UP ICW issues guidelines for writers' workshop

LIKHAAN: The UP Institute of Creative Writing (UP ICW) is now accepting applications for the 48th UP ICW National Writers Workshop to be held in Camp John Hay, Baguio City, from April 12 to 18, 2009.

UP ICW Director Jose Y. Dalisay, Jr., also announced that four fellowships are available for open competition and that these are open only to advanced writers. Following the “Kumustahan” workshop concept, the other eight slots will be awarded by the ICW by invitation only to qualified, highly meritorious writers in mid-career. The ICW reserves the right to reapportion the number of reserved and open slots, depending on the responses and the quality of applications received.

The 2009 workshop will be chaired by National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario.

Almario also announced the submission guidelines:

QUALIFICATIONS – To qualify, applicants:
(1) must be writers in English or Filipino;
(2) must have attended at least one creative writing workshop (national/regional, including the UP National Writers’ Workshops), or earned a degree in Creative Writing/Malikhaing Pagsulat, or won at least one national/international literary award;
(3) must have published at least three poems or two short stories or two pieces of creative nonfiction (e.g., essays, memoirs, profiles) in reputable collections or anthologies, journals, magazines (including campus publications), or refereed Internet web magazines, or have had a play staged. Writers who have been fellows at any of the UP National Writers’ Workshops are eligible. Some of these qualifications may be waived in exceptionally meritorious cases, with the unanimous concurrence of the UP ICW Fellows, Advisers and Associates.

REQUIREMENTS – Applicants must submit the following:
(1) five copies plus digital file (12 points, double-spaced, 8 x 11) of one original unpublished manuscript (short story, poem, or creative nonfiction, play) to be discussed during the workshop – this manuscript should not have been submitted to any other workshop;
(2) a two-paragraph description of a work-in-progress in any of the above genres, in English or Filipino (also 12 points, double-spaced, 8 x 11); and
(3) photocopies of the applicant’s published work, including publication details; and
(4) application form (available at the UP ICW office in UP Diliman and on panitikan.com.ph).

During the UP workshop, fellows will be expected to make a presentation of a chapter or draft of the work-in-progress referred to above, and an essay on an aspect of their writing or of the genre in which they work. They must be present for the full duration of the workshop period.

The deadline for submission is November 30, 2008. For inquiries, call 922-1830 and ask for Ms. Eva Cadiz.

Download the application form here.

current reading

i'm teaching creative writing 140 this coming semester, and i'm in the middle of preparing my syllabus. i want my students to learn how to incorporate research material in their creative writing. i also want to develop in them an appreciation for highly informative, technically accurate essays that are engaging if not entertaining. the essays they will be made to write for the course will contain more scientific, cultural/artistic information than personal opinion.

As there is a dearth of nature writing in the philippines, i'm considering making my students try their hand at it. of course i know that most of them will not have the necessary knowledge and inclination to be much good at it, but i'd like them to experience how it's done. so now i'm rereading some of my favorite books of nature writing. i am currently enjoying dianne ackerman's the moon by whale light and other adventures among bats, penguins, crocodilians, and whales. if you haven't read this book, you're missing out. ackerman has this amazing ability to blend scientific information and personal observation into engaging essays that read almost like poetry.

bulawan online: oktubre 2008

the latest issue of bulawan online is now available.

if you don't know what bulawan online is all about, read the introduction below.

i'm announcing this here because i am part of the bulawan online staff (this in spite of the fact that i do not write in filipino. haha). i take care of the buklatan section, so if you have a new book out, or you've just read a great book and you want us to feature it in the buklatan section, drop me a line. the current issue features books by rio alma, abdon balde, and vlad gonzales. they're all writers in filipino, but this doesn't mean we're not open to books in other languages. the previous issue included jose dalisay's novel in english, soledad's sister.

Ang Bulawan Online ay isang lathalaang pampanitikan at nakabukás nang pangunahin para sa mga makata, kuwentista, at tagapagsalin ng tula at maikling kuwento. Nakabukás din ito sa mga pagsusuri ng aklat pampanitikan at pagtalakay sa mga paksang pampanitikan. Tuwing dalawang buwan, ilalabas sa lathalaang ito ang napilìng katangi-tanging tula, maikling kuwento, at salin nang may kalakip na komentaryo.

Sa ganitong paraan, nais ng lathalaang ito na pasiglahin ang mga makata’t manunulat at makatulong sa pagpatnubay ng pagsulong ng panitikan ng Filipinas, lalo na ng panitikang nakasulat sa wikang Filipino. Hinahangad din ng lathalaang ito na makapag-ambag ng mahusay na babasahing pampanitikan para sa mga estudyante’t guro ng wika at panitikang Filipino. Ang pagbibigay naman ng pagsusuri sa mga ilalathalang akda ay isang paraan ng paglinang sa kritikal na pagbása ng panitikan at pagdudulot ng gabay hinggil sa iba’t ibang paraan ng pag-aaral sa isang akda. Sa kabuuan, nais ng Bulawan Online na magtaguyod ng Panitikan para sa Dangal ng Bayan.

Ang lathalaang ito ay handog sa bayan ng Pambansang Alagad ng Sining Virgilio S. Almario. Nanunungkulan siyang Punòng Editor at kasáma sa Lupon ng mga Editor sina Roberto T. Añonuevo, Romulo P. Baquiran Jr., Michael M. Coroza, Vim Nadera, at Fidel Rillo. Mga Kagawad sina Phillip Kimpo Jr., Sophia Lucero, Eilene Narvaez, Ernanie Rafael, at Jose Claudio B. Guerrero.

flash 2

this story came out in tales of enchantment and fantasy, an anthology published by milfores in 2007. read this for a review of the anthology. another review appears here.

A Tidy Little Tale
by Jose Claudio B. Guerrero

Every night at exactly eleven forty-nine, tidy little Mars leaves his apartment in a tidy building on a little street in a subdivision in Quezon City. Tidy little Mars drives along the quiet streets of the subdivision, past the guardhouse where the guard sleeps, unmindful of the tidy little car going out of the gate.

At exactly eleven fifty-one, tidy little Mars turns on his radio and listens to tidy little songs. He chuckles, proud of his tidy little joke. For the next several hours he drives along near-deserted streets looking for his next quarry. He really isn't very picky. Of his quarries, he has only one requirement--that they're not barefoot. Because if they are, how can his tidy little joke work?

Once he spots the right one, tidy little Mars steps on his brake pedal, rolls his window down a crack, and pretends to be lost. With his tidy little voice, he calls out to his victim and asks his usual question: which way to the nearest hospital? when his victim leans over to answer, he takes out a tidy little atomizer filled with chloroform from his breast pocket and sprays it on the quarry's face. He then quickly opens the rear door of his tidy little car, drags the unconscious victim inside, and drives off looking for the nearest secluded spot he can find. There, with his sharp tools and little phials of acid, he cuts up his victim's body into small pieces and places them in tidy little bottles he keeps in the trunk of his tidy little car. Next, he dissolves the victim's bones and hair in the powerful acid. He then takes out his tidy little lighter and burns the victim's clothing, all except for one shoe which he places on the mat in front of the passenger seat. This done, he wipes his now not too tidy little hands on his handkerchief because he is very tidy indeed. Satisfied, he gets in his tidy little car and returns home. As he speeds along the highway, tiddy little Mars rolls down his window and throws out the shoe with a tidy little laugh.

Back at his apartment, tidy little Mars places the bottles filled with pieces of human meat in his refrigerator. Later in the morning he will grind it in his little meat grinder, so he can make the tidy little kikiam that he sells to the men selling snacks fried in pans in wooden carts. After closing the refrigerator door, he yawns a tidy little yawn and starts getting ready for bed. Soon after turning off his lamp on his side table, tidy little Mars falls asleep, his lips formed into a tidy little smile, dreaming of his tidy little joke.

***

Every morning at exactly seven twenty-one, tidy little Nance, dressed in her tidy school uniform, with her hair tied with little bows, sits and waits in the garden in front of their tidy little house on a little street in a subdivision in Quezon City. She waits for her mother to finish reading the newspaper full of stories of missing people. At exactly seven twenty-five, the mother, with her tidy little daughter seated beside her, drives her car along the little streets of the subdivision, past the guardhouse where the guard who is sipping coffee from his mug waves to the car going out the gate.

As her mother maneuvers their car through traffic, tidy little Nance sits on the passenger seat and quietly watches the highway as she listens to tidy little songs on the radio. Her mother also listens, but not to the songs on the radio. She listens for her daughter's tidy little voice as she asks the question she asks every morning: I wonder who owns that shoe? as she points her tidy little finger to the shoe on the highway. And her mother tells her that someone must have fallen asleep on the jeepney the night before and did not realize his shoe had fallen off. Satisfied with this explanation, tidy little Nance shrugs a tidy little shrug and forgets all about the shoe. Her lips formed into a tidy little smile, she fingers the ten-peso coin in her pocket and dreams of the tidy little kikiam she will buy from the vendor after dismissal time.

dr. seuss on brevity

the past few days i've been thinking about flash fiction and the need for erasure. today i came across this fragment of writing by theodore geisel, better known as dr. seuss. here he makes a case for brevity.

It has often been said
there's so much to be read,
you never can cram
all those words in your head.

So the writer who breeds
more words than he needs
is making a chore
for the reader who reads.

That's why my belief is
the briefer the brief is,
the greater the sigh
of the reader's relief is.the postage stamp featuring dr. seuss that appears here was released by the u.s postal service on geisel's 100th birth anniversary in 2004.

latest and future reading

yesterday, after my sister and i did our bi-weekly grocery shopping at the mall frequently visited and mentioned by the author, vlad gonzales, of the last book i read, we went to a bookstore where i bought three new things to add to my huge pile of reading.

this is the last book i read.











and these are the latest additions to my future reading.














i hope i enjoy reading these three as i did the last one.

Writing to the Future

Writing to the Future: Poetika at Politika ng Malikhaing Pagsulat

The Likhaan: U.P. Institute of Creative Writing is launching its latest journal, WRITING TO THE FUTURE: Poetika at Politika ng Malikhaing Pagsulat, edited by Rolando B. Tolentino. The launch is on September 19, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. at Pulungang Claro M. Recto of Bulwagang Rizal (formerly Faculty Center) in the University of the Philippines Diliman.

Writing to the Future is a compilation of essays on the writing processes and philosophies that selected writing fellows from the UP National Writers Workshops 2004, 2006, 2007, and 2008 employ in their own writing. The writing fellows featured in the journal comprise an impressive range of genres and a long list of stars in Philippine literature. They are Rebecca Anonuevo, Roberto Anonuevo, Abdon Balde Jr., Romulo Baquiran Jr., Mayette Bayuga, Rica Bolipata Santos, Jose Wendell Capili, Ian Rosales Casocot, Mark Anthony Cayanan, Frank Cimatu, Mike Coroza, Adam David, Raymond de Borja, Lourd Ernest de Veyra, Allan Derain, Ma. Romina Gonzalez, Jerry Gracio, Vicente Groyon, Luis Katigbak, Mookie Katigbak, Jun Lana, Marco Lopez, Liza Magtoto, Paolo Manalo, Virginia Mercado-Villanueva, Mario Miclat, Allan Popa, Sandra Roldan, Tara Sering, Vincenz Serrano, Luna Sicat Cleto, J. Dennis Teodosio, Joel Toledo, and Lawrence Ypil.

The editor, Rolando Tolentino, is Fellow for Fiction of the Likhaan: U.P. Institue of Creative Writing and professor at the Film Institute of the University of the Philippines Diliman. He holds a Ph.D. in Film, Literature, and Culture from University of Southern California. His numerous books of fiction and critical essays have won him awards and recognition including the National Commission for Culture and the Arts Writers' Prize, Manila Critics Circle's National Book Award, National Book Development Board's Gintong Aklat Award, Obermann Summer Research Fellowship's Best Arts Book, and UC Berkeley and UCLA Southeast Asian Studies Program's Distinguished Voice.

The journal is made possible through a grant from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

For inquiries on the journal, contact the Likhaan: U.P. Institute of Creative Writing at (02) 922-1830.

happy repost

i posted this last night in my other blog. i figured i should post it here, too. it's mostly about writers and my happy day. so here it is.

------------------

i woke up at 5:30 because i had to be at pasay city by 9 this morning. this was part of my duties for the annual literary festival, pistang panitik. the festival was a side-activity of the manila international book fair, which was held at the smx covention center in the mall of asia complex.

today, i moderated quite an interesting discussion on blogging literature. the panelists were dean alfar, sonny villafania, vic nierva, marne kilates, and vlad gonzales. the panelists spoke with authority and a lot of insight and helpful suggestions. and the open forum was made livelier by this woman in a striped sweater who, after about two minutes of lucidity, started to go bonkers while at the microphone. interrupting her without being offensive took some doing, but i think i was able to pull it off. what made it even more interesting for me was the fact that she just vanished after i segued to the next person with a question for the panelists.

after the discussion, vlad and i went to the mall of asia for lunch. i was happy that vlad blurted out pho hoa when i asked him where he wanted to eat because i had been imagining vegetarian noodle soup as soon as we started walking to the mall. and since i am too much of a quezon city boy and had never been to the mall of asia (except for the quick merienda i took in between pistang panitik discussions last friday), he showed me around the mall. we spent the afternoon looking at and buying food--two boxes of krispy kreme glazed doughnuts, two boxes of brownies/cookies/revel bars from this baked goods stall, and hot chocolate for vlad and mango juice for me. we also looked at shoes and voodoo dolls and books. at national bookstore i ended up buying vlad's latest book, isang napakalaking kaastigan, which he autographed for me at seattle's best. we also looked at the sea, which was blinding since it was a sunny, sunny day.

on the bus ride back to quezon city, vlad and i talked and talked and talked. just when our conversation drifted to pokwang, elizabeth ramsey, and eugene domingo, a woman handed us brochures for bank loans of up to a million pesos. since she was very nice and polite, we didn't mind the interruption. actually, vlad being vlad, interviewed her for a bit. this, of course, got me slightly nervous (a giddy kind of nervous; half of me wanted him to behave and the other half hoped he didn't) because you never know what vlad will say. the guy's always nice and friendly, but his imagination's crazy, and he has this tendency to just blurt things out. luckily for all of us, it all went smoothly.

the bus ride was interrupted only when the cute little boy seated in front of us had to take a leak. the kind, butch lesbian bus conductor had the driver pull over, so she could help the kid off the bus for a bit to pee on the sidewalk. so, okay, maybe this wasn't hygienic, but i found it amusing. and the smile on the kid's face as he skipped back to his seat was so sunny, anyone would've forgiven him for causing a bit of delay.

after saying goodbye to vlad whose back had started to hurt because of the long day, i got off at my stop near mcdonald's. i bought salted duck eggs at rustan's express before hailing a tricycle to take me home.

and now i'm waiting for dinner, which my sister promised will be my favorite, vegetarian adobo and guinataang munggo. the salted duck eggs will go nicely with that--a happy ending to a happy day.

flash 1

i moderated a discussion on blogging by established filipino writers today, and i got encouraged to post a sample of my writing online. here is the first flash fiction piece i ever wrote. this was published by anvil in fastfood fiction, a collection of flash fiction by filipino writers both established and emerging.

Saturday Nights When Quilts Get Ruined
by Jose Claudio B. Guerrero


So how did it happen? Were you alone? Well of course you weren’t alone alone, stupid. I meant, were there other people besides you two? No? Ooh, okay so go on, give me all the gory details. Why not? I’ve got the whole night. Huh? No. He went out with his friends. I have no idea where. And who cares where they are? You’re changing the topic. Well? What do you mean “Well what”? Go on, tell me. Wait, wait, wait. Describe him first. Do I Know him? What do you mean you’re not sure? You know all the people I know. Oh, okay, mysterious bitch, is he tall? Like how tall? About Jake’s height? So, he’s tall. Just a minute. There’s someone at the door. No, no don’t hang up.

You won’t believe this. Do you know who that was? The one at the door, stupid. It was from the florist. Jake had a dozen Ice Queens delivered to me. Ice queens are white roses, dear. Let me read you the card. For Joey, the best thing that ever happened to me. Isn’t he simply darling? I’m the best thing that ever happened to him! Chris, you should really get a boyfriend. You don’t know what you’re missing. I’m so lucky I’ve got Jake. What did you say? You’re happy for me? Well, thanks. Enough about me. So go on. How does he look like? What do you mean you have to go? You can’t do what? Hey, hey, wait. I don’t get you. What’s wrong? Chris, chris, don’t hang up. Chris.

*****

You’re late. No, no don’t explain. It’s okay. I got the flowers you sent me. Thank you. No, don’t. That tickles. No. Not just yet. You’re all sweaty. U-huh. Later. Jake. Want some coffee? Okay, let me get you a cup. Yes, I’ve just finished sewing it. Quilt. Not kilt. Kilts are skirts. You like it? Thanks. Mama taught me. It has a story, actually. How much sugar? It’s about us. Here you go. See? That’s you over there on your beat-up couch. Huh? I look worried? Well, no, nothing’s wrong. I’m okay. It’s just that Chris called me up telling me about this guy he slept with. Hey careful! What’s the matter with you? Oh, Jake, you’ll leave coffee stains. Quick, get some ice. Maybe we can still save it. Damn. It won’t come off.

today at pistang panitik

as i have been a regular participant at the manila international book fair (of which pistang panitik is a side activity), i am no longer surprised at the number of friends, literary stars, and celebrities one can see in a day at the fair. and today proved to be no different.

it was all about pop lit today at pistang panitik. i emceed the event, and i was amazed by the talent of the featured artists. today's session at stage area 1 featured storytellers from alitaptap storytellers philippines (madz, ethel, and franky), puppeteers from teatrong mulat with their founder amelia lapena-bonifacio, violinist jonathan livioco of the u.p. college of music, poets/rappers from tribu (young scent, lil coli, raynoa, and o.g sacred who are featured in the jim libiran film, tribu), and poets jim libiran, kooky tuason, joel toledo, frank miranda, and gelo suarez. joel toledo and frank miranda were surprise readers. the surprise being theirs and mine. they were there to watch the show, but vim nadera, the man behind pistang panitik, had me call them to the stage. the two surprise numbers added more quirkiness to an already quirky show, and it was all good.

the show started to get even more amazing during the second set of performances from the poets when the tribu guys rapped freestyle. because the crowd's energy was aready electric, gelo suarez was a bit worried that he wouldn't match the tribu performance, but he needn't have worried. he floored the audience with his funny poem that dealt with body parts and things you can do to them. And kooky tuason closed the segment beautifully with her spoken word performance.

after the four-hour show, i passed by meeting rooms 5 and 6 where abdon balde's novel and khavn dela cruz's (he was part of the pistang panitik show last friday) poetry book were to be launched by the u.s.t. publishing house. at the foyer i saw bishop teodoro bacani and tony perez among the people waiting to get in. i didn't stay, though, because i had to look for our dean, virgilio almario at the adarna booth. on my way to look for him, i bumped into mookie katigbak who congratulated me on my palanca win. i congratulated her back. she made me beso, and i'm sure if i weren't gay, that would've made my already happy day even so much happier. haha. mookie told me she was on her way to another meeting room where she was sitting in a panel with sarge lacuesta.

i decided to tarry a little before riding the down escalator and watch the milling crowd at the smx's lobby. i saw luis katigbak, and he smiled hello. he was on his way to yvette tan's table at the lobby cafe. i decided to go down and say hello to them, but because it takes forever to reach the lobby given the extra long escalator, they had already gone by the time i reached the cafe.

so i proceeded to look for rio alma when i bumped into jun balde again (he watched part of the pistang panitik show earlier), and i told him i had to save up first to buy his novel because it costs almost 700 pesos. he laughed and punched me on the shoulder lightly. he rode the up escalator, and i made my way to the exhibition area. there i managed to find rio alma near the u.p. press booth. after our quick talk, i showed him the way to meeting rooms 5 and 6, and i joined the rest of the icw secretariat to prepare to leave for u.p.

on our way out of s.m.x., we saw tingting and maikee (is this how she spells it?) cojuanco walking in surrounded by bodyguards. after a few paces we also saw ligaya rubin.

today's pistang panitik session was happy. i hope tomorrow's session with bloggers will be even better.

Pistang Panitik

PISTANG PANITIK 3 AT THE 29th MANILA INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR IN MOA

The third Pistang Panitik will be held during the 29 th Manila International Book Fair at the SMX Mall of Asia . This year's format should prove to be quite unique. On September 12 , 14, 15 and 16, writers/artists/performers will have morning and afternoon sessions dedicated to them, wherein their works will be discussed and presented. Critical discussions, storytelling sessions and poetry readings will add spark to this literal literary fiesta.

The premiere writing institution in the country, the UP Institute of Creative Writing counts the College of Arts & Letters of the University of the Philippines-Diliman , the National Commission for Culture and the Arts , and Primetrade Asia as its partners for the week-long event. Fresh from the success of the Gawad Likhaan: the UP Centennial Literary Awards, the UP ICW initiated Pistang Panitik in 2006 with the help of Anvil Publishing House, National Book Development Board, and Book Development Association of the Philippines.

Pistang Panitik is a brainchild of former ICW Director Prof. Vim Nadera who said that Pista is a way of sharing the beauty of the written art with the public by celebrating our own literature.

On September 12, 2008, 2:00-3:30 p.m. at the Meeting Room 6, Writers' Cafe will host Charlson Ong , Ophelia Dimalanta, Benilda Santos, Dinah Roma-Sianturi, Jaime An Lim, writing greats who will talk about their craft over a cup of coffee. On that same day, 4:00-5:30, writers speak on writing and joining writers' groups in Writers are not Loners with Beverly Siy of Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika at Anyo (LIRA), UP Writers Club, The Varsitarian (UST), Heights ( Ateneo de Manila ) and Malate ( De La Salle University ). At 7:00 p.m on Stage Area 1, Literature will be performed the alternative way by Ony Carcamo, Lourd de Veyra, Khavn de la Cruz , Charms Tiamzon , Girl Valencia and Cynthia Alexander.

In Ganito Kami Ngayon , renowned writers (the new ICW director) Jose Dalisay, Roland Tolentino, Romulo Baquiran, Jr., Jose Neil Garcia, Nicolas Pichay and Jun Lana will update literature lovers on current literary practice in the Philippines on September 14 , 10:00am-12:00nn. Pop Lit on September 15 , 10:00am-2:00 p.m. at the Stage Area 1 will have comic book artists , performance poets, storytellers, independent film directors and literary innovators like Romancing Venus, Teatrong Mulat, Angelo Suarez , and Jim Libiran with TRIBU rappers Raynoa Aguillon, Billy Cruz, Lloyd Labastida, and Shielbert Manuel will present emerging forms in Philippine literature.

And for the finale, the business of blogging will be discussed on September 16 , 10:30am-12:30 pm, at the Stage Area 1. The activity called Blog! will be handled by Dean Alfa , Marne Kilates, Bobby Añonuevo, Sonny Villafania, Dino Manrique, and Vlad Gonzales.

For more details, contact the UP ICW at 922-1830 and visit panitikan.com.ph.

my baby

here she is. got her two nights ago.




yebah!

mention

i was reading blogs earlier, when i decided to check out what my boss's column at the philippine star will contain tomorrow. and now i still can't wipe the smile off my face. my boss, butch dalisay, mentioned me in his column. i'm ecstatic. wahoo!

to check out what he wrote, read this.

the state of constraint: new work by oulipo

today i started reading a lovely little volume titled the state of constraint: new work by oulipo. i got my copy from a secondhand bookstore at a nearby mall. now i find out that this book is second of a set of three called mcsweeney's #22. this is what i get for buying secondhand. i want all three! argh. i guess i have to order it. if it's still available. argh! if you're curious about the whole book, find more information here.

an attempt to explain my blog title

i feel the need to explain my choice of blog title, so here goes.

i picked "i am jose claudio" because that's who i am. i have two first names, jose and claudio. jose is my grandfather's (mommy's dad) name. claudio is my father's name. my parents originally wanted to name me after my two grandfathers, but my other grandfather's name was rizal, and if they kept to the original plan, i'd end up having the same name as our national hero. so my parents scrapped plan a and picked plan b, jose claudio. (several years ago, i found out there was a plan c. mommy wanted to name me jewel. oh to go back in time and cast my vote.)

jose claudio appears in all of my official papers: my birth certificate, identification cards, my passport, credit card, payslip, and byline. and it is this last item that has to do with this blog. whenever i publish anything, i use my full name, jose claudio b. guerrero. this causes problems because only a handful of people know me by that name. for most everyone, i am butch guerrero... or a version of butch. for some reason people refuse to accept my monosyllabic self. (i am always expanded to butchie or bootchick or butchiki or booboo or butchelles. when i was fresh out of college, dr. consolacion alaras christened me butchibutch, and to this day my friends from the philippine centennial commission call me by that name. )

since i very rarely publish, this non-recognition hasn't been much of a problem. but now that i've decided to take this 'i am a writer' thing more seriously, people will have to learn to connect me to jose claudio. so the next time you come across a jose claudio b. guerrero byline, do me a kindness and connect it to butch guerrero.

and come september 1, when the don carlos palanca memorial awards for literature is given out and they announce jose claudio b. guerrero, believe that it's me who won the first prize in the essay in english category. i am jose claudio. (wahaha! forgive me if i sound like i'm bragging. hmn... maybe i am. haha. but hey, i think i've earned it. it took me years to muster enough courage to join the contest. and it also took me years to revise that essay.)

this will do for now.

READ LIT DISTRICT this August

Poet PAOLO MANALO, essayist BUTCH GUERRERO, and fictionist BAMBI HARPER are this month's readers at READ LIT DISTRICT: your monthly dose of literature read out loud. They will be accompanied on the piano by ALBERT ROLDAN of the U.P. College of Music.

This month's READ LIT DISTRICT is on August 28, 2008 at 4:00 p.m. at the Jorge Vargas Museum, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City. The performance is open to the public.

READ LIT DISTRICT is a project of the Creative Writing Committee of the U.P. Department of English and Comparative Literature. All readers are faculty members and students of the Department's Creative Writing Program.

so this is my fourth attempt at starting a blog

so this is my fourth attempt at starting a blog. at present, i am maintaining (barely!) two others, one in friendster and another in livejournal. the first blog i started, i can't even remember anymore. one day i will bring all three extant blogs together. i wish myself good luck and constant willingness to blog my navel.

this will do for now.