Frankie and Tessie Jose with Cecilia Brainard at their Solidaridad Bookshop when run by them.
A LOOK AT JUNGLEGATE IN THE PHILIPPINE LITERARY SCENE
Cecilia Manguerra Brainard
DURING MY LONG FLIGHT back to California, I thought about the Junglegate scandal that erupted in the Philippine Literary Scene when I was there in September. The term "Junglegate" refers to the scandal that followed the cancelling of Krip Yuson's novel (the title has Jungle in it), by Exploding Galaxies following revelations and protests over his alleged sexual misconduct and acknowledged plagiarism. These 2 facts were known by older writers but not known by the younger ones until now. The younger writers were the ones who clamored that his novel not be replatformed.
There were other things that occurred; one of which was a Facebook post by Butch Dalisay, a good friend of Yuson, about how many books would remain in his library if he threw away books written by "people who, sometime or other, were accused of moral turpitude, political incorrectness, sexual misconduct, poor parenting, drunkenness, drug use, slovenliness, animal cruelty, greed, arrogance, general insufferability, or some such debility of spirit and behavior.." Dalisay's statement excacerbated the controvery and angered the younger writers.
The issue, the young writers insisted was not so much Art vs Artist, but that Yuson and his novel did not deserve the honor of being republished. In fact, I agree that the Art Vs Artist was a distraction.
Soon after, stories about sexual misconduct that occurred in the Philippine literary scene, many of them in the Siliman Dumaguete workshops, surfaced. The names of other writers who reportedly took advantage of younger writers, surfaced or were hinted at. Me Too stories by three writers appeared, and here I mention them with great respect and admiration for their courage: Gian Lao, Irene Sarmiento, and Marguerite Alcazaren De Leon. I have shared their accounts in my FB page.
I had heard of other victims and witnesseses but who were afraid to go public, even on an anonymous basis.
I thought about all these and more and felt really sorry for the current state of the Philippine literary scene, where it's dog-eat-dog; writers using other writers; writers trying to monopolize power, and "sharing" only with their proteges and friends, and mentors taking advantage of the younger writers. It's horrible really; and the more aware I was of the problem, the more I "saw" manifestations of the power-brokering in a few hands.
Bienvenido "Ben" Santos and Cecilia Brainard
I experienced a more gracious time with mentors like Lina Espina Moore, Ben Santos, Frankie Jose, as well as NVM Gonzalez and Resil Mojares and other senior writers. Contact with them was productive and cordial and fun.
I want to be optimistic and believe that the establishment writers may realize that this junglegate system needs to change; and if not, I have faith that the younger writers who made this "revolution" happen, will change things.
So be it.
NVM Gonzalez and Cecilia Brainard
l-r: Michael Cullinane, Resil Mojares, Cecilia Brainard
Cecilia Brainard and Lina Espina Moore
Tags: Philippine books, Philippine literature, Filipino writers, Filipino books
Read also:
Perspectives in the Arts and Humatiies Asia - Dr. Charlie Veric Interviws Cecilia Brainard
Writing Amid the Babel of Books by Vicente L Rafael - included in How I Became a Writer 2
I Became a Writer by Marra Pl. Lanot - included in How I Became a Writer 2
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