The Filipino, As a Writer in America - Authors' Panel Discussion, May 24,2014, San Pedro, CA

l-r: Linda Nietes, P.C. Morantte, Cecilia Brainard, Bienvenido N. Santos

Hi, I'm moderating an Authors' Panel Discussion "The Filipino, As a Writer in America" on Saturday, May 24, 2015, at 5 p.m. as part of the 30th Anniversary Celebration of Philippine Expressions, a bookshop owned by Linda Nietes.

She has a lot of exciting activities going on for three Saturdays, but the Author's panel is on May 24 for an hour, from 5- 6 p.m. Don't be late!

This will be held at:
The Croatian Cultural Center of Greater Los Angeles
519 West 7th corner Pacific
San Pedro, California
Parking is limited so come early.

The panelists are:

Carlene Sobrino Bonnivier was born and grew up in downtown Los Angeles, always somewhere close to Temple Street where Filipinos, like her mother, were allowed to live in the 1940s. Her Swedish father from Massachusetts died before she was born. At the age of 15, Carlene was scheduled to go to juvenile hall, At the age of 17, she was working in the White House Press Office in Washington D.C. Before she became a teacher and writer, she was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malaysia and had worked in the US Congress and for Attorney General Robert Kennedy. She has traveled to about 50 countries, but always finds her most solid ground in California, returning to the land of her birth, the land of earthquakes.

Paulino Lim Jr. is a professor emeritus at California State University, Long Beach. He is the author of four interrelated novels that he'd like to call "The Philippine Quartet." He has also published a detective novel, Death of the English Zen Professor; a three-act drama, Menage Filipinescas; and a scholarlyThe Style of Lord Byron's Plays. His latest is online, "Deus ex Vulcanus: A Twitter Short Story."

 

Giovanni Ortega is an Author/Performer who took the literary artist category for FPAC Pahayag Project for the most sought after author with his first book, Leaves from the Silverlake Barrio in 2013. As a playwright, he wrote ALLOS, the story of Carlos Bulosan which was commissioned by East West Players Theater and toured all over Southern California in 2011. It was produced in Chicago the following year by the CIRCA Pintig Theater Company, who once again presented ALLOS as part of Migrant Stories this past March.  During the same time, East West Players included an excerpt of his work in a touring show called Our American Voice.

He has performed all North America with various one-person shows and Playfair, a program that incorporates Motivational Speaking, Diversity Engagement and Improv. Giovanni is currently a professor at The Pomona College School of Theater and Dance and is working on his second book which is due out next Fall. For more information: www.giovanniortega.com

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, the moderator of "The Filipino, as a Writer in America" is the author and editor of 19 books, including the novels When the Rainbow Goddess Wept and Magdalena. Her recent books include Vigan and other Stories and Out of Cebu: Essays and Personal Prose. Her work has been translated into Finnish and Turkish; and many of her stories and articles have been widely anthologized. She is the recipient of a California Arts Council Fellowship in Fiction, a Brody Arts Fund Award, an Outstanding Individual Award from Cebu, Philippines, and several travel grants from the USIS. She teaches creative writing at the Writers Program, UCLA Extension. She is busy working on her third novel.

I'm posting a special picture below and shown above with l-r: Linda Nietes, P.C. Morantte, me, and Bienvenido N. Santos.  P.C. and Ben are iconic names in Filipino American literature. This might have been taken around the time Linda founded Philippine Expressions. Thanks Linda, for all your hard work and service to Filipinos and Filipino Americans.

This is all for now,
Cecilia