Book Review of HOW I BECAME A WRITER: ESSAYS BY FILIPINO AND FILIPINO AMERICAN WRITERS, by Efren Cruz.
https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2025/10/19/2480826/writers-conversation
Writers in Conversation, by Elfren S. Cruz
Published October 19, 2025, Philippine Star
“How I Became a Writer” (2025), edited by California-based writer Cecilia Manguerra Brainard and published by Vibal Foundation under its World Nonfictions imprint, is a readable anthology composed of personal essays written by Filipino and Filipino American writers reflecting on their creative beginnings. And talking about how it all began. Conceived originally as a digital series on Brainard’s blog (the “Filipino FilAm Series”), the project evolved into a significant literary collection, launched on June 7, 2025, in Makati. The essays – some heartfelt, others insightful – are meant not only for remembrance but also serve as reading material in creative writing courses and Philippine literary history classes.
The anthology reads like a carefully curated conversation across generations and geographies, each writer recounting their earliest steps into writing. Each essay examines the emotional, cultural or existential longing that got them embarking on their particular journeys. Organized loosely by author, the essays flow from childhood anecdotes, through pivotal moments, to impactful mentors or epiphanies that ignited their literary paths.
A key strength of this collection lies in its portrayal of commonalities across diverse backgrounds – a search for voice, connection, self definition, the self and the courage to write even when circumstances seemed unsupportive.
One contribution from Eileen R. Tabios stands out vividly as she recounts her first “book,” crafted at age two or three – folded paper with scribbles in green, yellow and brown Crayola; interpreted later as “The grass is green./The sun is out shining./The sun burnt the grass.”
It is a humorous and touching testament to the raw creative impulse – that the act of perceiving and then capturing in any form is, itself, the first step toward a writer’s life.
Also in the collection, writers like Caroline S. Hau reflect on societal constraints – or the lack of formal expectation that they could even aspire to writing: “People like myself aren’t supposed to dream of being a writer…”
Merlie Alunan writes that “I NEVER (caps hers) said I wanted to write. But life said, you must. And so I did.”
Linda Ty Casper reminds us, “If history is our biography, literature is our autobiography.”
Kristian Sendon Cordero’s extraordinary childhood exposed to religious rituals and novenas immersed him in the Bikol language and culture he offers the world. “Writing in Bikol allowed me to see how this language that had long been used in the church could also articulate our other narratives, our other lives…”
Essayists thus collectively give shape to the invisible – from suppressed dreams to unformulated hopes – grouped under the simple yet profound question: how did the writer begin?
The tone across the essays is conversational, intimate and resonant – rooted in memory but forward-looking. Contributors interpret their creative origin stories with humility and humor, while also affirming the importance of cultural inheritance, language and self-belief.
The range of perspectives – from the Philippines to the US; from different languages, classes and generations – ensures that the book is not merely a nostalgic memoir, but a collective testament to the evolving Filipino literary identity.
The Filipino and Filipino-American writers who have contributed to the anthology include: Merlie M. Alunan, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Ian Rosales Casocot, Linda Ty-Casper, Aileen Cassinetto, Kristian Sendon Cordero, Neni Sta. Romana Cruz, Jose Y. Dalisay Jr., Noelle Q. de Jesus, Allan N. Derain, Mignon Bravo Dutt, Yvette Fernandez, Caroline S. Hau, Luisa A. Igloria, Paulino Lim Jr., Tony Perez, Elmer Omar Bascos Pizo, Joel Pablo Salud, Eileen Tabios, John Iremil Teodoro, John Jack G. Wigley, Hope Sabanpan-Yu.
The book’s intimate tone is an asset, but as in most anthologies, the essays are uneven in quality. Some essays are brief, anecdotal or fragmentary, while others are more fully developed. Readers hoping for expanded literary analysis or historical context may find these personal sketches wanting, but this format is precisely what renders the collection moving and accessible.
Also, as it draws heavily from the blog series, some essay styles may reflect a more casual tone – though this seems appropriate, given their origin in digital storytelling.
“How I Became a Writer” serves as both a celebration and inspiration – a connective thread between personal aspiration and collective literary lineage. Brainard’s role as editor is commendable in her choice of authors and in the emotional range of the collection. It reminds aspiring writers that the journey often begins with something as unassuming as a scribble or a whispered dream.
For creative writing students, Filipino and Filipino American readers and anyone curious about the intimate moment when vocation meets identity, this anthology is moving, instructive and essential. It is meant to encourage beginning writers to wrestle with the often challenging and mysterious act of writing – nothing to it but sitting down and beginning.
An excerpt from Eileen R. Tabios’ essay expresses what led her to writing: “… an impetus early on to look at the world and then be able to articulate what I was seeing. I became a writer because I wanted to see as clearly as I could. But to see, for me, is not just about what’s seen but understanding the significance of what’s sighted.”
This seems to capture the heart of the anthology: writing begins in perception and meaning – not with polished words, but with an urge to make sense of being, of the world around us.
Email: elfrencruz@gmail.com
#bookreview #howtowrite #filipinobook
Read also:
Top Translated Filipino Authors - Includes Cecilia Brainard
Cross-cultural Exchange Via Cecilia Brainard's Translations
Press Release about foreign Translations of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's Fiction
Publishers of Cecilia Brainard's Foreign Translations
Leonardo Garzaro (Editor Rua do Sabao)
Dimitris Tsoukatos (Lemvos Editions)
Mohamed Radi (Egyptian Office for Publishing and Distribution
Dejan Trajkoski (Prozart Media)
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