Great Reading at AtF(LE)'s 2nd Friday Reading

I had a great time at the 2nd Friday Reading at AtF(LE) in Long Beach. I read from: When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, Vigan and Other Stories, Woman With Horns and Other Stories, and Out of Cebu. The gallery was full, with some people standing in the back. And what an attentive, generous audience! They were with me 100% from the beginning til end of the 1 hour reading I did. Thank you, Audience, and thank you Mike Buckley for inviting me, and to Sarah Miller and all the other organizers of the event.

Going there, I had a mild panic attack because 405 traffic was extremely bad, and I had promised Mike I'd be there at 6:40 p.m. The program was scheduled from 7-9 p.m, and I assumed the reading would go first.

Aside from the horrendous traffic, we took the wrong exit and wasted more precious minutes. Fortunately we did get back on the Freeway, and I was at the gallery before 7 p.m. I was relieved to hear that the reading program wouldn't start until 8 p.m. The wine and cheese reception allowed people to enjoy the live jazz music of Garland Campbell, and to mingle.

At 8 Mike Buckey introduced me and ta-da - I did the one-hour reading to this wonderful audience. They were sad and reflective when I read about Doc Menez in When the Rainbow Goddess Wept and the Black Man in the Forest; and they laughed at Flip Gothic, and laughed even harder when I shared the non-fiction "How I Learned to Make Leche Flan (or How I Met My Husband).

That's really all a performer can ask for - a good audience. When they're with you, you give more, and so the performance becomes better - magical even.

Some friends and I went to dinner afterwards, and I just got back, so time to rest but here are some pictures - Enjoy!

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Photos:
top: Guests mingling
next: the Jazz duo
next: Greg and Carlene
next: Loreta, Mike Genelin, Mike Buckley, Lauren Brainard
next: Lyn Buckley, Mike, Cecilia, Ted Buckley
bottom: Lauren Brainard, Elizabeth Allen, Mike Ross, Cathy and Bob from Canada, John Allen, Cecilia Brainard

Cecilia Brainard Reads her Fiction Tonight, March 9, in Long Beach

Tonight, Friday, March 9, Cecilia Brainard reads her fiction at Long Beach, CA, from 7-9 p.m., 555 Pine Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90802. Do come!

Please join us for an evening with Cecilia Manguerra Brainard. She is fresh off a book tour in the Philippines, and we are so honored that she has made time for us in her busy schedule. She is a fantastic writer and an intriguing woman.

She is the award-winning author of eight books, including the internationally-acclaimed novel, When the Rainbow Goddess Wept, Magdalena, Vigan and Other Stories, Acapulco at Sunset and Other Stories, Philippine Woman in America, Woman With Horns and Other Stories, Cecilia's Diary 1962-1968, and Fundamentals of Creative Writing. She edited four books: Growing Up Filipino I and II, Fiction by Filipinos in America, Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America. Cecilia co-edited six books, including Journey of 100 Years: Reflections on the Centennial of Philippine Independence; Behind the Walls: Life of Convent GirlsAla Carte: Food and Fiction, and Finding God: True Stories of Spiritual Encounters. She has also written a novel with four other women entitled, Angelica's Daughters, a Dugtungan Novel.
Her work has been translated into Finnish and Turkish; and many of her stories and articles have been widely anthologized.


Check out her website if you want to know more: http://www.ceciliabrainard.com/

About AtC(LE):

Founded by Alicia Adams and Sarah Miller in 2010, and now co-curated with the soon to be world famous Michael Buckley, After the Carnival (Literary Events) is dedicated to promoting the rich literary culture of Long Beach. Aside from hosting events highlighting the accomplishments of local writers and local presses, we enjoy inviting writers and audiences from outside the area to participate in a literary community we think is unique to Long Beach.

About Exhibit [A]:
Exhibit [A] is one of the currently active galleries under the umbrella organization Vayden Roi Galleries. Produced by Evan Kelly and Liza Mitchell, Vayden Roi Galleries is an economic development program in partnership with the Downtown Long Beach Associates. Vacant commercial spaces are used as temporary galleries and event venues. Property owners are provided limited improvements and promotion. Local businesses benefit from increased foot traffic. Residents and visitors are given a cultural destination and downtown amenity.

Cecilia Brainard's New Cover for FaceBook

This is the new cover of my FaceBook Timeline. The cover occupies a large space and to have put my face in there would have been startling; even group pictures are huge. The first cover I put up was a sunset scene taken in Mexico, but I decided that wasn't saying very much about me, thus this image.

I was quite comfortable with FaceBook's old look when they suddenly changed the whole thing, and here I am, trying to figure it out.

REVIEW RE OUT OF CEBU by Erlinda Alburo (published in her column, Promdi-wise, Sugbo News)

OUT OF CEBU
By Erlinda Kintanar-Alburo
Published in her column Promdi-wise, Sugbo News)

Out of Cebu: Essays and Personal Prose is the newest book of Cecilia “Baby” Manguerra-Brainard, published by the newest press in town, the USC Press. The author, who lives in California, shows how much Cebu is a part of her and her writing. Her saying that “you can take a Filipina out of the Philippines, but you can’t take the Philippines out of a Filipina” may be rephrased “Cebuana out of Cebu” and “Cebu out of a Cebuana.”
The Cebuano reader may have read enough about Magellan in Cebu. But isn’t there always something new to say about any topic? Just as there’s always something “new in old Cebu,” as our tourism ad says. The intriguing thing in an essay in this book about Magellan’s death is the idea that “the native chiefs had conspired to get rid of the European invaders” after all. Humabon emerges, with Enrique’s help, as the hero who bided his time and let the Spanish conquistador “hang himself by his own petard.” We are here invited to look at Magellan’s death not as a result of petty tribal warfare but of a concerted effort by the natives who did not want to be his vassals. There’s also a mini-psychological study of the interpreter Enrique (who is called Makiyong in a local narrative).
For someone who has never been out of Cebu, the book gives a chance to see and taste places. What’s in those places for a Cebuano? A visit, even if second-hand, to Rome and Jerusalem would stir the devout Catholic. A colonial city of Mexico, of course, gives a double reason for fascination: the similarity of its churches and festivals to ours, and the thought that our country was once ruled from there. Walking around San Miguel de Allende shows us what Cebu (maybe Parian) would be like as a future World Heritage Site. Mea culpa, I haven’t even been to the Jesuit House that’s now converted into a museum, a mortal sin for a Cebuano.
Sagada in the Mountain Province I often thought I would visit myself after the hype about it. My excuse for not going is a weak knee, and the book has reinforced that excuse. Not a country for old women!

Aside from travel tips, I learned other things, too, like the fact that Batangas between 1886 and 1888 was “the sole world supplier of coffee.” I remember vaguely that Lipa was named a Villa by the Spanish queen but wasn’t clear about the reason. This was probably it. Another interesting thing for a feminist like me is that Baby’s grandmother, Remedios Cuenco, became the first woman publisher of the country.
It was fun to read about how Baby “conquered” her husband Lauren with leche flan, and her promise to give coffee flavor to her next one is something I can promise too. There’s more fun and more local color in the nostalgic pieces about growing up. Even if the setting is urban Cebu, this was a Cebu without the condominiums and motorcycle scares. There were agta in the mango trees who are now already rare even in the countryside.


For all of the above, the book is a good read. On top of that, we get “straight from the horse’s mouth” how it was to grow up with, or with the awareness of being, a girl of the Cuenco family. Here is an awesome family, one of the 75 families of distinction that Cebu City is honouring during its Diamond Jubilee as a city this year.


(pictures were taken at the book launch of OUT OF CEBU and are reprints from newspaper writeups of the book launch of Out of Cebu - courtesy of The Freeman, SunStar, Philippine Star, Cebu Daily News)

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.

The Cover of OUT OF CEBU: ESSAYS AND PERSONAL PROSE

The University of San Carlos Press will release my collection of essays, OUT OF CEBU: ESSAYS AND PERSONAL PROSE, this February 2012. I'm sharing the cover studies, the first one that was rejected, and the second one that was approved. Can you guess which one will be used as the final cover? (Answer below)






(Answer: the one with the candle)

More, More National Parks - set 4

Lauren in San Francisco's Chinatown
Group shot: Kathy and Peter Shack with Lauren
Wildflowers
Wildflowers
Wildflowers
Lodge near Waterton,Canada
Lodge in Glacier Park
The cabin in Whitefish, Montana
Yellowstone
Old Faithful
Grand Tetons
Shoshone Falls in Twin Falls, Idaho











I'm posting more pictures of our recent trip:

More Pictures National Parks - set 2

I'm never going to get caught up blogging everything we've seen and done, so I'm just going ahead and mention that we made our way from Yosemite to Reno to Twin Falls Idaho to Craters of the Moon to the Grand Tetons to Yellowstone to Glacier National Park to Waterton National Park in Canada to Banff, Canada where we still are.

Banff is a picturesque place, as lovely as Chamonix or Alpine village, with shops, restaurants, and the grand old Banff Springs Hotel. It was gloriously sunny yesterday and light until past 9 p.m. but today it rained and was 43 degrees, very cold! The pictures show an elk nibbling away on the grass in Waterton Canada, and a bear in Waterton as well. In fact we saw six bears including a mother and two cubs, just of the road; it was very exciting.

There are also wildflowers along the roadside or on hillsides that are breathtaking. The scenes of rivers, waterfalls, forests of pines are incredible. I will post them later on.

One more interesting note: here in Banff, our Best Western Hotel has Filipino staff members.

My Baby Pictures Discovered! ~ Cecilia Manguerra Brainard

I found these baby pictures, old black and white photos. One is in really bad shape. The other one, I was able to Photoshop and this is the first time I've seen a picture of myself as a baby! There are a couple more old photos when I was older, with my siblings.





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Top photo - this photo is virtually ruined
Second to top - l-r: my oldest sister Vicky carrying me, my sister Ana, and brother Junior;
Third to top - l-r: Swimming in Liloan Beach, with a WWII landing craft behind us, Junior, Ana, me;
Fourth from top - l-r: Christmas circa 1956, Ana, Junior, me






































tags: pictures, photographs, Cecilia Brainard, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Cebu, history

PICTURES OF CEBU, MANILA, SAIGON - JULY 2011

Here are some pictures I took this past month while I was in Cebu, Manila and Saigon. I may have to break up the pictures in several blog entries, and I'll do writeups later on. I just got back to Santa Monica and am still jetlagged.












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From top to bottom, l-r:
Lynley Ocampo, Cecilia, Gavin Bagares;
Terry Manguerra, Helen Franco Misa, Cecilia
Group picture shows: front row - Helen Misa, Chinggay Utzurrum, Inday Blanco, Terry Manguerra, Middle row - Cecilia, Joy Uy, Steve Aznar, Jimmy Sy, Diana Franco, Father Dodong Desuyo, Back row: Gavin Bagares, Louie Nacorda, Dodong Canete'

Group photo taken in Yap-Sandiego House: Boging Sandiego, Chinggay Utzurrum, Inday Blanco, Mrs. Sandiego, Terry Manguerra, Cookie Neuman, Cecilia;

Group photo taken during the Fiesta of Parian: Seated- Inday Blanco and Cecilia; back row - Gavin Bagares, Terry Manguerra, Chinggay Utzurrum, Jaime Picornell;

Group photo taken at Zubu Chon - Lynley Ocampo, Cecilia, Gavin, and Manager of Zubu Chon;

There's the glorious pair having breakfast in Makati - Angelica's Daughters - Nadine Sarreal and Cecilia;
Another pair having breakfast in Makati - Cecilia and Yvette Fernandez, editor of Town and Country Philippines;
Cecilia and Marily Orosa having lunch in Banko Central
Group photo showing STC highschool classmates: Front - Ginny Genato, Cecilia, Evelyn Bosh, Cynthia Posa, Carol Teodoro; Back: Aida Grino; Norma Lucero, Sandy Sampaico, Lilu Gimenez; Meng Sandico; Dina Karaan; Monina Magallanes, Mila Santillan

Pictures of Book Contract Signing Cecilia and USC Press

The University of San Carlos Press of Cebu will be publishing my book, OUT OF CEBU: ESSAYS AND PERSONAL PROSE. Here are a few pictures taken during the contract signing. The book should be done in 2-3 months, although the formal launching or celebration won't be until I come back to the Cebu for Sinulog 2012, God Willing.

The pictures show me with Father Miranda, and Dr. Jobers Bersales (in red).