Call for submissions for CFP: The Commons

The editors of Currents in Electronic Literacy (an MLA-indexed, peer-reviewed, e-journal) seek manuscripts that address the role or the relevance of the cultural commons for those working, teaching, or living in a mediated age. The term itself has received attention from those on the far left, such as Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri, to those defending free-market economics, such as Lawrence Lessig. As new media enable us to collaborate, share information, disseminate texts, and pull from the collective and creative resources that the humanities have traditionally celebrated, we face new challenges on a variety of fronts. What are the legal implications of sharing copyrighted (or copylefted texts)? What constitutes "fair use" in an age when most cultural artifacts can quickly be scanned and posted for public consumption? (How) are we ethically and scholastically obligated to evaluate or cite sources that have been read and reviewed by a worldwide community of arguably critical and invested readers? (How) do profit (or exploitation) work when users determine content willfully and energetically?
We encourage submission of scholarly articles and review essays (including reviews of books, software, websites, and conferences) that relate any of the above questions or others not mentioned to the task of teaching and studying literacy.
Submissions for reviews should be approximately 1500 words for individual reviews and 2500 for omnibus reviews of multiple texts or applications and 5000 words for scholarly articles. Submission deadline is December 15, 2007. For questions or to submit reviews email ejournal@lists.cwrl.utexas.edu.
Currents in Electronic Literacy is an online publication of the Computer Writing and Research Laboratory at the University of Texas, Austin. Currents strives to provide a forum for the scholarly discussion of issues pertaining to electronic literacy, widely construed. In general, Currents publishes work addressing the use of electronic texts and technologies for reading, writing, teaching, and learning in fields including but not restricted to the following: literature (in English and in other languages), rhetoric and composition, languages (English, foreign, and ESL), communications, media studies, and education.
Currents in Electronic Literacy (ISSN 1524-6493) is indexed in the MLA International Bibliography and EBSCO.

Pasko ng Komiks in UP Diliman

As part of the U.P. College of Arts and Letters "Linggo ng KAL" event on December 6-14, the U.P. Likhaan: Institute of Creative Writing (UP-ICW) and Read or Die sponsor Pasko ng Komiks or PASKOM symposium on December 11 (Tues), 9am at the Pulungang Claro M. Recto, College of Arts and Letters, UP Diliman, Quezon City.
PASKOM will discuss the relevance of comics arts in contemporary Filipino life. Four related topics, which foreground new perpectives on a growing popular arts tradition, will be discussed, namely "Komiks in Philippine Culture and History," "The Study and Collection of Komiks," "Women in Komiks," and "Creating Komiks."
In the morning , Pablo Gomez, Patrick Flores, Gerry Alanguilan, Glady Gimena, Dennis Villegas, and Orvy Jundis will talk on the two first topics. Then in the afternoon, the women artists—Sherry Baet, Ofelia Concepcion, Vivian Limpin, Elizabeth Chionglo, Joannah Tinio-Catinglo, and Gilda Olvidado—will talk about how the feminine and comics arts intertwine toward a liberative cause.
Still later in the day, comics creators Carlo Vergara, Andrew Drilon, Andrew Villar, Carlo Pagulayan, Randy Valiente, Jonas Diego, Melvin Catinglo, Rey Tiempo, KC Cordero and Victor Balanon will unravel the energy and inspiration behind their works.
The day long discussion will be synthesized and commented upon by Bobby Yonzon (Mango Comics), Emil Flores, Joey Baquiran, and Lawrence Mijares.
Prior to the symposium, a comics exhibit, featuring the actual works of contemporary and past comics artists will be on show beginning December 8. It will be set at the Galleries 1 & 2 of Bulwagang Rizal, College of Arts and Letters, UP Diliman.
PASKOM is made possible through the support of National Books Development Board, Powerbooks, Mango Comics, WikiPilipinas, New Worlds Alliance, Read or Die, Komikera, Subway Productions, and the U.P. College of Arts and Letters.
Comics fans, students, and teachers are welcome to attend the symposium and see the exhibit which will run until December 14. For details, call Ms. Eva Cadiz at 9221830.

Writers Night set for December 8

Writers Night on December 8 at the Bulwagang Rizal in U.P. Diliman promises to be more than a chance to meet the idols of Philippine literature. If one stays on long enough, one will actually see many of them do poetry performances. Or sing. Yes, many writers are singers. And band members too. So expect this December affair to be a party experience that will be just as fun and memorable as the previous writers night.

The event starts off at 5:30 pm with the awarding ceremony of the Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award at the Teatro Hermogenes Ylagan. This award honors authors whose maiden publications merit an auspicious introduction to modern day readers. Among the sterling nominees are Dean Francis Alfar's Salamanca (novel); Barbara-Ann Gamboa Lewis's Barefoot in Fire (creative non-fiction); Maria Isabel Garcia's Science Solitaire: Essays on Science, Nature and Becoming Human (essays); Rica Bolipata-Santos's Love, Desire, Children, Etc (essay); Helen Yap's From Inside the Berlin Wall (essay); and Katrin De Guia's Kapwa: The Self In The Other (essay).

After the awards, partying begins with performances by invited guests Cesare Syjuco, Heber Bartolome, DJ Alvaro, dancer/choreographer Myra Beltran, zitar player Joey Valenciano, ventriloquist Ony Carcamo, experimental artist Jeena Marquez, Romancing Venus, and poets Marne Kilates and Teo Antonio.
Then, everyone will be in for a surprise as daring writers join a mock fashion show staged by campus groups UP Quill, UP Speca, UP Ugat and UP Writers Club. All in the spirit of carnivalesque play.

Friends and guests of writers, as well as readers and fans are welcome to attend the 2007 Writers Night. For details, call Ms. Eva Cadiz at U.P. ICW, 9221830.

Meritage Press holds annual poetry tilt

Meritage Press is calling on all Filipino poets to join their annual holiday poetry contest. Poet and novelist Eric Gamalinda, author of My Sad Republic and Zero Gravity, is this year's judge.
Interested parties may submit by e-mail, 1 to 2 unpublished poems (you may, however, submit poems that you have featured on your own web sites oror blogs, or that have been published in limited edition chapbooks of no more than 250 copies) with your full name and contact information to MeritagePress@aol.com (please present poems within the body of the email as the organizers will not open attachments).

There are no limitations to poetry styles or content.
Deadline of entries is on December 31, 2007.

The winning poem/s will be published in the February 2008 edition of “Babaylan Speaks” at http://meritagepress.com/babaylan/. The winners will also recieve a selection of book published by Meritage Press.

Call for Submissions: Growing Up Filipino II

This is a call for submissions of short stories for an anthology tentatively titled, Growing Up Filipino II - Stories for Young Adults. The book will be edited by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard and will be published by both Anvil and PALH. Contributors will receive copies of the book as compensation for the use of their work.The manuscript should be approximately 8-10 pages long, typed, double-spaced (approximately 1,800-2,300 words). This should be emailed to CBrainard@aol.com. You may also send it by air mail to:Cecilia Brainardc/o PALHPO Box 5099Santa Monica, CA 90409USA.This book project is a follow-up of an earlier short story collection entitled Growing Up Filipino: Stories for Young Adults (published by PALH 2002, and Anvil). The following review describes the 2002 collection: From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up-These 29 short stories offer a highly textured portrait of Filipino youth and an excellent sampling of creative writing. Thematically arranged, most of the pieces have been written since the turn of the 21st century. Each story is introduced by a thumbnail sketch of the author and a paragraph or two about some element of Filipino culture or history that is relevant to the story. Authors include those born and continuing to live in the Philippines, emigres, and American-born Filipinos. Tough but relevant topics addressed include a gay youth's affection for his supportive mother, the role of religious didacticism in the formation of a childhood perception, consumer culture as it is experienced by modern teens in Manila, and coping with bullies of all ages and stations in life. … The high caliber and broad but wholly accessible range of this collection, however, makes this title a solid purchase for multiple reasons.

The 29 stories in the 2002 edition of Growing Up Filipino were written before 9/11 (September 11, 2001). The editor would now like to collect a second volume that continues to address the young adult audience. The stories in the collection will still be about the Filipino experience in the Philippines or any part of the world. But in this second volume, the editor is seeing contemporary stories, or post 9/11 stories. The editor is seeking the best stories about growing up Filipino. The editor is not looking for stories written by young adults, but about Filipino young adults. The editor envisions the stories dealing with relationships, family, falling in love perhaps, and other issues that the young adults deal with. Character-driven stories are encouraged. Those interested in submitting are encouraged to read the first volume of Growing Up Filipino: Stories for Young Adults, to get an idea of the kind of stories the editor is looking for. Deadline for submission has been extended. Please send your bio (approx. 150 words) in people-friendly narrative form. Make sure your contact information is included with the story.ABOUT THE EDITOR: Cecilia Manguerra Brainard is the author/editor of over a dozen books. She has a website at http://www.ceciliabrainard.com/ and a blog at cbrainard.blogspot.com

Tanghalang Ateneo Stages The Death of Memory

Tanghalang Ateneo goes contemporary Filipino in The Death of Memory, the second production of the company’s 29th season. Written by Glenn Mas, it is a Palanca-prize winning play and an awarded thesis production of the Catholic University of America. Tangahalang Ateneo’s Staging would be the play’s Philippine opremiere production.

In the play, four people are trapped in a nowhere land where time has topped, and with no memory how they got there, and no ides on how to get out. Eah one carries a painful and violent memory- sexual abuse, abandonment, murder- that assaults them at unpredictable moments and ties them to this purgatorial prison.

Ralph Quiblat and Brian Sy alternate as the newcomer Juan, while Rachel Quong and Margarita Paje play the Keeper, the ethereal guardian of the nowhere land. The rest of the faculty cast is Randy Solis, Dianne Laserna, Miguel Lizada and Angela Serrano. In turn, the rest of the student cast is composed of BJ Crisostomo, Regina Francisco, Nicolo Magno and Gianna Villavicencio.
Director Ricardo Abad and porduction designer Salvador Bernal depart from their Asian motifs to create an abstract world that is replete with surreal and violent images. Joining them are choreographer Matthew santamaria, lighting designer Jonjon Villareal, and sounds and graphic designer Reamur David. Kastski Flores, finalist in Cinemalaya 2007, incorporates film images of the character’s memories.

The Death of Memory runs from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, 4 to 8, and 11 to 15 at 7 p.m., with additional 2 p.m. shows on Dec. 1, 8, 15 at the Rizal Mini-Theater of the Ateneo de Manila University. For inquiries call Sheila Concina at 0915-5715665 or the Rizal Mini-Theater at 426-6001 local 5121. The play is for mature audiences only.


From The Philippine Star, November 19, 2007

Villafania's poetry book launched

The latest Pangasinan collection of poems by Santiago B. Villafania was launched at Urdaneta City on Friday, November 9.

Malagilion: Sonnets tan Villanelles is Villafania’s second collection of poems in Pangasinan language which was launched shortly after the 2-day Conference on “Revitalizing the Pangasinan Language and Cultural Heritage” held at the Urdaneta City Sports and Cultural Center last November 8-9, 2007.

The 390-page book includes some 300 sonnets and 50 villanelles, published through grants from the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) and Emilio Aguinaldo College (EAC) under the helm of Dr. Jose Paulo E. Campos.

KWF Chair Dr. Ricardo Ma. Duran Nolasco and UP Professor Dr. Ma. Crisanta Nelmida-Flores wrote the preface and the introduction to the book, respectively. Dr. Cirilo F. Bautista, Victor Emmanuel Carmelo D. Nadera Jr., Aurelio S. Agcaoili, Kristian S. Cordero, Jose Jason L. Chancoco, Christopher Q. Gozum, Jaime P. Lucas, Leonarda “Amor Cico” Carrera, Sergio A. Bumadilla and Melchor E. Orpilla contributed their respective blurbs.

Multi-award winning poet Cirilo F. Bautista says: “Villafania is the leading poet of his generation in Pangasinan today.” Villafania is currently a senior web developer/designer in Emilio Aguinaldo College – Manila. He lovingly maintains the site www.dalityapi.com.