Writeups re OUT OF CEBU Book Launch

USC Press holds book launching
www.usc.edu.ph/news_and_announcements/?news=526

The University of San Carlos Press successfully launched the book, Out of Cebu: Essays and Personal Prose, by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard on Sunday, February 5, 2012 at the Granada Room of Casino Español.

Brainard personally came to Cebu from California to grace the event and sign copies of the book in the well-attended event that was graced by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and USC President Fr. Dionisio Miranda, SVD, together with old political families, heritage advocates, and writers. This is Brainard’s 10th book but the first one to be published in Cebu. Out of Cebu collects 28 essays about the author’s Cebuano ties, including colorful accounts about her mother’s family, the Cuencos, a prominent political family in Cebu. The book also includes writings about the author’s life and travels outside of Cebu.

The occasion was also highlighted by the reading of six chapters of the book by Dr. Louie Nacorda, Marlinda “Mayen” Angbetic-Tan, Dr. Ludinito “Dodong” Cañete, Pia Mercado, Gavin Sanson Bagares and Fr. Generoso Rebayla Jr., SVD.


The author answering questions posed by the audience, Mayor Mike Rama in particular (Photo by Lorens Gibb Lapinid)

The book has received early praise from the educator, Dr. Edmundo Litton of Loyola Marymount University who says, “These essays celebrate a pride in a heritage. Brainard is clearly proud of her Cebuana heritage and this pride shows in this magnificent collection of essays.”

Likewise, Dr. Susan Evangelista of Palawan State University comments, “I knew Cecilia Manguerra Brainard first as a fiction writer, writing from the U.S., but grounded in the physicality of Ubec, Cebu, of course. Later when I got to know her as a friend, I discovered another layer which involved her deep interest, research in and thinking about Filipino history, particularly Magellan, who died,of course, in Cebu.”

Brainard was born and raised in Cebu by her parents, Engr. Mariano Manguerra and Concepcion Cuenco Manguerra. She attended St. Theresa’s College in Cebu and San Marcelino and obtained her AB in Communication Arts from Maryknoll College. She went on to do graduate work in film making at UCLA, but later went into writing when she was a young wife and mother. Aside from writing and editing, she teaches at the prestigious Writers’ Program at UCLA Extension.

Brainard has written nine other books, including the internationally-acclaimed novel, When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, which chronicles the coming of age of a young girl in Ubec (Cebu backwards) during World War II, a novel inspired by her own parents’ experiences during the war. Brainard first coined the mythical place “Ubec” in her first short story collection, Woman with Horns and Other Stories, and she continued to use this setting in her other works of fiction: Magdalena, Acapulco at Sunset and Other Stories, Vigan and Other Stories.

She has also written books of nonfiction, edited four books, and co-edited six more. Her writings have been translated into Finnish and Turkish.

Brainard has received 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. She has also been awarded by the Filipino and Filipino American communities she has served. She received the prestigious Filipinas Magazine Arts Award, and the Outstanding Individual Award from her birth city, Cebu, Philippines. She has received several travel grants in the Philippines, from the USIS (United States Information Service).

The author (center) poses with Mayor Michael Rama and Fr. Pres. Dionisio Miranda, SVD together some of the readers (Photo by Lorens Gibb Lapinid)

Brainard’s latest book, Out of Cebu: Essays and Personal Prose, is available from the University of San Carlos Press, USC Museum, Catholic Trade Center, Museo Sugbo and will soon be at National Bookstore as well as Fully Booked outlets. Orders may be placed at USC Press Office (Tel. 2531000 loc. 175; email: uscpress@usc.edu.ph or sancarlospublications@yahoo.com

Author: USC Press
15 / February / 2012


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Out of Cebu' launched
C'EST CEBU By Honey Jarque Loop (The Philippine Star) Updated February 16, 2012 12:00 AM Comments (0) View comments
www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=777858&http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifpublicationSubCategoryId=81http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif


It was an intimate gathering when California-based author Cecilia Manguerra Brainard launched her latest book Out of Cebu at the Casino Español de Cebu.

The book contains 28 essays about the author’s Cebuano ties, including memorable experiences with her mother’s family, the Cuencos, a prominent, well-respected political dynasty in Cebu.

The program started with welcome remarks by Jobers Bersales of the University of San Carlos Press. This was followed by short readings from the book. Louie Nacorda read “My Grandfather” while Freeman executive lifestyle editor Mayen Angbetic Tan brought life to “Death of a Carnival Queen.” Dodong Cañete, Pia Mercado, Gavin Bagares and Fr. Jun Rebayla, SVD narrated “Where the Daydreaming Comes, “ “Diaspora in Italy,” “Kiki” and “Museo Sugbo,” respectively.

The book has received early praise from the educator Dr. Edmundo Litton of Loyola Marymount University, who says, “These essays celebrate a pride in a heritage. Brainard is clearly proud of her Cebuana heritage and this pride shows in this magnificent collection of essays.”

Likewise, Dr. Susan Evangelista of Palawan State University comments, “I knew Cecilia Manguerra Brainard first as a fiction writer, from the United States, but grounded in the physicality of Ubec, Cebu, of course. Later when I got to know her as a friend, I discovered another layer which involved her deep interest, research in and thinking about Filipino history, particularly Magellan, who died in Cebu.”

Author Brainard was born and raised in Cebu. Her parents are Mariano Manguerra, an engineer, and Concepcion Cuneco Manguerra. She attended St. Theresa’s College in Cebu and San Marcelino. She continued her studies at Maryknoll College, where she obtained her AB in Communication Arts. She went on to do graduate work in filmmaking at UCLA, but later went into writing when she was a young wife and mother. Aside from writing and editing, she teaches at the prestigious Writers Program at UCLA Extension.

Brainard has written nine books, including the internationally acclaimed novel When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, which chronicles the coming of age of a young girl in Ubec (Cebu backwards) during World War II, a novel inspired by her own parent’s experiences during the war. Brainard first coined the mythical place Ubec in her first short story collection Woman with Horns and Other Stories, and she continued to use this setting in her other works of fiction, Magdalena, Acapulco at Sunset and Other Stories, Vigan and Other Stories.

Brainard has received 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. She has also been awarded by the Filipino and Filipino- American communities she has served. She received the prestigious Filipinas Magazine Arts Award and the Outstanding Individual Award from her birth city, Cebu, Philippines.

Brainard’s book Out of Cebu, Essays and Personal Essays is available at Cebu’s University of San Carlos Press.