summary: Once upon a time, Adlaw and Bulan lived together as husband and wife. Adlaw boasted of his brightness and life-giving powers. Bulan was majestic to look at, with many beings – heavenly and earthly – mystified and envious of her vast beauty. Bulan knew that Adlaw married her because she wanted to show her off to other beings in the sky. She hoped that Adlaw would realize that she, too, had her own desires other than being just pretty.

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Process

Sneak Peek: “Melo the Umang-Boy”

I’ve just returned to urban Manila after 10 days with the blue skies and sun-drenched (read: HOT) cliffs of Batanes (a cluster of small islands near Taiwan). Batanes is the most remote northern corner of the Philippines. It was a gathering of loose ends for the Ivatan children’s story, including the long-awaited illustrations. They are simply beautiful. Below is a cover detail of the Ivatan children’s story, “Melo the Umang-Boy.” Umang is the Ivatan word […]

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Poetry Wednesdays

Cebuano Poetry: Jeremiah Bondoc reads “sa menteryo sa carreta dihang nangutana ka og unsaon ang balak sa pagbasa”

Welcome to Poetry Wednesdays on the Sari-Sari Storybooks blog.

As I travel around the Philippines to work on this children’s book series, I’d like to share some of the poets I meet, writing in Cebuano, Waray, Meranao, Hiligaynon, Tagalog and other Philippine languages. I hope you’ll enjoy hearing the multiplicity of Filipino poetry in the world.

We’ll start with Cebuano poet Jeremiah Bondoc (president of Bathalad, a Cebuano poetry organization),who read this back in February 2014, on my last trip here. This is “sa menteryo sa carreta dihang nangutana ka / og unsaon ang balak sa pagbasa” (how a poem should be read you asked me/ at the carreta cemetery).

Check back in on Wednesdays to hear more poets.

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writing

The Siliman Writers’ Workshop

The Siliman Writers’ Workshop is the oldest of it’s kind in Asia. Every year it attracts a new batch of writers. They spend 3 weeks discussing their work with established writers in Dumaguete, at a mountain retreat. As coincidence would have it, one of the workshop fellows this year is Jona Bering, the translator of Sari-Sari Storybooks’ Cebuano story, (“Kalipay and the Tiniest Tik-Tik”). I got to observe a morning session, some photos are below. […]

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General

Michael Bacol and Siete Pesos

The talented Michael Bacol in his studio, Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao. It was interesting to visit Michael’s studio and see the neighborhood kids practically invite themselves in to play with his art supplies. His paintings are populated with children (and doorways), and after visiting his workspace, it felt like seeing a layer of his work in motion. Another theme in Michael’s earlier paintings is the motorela, a trike-jeepney hybrid common in Cagayan de Oro. Siete […]

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