“The truth is like a lion. You don’t have to defend it. Let it loose. It will defend itself.” — St. Augustine
SUTURE and Self-criticism (Sir Sid Cruz). Permanently questioning a mediocre reality (Llosa).
The 19th San Agustin Writers Workshop (January 19-21, 2023) reminded me of Jung’s principle of individuation and Marx’s theory of alienation.
When do we form a stable personality or a clearer sense of self? On the other hand, how detached has Modern Man become from his own work? Shackled but estranged. Busy but impoverished. Interconnected but lonely.
To degrade a nation, dazzle its people with entertainment. Allow its youth to get obsessed with facile achievements—a famous-for-being-famous mindset. Don’t make them think deeply, read critically, or write freely. Give them a facetious approach to discourse. And make everyone self-entitled on the pretext of rights and equality.
Sa ideya o konsepto ni C. Wright Mills na tinatawag niyang “Imahinasyong Sosyolohikal,” may mga isyu o problema na personal ang pinagmulan, e.g., walang trabaho dahil tamad. Pero pwede rin namang institusyonal, e.g., walang trabaho dahil sa kakulangan ng suporta ng gobyerno.
Sa pamamagitan ng pagsusulat, naisasalba ang dignidad ng tao at nabibigyan gabay ang napapariwarang kaisipan. Ang pagsulat, o sining sa pangkalahatan, ay ang malayang diskurso sa gitna ng tensyong namamagitan sa demokrasya at katotohanan.
Sa lahat ng ito, naipapahayag ang kalooban ng tao at naipagtatanggol ang ating pagkatao.
We write not only to use words as an expression; we use words as an inspiration to action.
INSIGHTS
1. I need to buy and read more books written by Ilonggo and Filipino writers. There is only one way (for me) to love and appreciate a language in relation to nationalism, civic-mindedness, or even nation-building: to write in Hiligaynon and Filipino. Hiligaynon is the most challenging, which makes it more interesting. Somehow, the search for identity is about getting comfortable with our own language or dialect as a means of communication.
2. The “voice of the writer” is in the conviction in his beliefs: to live my personal legend by writing; to write with an advocacy.
3. To interact with writers regularly: criticism is an essential part of the writing craft. Not so much as to be beholden and under the dictate of the readers, but to know how readers respond to my writing. Some writings are personal (private in expressions like journal writing). But for a writer to matter, I believe he must also have a social or transformation goal.
IN CONCLUSION, writing is a craft (a stewardship) defined by the heart and mind, guided by personal vision, and nurtured by strength of character. The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune can derail a writer’s path: from financial to family concerns, from foreign to familiar influences, and criticisms from friends and foes. But everything is a source for a writer’s creativity. In a word, imagination. This, and the search for Truth, is what I learned from the 19th San Agustin Writers Workshop.
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These are the 10 fellows of the 19th San Agustin Writers Workshop organized by the Fray Luis de Leon Creative Writing Institute of the College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education of the University of San Agustin:
1. Bea C. Altar (Antique) for poetry in Kinaray-a
2. Jan Phillip P. Bayona (Iloilo City) for poetry in English
3. John Lloyd C. Casoy (Rizal) for poetry in Filipino
4. Elvie Victonette R. Gonzalez (Iloilo City) for short story in English
5. Alvin Q. Larida (South Cotabato) for short story in Hiligaynon
6. Jhio Jan A. Navarro (Negros Occidental) for poetry in English
7. Edison Marte Sicad (Iloilo) for poetry in English and Filipino
8. Liane Carlo R. Suelan (Davao City) for short story in English
9. Terence R. Talagon (Guimaras) for poetry in Hiligaynon
10. Paul Aries M. Valera (Iloilo) for short story in Hiligaynon
Organizers and Facilitators:
1. Dr. John Iremil Teodoro – panelist and workshop director
2. Dr. Isidoro M. Cruz – panelist and project director
3. Other panelists – Dr. Alice Tan Gonzales, Dulce Maria V. Deriada, Noel Galon de Leon, and Criselda Yabes
This workshop is an annual project of the College of Liberal Arts, Sciences, and Education, headed by its dean, Dr. Nenelyn D. de la Fuente. Dr. May Anne T. Jaro serves as deputy project director and head of the Secretariat with Arlene M. Moscaya.
The San Agustin Writers Workshop will celebrate its 20th anniversary in November 2023./PN
