TRAVELS (and more) WITH CECILIA BRAINARD: Early Writings of Cecilia Brainard - Diary of Cecilia #literature #Philippines

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Early Writings of Cecilia Brainard - Diary of Cecilia #literature #Philippines

These are the journal notebooks I wrote in when I was in high school and college (and beyond). I edited them into the book, Cecilia's Diary: 1962-1969 (Anvil 2003). I've included a news account from Philippine Star about the book - read below.

Catholic school girl’s diary is vivid account (Philippine Star, May 19, 2003)

Anvil Publishing releases another book by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, internationally celebrated and award-winning author and editor. Cecilia’s Diary: 1962-1969, is a faithful record of Brainard’s days as a young colegiala. It is refreshing and funny, replete with references to a religious upbringing and a privileged lifestyle. Reading a diary may seem like voyeurism, but the inner thoughts of Catholic girls make for an interesting study on teen angst.

On dating, the young Cecilia writes “Jun said I’m much prettier than Priscilla and more intelligent too. I asked him what he thought of a girl who’s intelligent but not pretty. He said it takes an intelligent boy to fall for an intelligent girl.

“I think that I’ll marry (if I marry) an engineer or businessman. …It would be perfect, if I become an industrial engineer. …Help me, dear God. I’ll always remember the small but important things Sister Miguela told us: always be neat, learn how to cook, save money, how to work, how to sacrifice. Real love is self-sacrifice. I wonder if I shall learn to sacrifice to someone.

“Oh dear God, whoever, wherever my future husband is, please protect him. Keep him pure, holy, and good. May we meet each other properly, and may everything turn out fine. Help him, dear God. Thank you.”

Cecilia’s Diary inspires a comparison of the different generations of Filipinas. Regardless of time, the book is a vivid account of growing up, to which all young Filipinas can identify with. It can also serve as a valuable reference to high school students who are keen on starting their own journals.

As Cecilia aptly puts it “Age is a state of mind. The more one thinks of what was, the older he is. The young are the ones who think of tomorrow.”

Copies of Cecilia’s Diary from are available at all National Bookstore and Powerbooks branches. A special student edition is available for adoption in the high school level. For inquiries, please call Anvil Publishing at 6719235/6711899.

Cecilia's Diary is available in Kindle - click on link

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A7JPXWY

Tags: #goodreads #Philippineliterature #philippines #librarygirl #pinoyreads #fiction #shortstories #Cebu #Manila

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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.