TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD: Jackson Tennessee: Pictures Fil-Am Group Friends of the Library

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Jackson Tennessee: Pictures Fil-Am Group Friends of the Library

l-r: Gigi Sim, Reyana Tuanqin, Mitzi Williams, Sol Gastador, Sandra Gozum, Joy Alex, Sandra Dee, Cecilia Ray

Hello, I finished the two literary events for the friends of the Library Spring Syposium. Both events went very well, and it's been wonderful to meet members of the Friends of the Library and the West TN Fil-Am Group.

I am sharing some pictures. Please check back for more.

Perry Burrows, President of the Friends of the Jackson Library

Gigi Cortez-Sim

The Friday night event was held at St. Mary's Catholic Church, and I talked on the Impact of Filipino Culture and History on American Literature. Saturday, I did a Literary Reading at the Jackson Public Library, reading excerpts from my writings, When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, Butterscotch Marble Ice Cream, and Flip Gothic.

I want to thank Perry Burrows and James Cherry from the Friends of the Jackson Library. I also want to thank members of the West Tennessee Fil Am Group who were present in both events, and who invited us to a Friday night party and Saturday breakfast.

I had a blast and hope you did too. I share this Irish blessing to all:

l-r: Perry Burrows, Cherie Tung, Cecilia Brainard, James Cherry

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

l-r: Dennah Manes-Hilario, Cecilia Velasco-Ray, Sandra Dee, Sol Raveche-Salvador, Joy Lim-Alex, Marites Maray-McKinney, Gigi Cortez-Sim

L-r: Cecilia and Jenina Madrid

The birthday celebrant Windy Keeton and her family

Goodbye for now,
Cecilia and L.

The Chiocos, Cecilia, and Perry Burrows

The following pictures were taken on Saturday at the Jackson Library.

The following pictures were taken at the Breakfast at the Old Country Store in Casey Jones Village hosted by the West TN Fil-Am group, photos courtesy of Nida Vicerra Chioco (far left in group picture).

These pictures were taken at the Open Mic Reading on Saturday night where the poet and novelist James E. Cherry invited us to.

James E. Cherry with Cecilia and Lauren

Read also

Tags: literature, Filipino American, Jackson Tennessee, reading, Friends of the Jackson Library, West Tennessee Fil Am group

This is all for now,
Cecilia

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's official website is ceciliabrainarddotcom. She is the award-winning author and editor of 22 books, including When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, The Newspaper Widow, Magdalena, Selected Stories, Vigan and Other Stories, and more. She edited Growing Up Filipino 1, 2, & 3, Fiction by Filipinos in America, Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America, and other books.. Her work has been translated into Finnish and Turkish; and many of her stories and articles have been widely anthologized. Cecilia has received many awards, including a California Arts Council Fellowship in Fiction, a Brody Arts Fund Award, a Special Recognition Award for her work dealing with Asian American youths, as well as a Certificate of Recognition from the California State Senate, 21st District, and the Outstanding Individual Award from her birth city, Cebu, Philippines. She has lectured and performed at UCLA, USC, University of Connecticut, University of the Philippines, PEN, Shakespeare & Company in Paris, and many others. She has served in the Board of literary arts groups such as PEN, PAWWA (Pacific Asian American Writers West), among others.