Invitation: PINAY GATHERING: Celebration of Women's History Month

YOU ARE INVITED...

PINAY GATHERING

A Celebration of Women's History Month
Honoring Filipino American Women Authors

A chance to break bread together, talk and bond with other Pinay Sisters in the community

Saturday, March 31, 2012 12:00 Noon
Pizza Per Tutti Pizzeria & Tratoria
4143 Lankershim Boulevard corner Acqua Vista
Toluca Lake, CA 91602 Tel 818-760-8200


Join us and celebrate the publication of two new books by our featured authors who will speak and sign their books.

Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, author of Out of Cebu: A Collection of Essays and Personal Prose. The book collects 28 essays about the author’s Cebuano ties and her pride of heritage, 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. She is the author of When the Rainbow Goddess Wept: A Novel; Magdalena: A Novel; 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 has edited four anthologies: Growing Up Filipino, 1 & 2; Fiction by Filipinos in America; and Contemporary Fiction by Filipinos in America.
With Edmundo Litton, she co-edited Journey of 100 Years: Reflections on the Centennial of the Philippine Independence. With Marily Orosa, she co-edited three anthologies: Behind the Walls: Life of Convent Girls; A La Carte: Food and Fiction; and Finding God: True Stories of Spiritual Encounters.
With four other authors, she co-wrote Angelica’s Daughters, a Dugtungan Novel.

Ofelia V. Dirige and Aurora S. Cudal, co-authors of Global Filipino Cuisine: Healthy Recipes. First published in 2009 with the late Dr Riz A. Oades,
this is a revised and expanded edition of 100 modified choices with nutrient analysis. This is a much-needed book for healthy eating in the community.
Proceeds from sales of this title will cover programs and services of the FilAm Wellness Center/Kalusugan Community Services which is located at
1419 E 8th Street., National City, CA 91950. www.WebKalusugan.org / Info@WebKalusugan.org

Other authors who will attend and will sign their books include Ludy Astraquillo Ongkeko, Forty Years of Writing in America; Carina Monica Montoya
(AKA Carina Forsythe), Los Angeles’s Historic Filipinotown; Filipinos in Hollywood and Let's Cook Adobo!, a juvenile cookbook; Roselyn Estepa Ibanez, co-author, Filipinos in Carson and the South Bay; and Carlene Sobrino Bonnivier, Seeking Thirst: A Novel and Autobiography of a Stranger.

If you will be unable to attend but would like a signed copy of any of the books mentioned here, you can place your order with:
linda@philippineexpressionsbookshop.com or linda_nietes@sbcglobal.net

This is an ongoing program of Philippine Expressions Bookshop to reach out to the FilAm community and to increase the visibility of Filipinos in mainstream
America. $25.00 Lunch, inclusive of drinks, dessert and gratuities. Menu to be emailed upon reservation. Limited seating. The event is also open to male
guests. The venue is owned by Pinay entrepreneur Hilda Mauro. RSVP: linda@philippineexpressionsbookshop.com or call (310) 514-9139.

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Philippine Expressions Bookshop
The Mail Order Bookshop dedicated to
Filipino Americans in search of their roots.

PO Box 4201, Main Post Office
Palos Verdes Peninsula, CA 90274, USA Tel (310) 514-9139
www.philippineexpressionsbookshop.com
orders@philippineexpressionsbookshop.com
Join Friends of Philippine Expressions Bookshop in FaceBook
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/linda-nietes/29/558/7ab
Visit the personal page of Linda Nietes in FaceBook
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"Do not go where the path may lead, go
instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo
Emerson.

We have blazed the trail in promoting Philippine books in America.
2012 marks our 28th year of service to the Filipino American
community. Mabuhay.

A Literary Homecoming for Cebuana Writer, by Jaime Picornell

Jaime Picornell wrote this kind and nice article about the book launch of OUT OF CEBU. Thank you, Jaime! In the picture, Jaime is seated on the far right; picture taken at the Planning Meeting of the Book Launch of Out of Cebu.


by Jaime Picornell
Philippine Daily Inquirer, Sun. Feb. 26, 2012
//lifestyle.inquirer.net/36369/a-literary-homecoming-for-cebuana-writer

It was a cool Sunday afternoon and many did forgo a prolonged siesta to attend a book launching at 2:30 p.m. at Salon Granada of the Casino Español de Cebu. Such a crowd could only be attained by celebrated Cebuano writer Cecilia “Baby” Manguerra Brainard with her ninth title, “Out of Cebu—Essays and Personal Prose.”

The event was under the aegis of the University of San Carlos (USC) Press, represented by university president Rev. Fr. Isidro Miranda SVD, and heritage writer Jojo Bersales, who was first to speak during the commemorative program. He said it was the first time USC Press was publishing a book by Ms Brainard.

The 28 essays in the book are about her family, the prominent Cuenco political dynasty, as well as life in Cebu, in the United States where she has lived since 1969, insights during her travels to different lands, and day-to-day impressions wherever she may be.

Maria Cecilia Cabañes hosted the program in which first to read from the book was Louie Nacorda. He chose “My Grandfather,” a biographical portrait of the author’s grandfather, erstwhile President of the Philippine Senate Mariano Jesus Cuenco.

Mayen Tan read “Death of a Carnival Queen,” which is about the author’s mother, Concepcion Cuenco Mangeurra, Cebu’s Carnival Queen in 1932. Decades after that people in Cebu were still talking about the splendor of her coronation.

Leodenito Cañete chose the first essay in the book “Where Daydreaming Came From.” The autobiographical piece describes the years since the author’s birth to early childhood.

Pia Mercado’s piece was “Diaspora in Italy,” which tells the vicissitudes of a Filipina overseas worker. It has quite a suspenseful plot, thrilling in some parts. The happy ending is an amnesty for TNT workers.

Gavin Bagares had helped drum up interest in the book launch, and he had a part in the program of readings. He chose “Kiki,” whose heroine is the Brainards’ pet cat. He didn’t read all of it, for as he said,” I want you to buy the book and find out how the story ends.”

The readings closed with Fr. Jun Rebayla, who opted for “Museo sa Sugbo—A Story of Hope.” Yes, the article is about the museum, but also that it was once the provincial jail where a maid of the Manguerra family was detained for stealing.

No need for introduction

Now, it was time to introduce Baby Manguerra Brainard who, as Jojo Bersales said, really does not need it. There she sat on a raised dais, a pile of books beside her, ready to sign those autographed copies.

She thanked Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama for his presence, and the USC Press for printing her book, stating that she looks forward to more projects with them. She was most grateful for the large turnout of family, friends, writers, members of academe and media.

About the book, she explained that it was “an accumulation of what I have published, now gathered in one collection. Given the easy flow of her writing, and her keen power of observation, it was suggested that she write her memoirs of life in Cebu, and beyond it.

Perhaps something like her essay on “Leche Flan.” It is a hilarious recounting of how she met the man who’d eventually become her husband, Lauren Brainard. “In 1996,” or was it more like 1967? He was then a Peace Corps volunteer in Maasin, Southern Leyte.

Baby had met Lauren months before he came to Cebu and was hospitalized with a festering wound in his leg. She and some friends (I was among them) went to visit him, and Baby thought of bringing a leche flan made by the family cook, Menggay.

Although she doesn’t say so in the essay, the trembling custard almost fell on the patient, but any way, it was duly tasted and praised. Somehow, Lauren always believed Baby had made it. Lauren left for the US, and some time later Baby met him in San Francisco where he was studying Law.

They fell in love, got married, and Lauren always reminded her about the leche flan she had made for him. “I never said I had made it,” Baby insisted,, but as she tells it in her story, she learned how to make one, with a half gallon tin of Magnolia ice cream (as it used to be in many households of the time).

Also as the story goes, she has treasured the recipe, perfected it even, and learned various versions of leche flan according to how it is made in different countries she has visited.

Lauren and Baby make their home in Santa Monica, California. They have three sons and several grandchildren. Baby comes to Cebu twice a year. First during Sinulog time in January for the fiesta of the Santo Niño. Then for the June 24 fiesta of St. John the Baptist in the old Parian area.

That is where she lives, in the top floor of a building she inherited from her mother. The neighborhood and its lore have inspired her ever since she began writing short stories and novels.

They are somehow interrelated and reflective of incidents that have found their way into the legends of mythical Ubec, which is Cebu spelled and pronounced backwards. “Binali,” as they say in Cebuano.

Bees in my Garden - wild and domesticated!

I'm happy to report that I have many bees in my garden, both domesticated and wild. They love the rosemary bush. The top picture shows a bee at around 4 o'clock. The bottom one shows a bee at 12o'clock, at the dip; this one is very fuzzy.
Please don't use pesticides and snail killer in your garden because they harm bees and other animals!

75 Cebuano Familes of Distinction to be honored in Cebu

SEARCH FOR 75 CEBUANO FAMILIES OF DISTINCTION
(Information from Dr. Erlinda Alburo; picture shows the Cuenco Family that will be honored in May)

For the Diamond anniversary celebration of the Cebu City Charter, the Cebuano community will honor the legacy of 75 families that have contributed to making Cebu City what it is today.
Initiated by the private sector in order to re-establish the strong foundation and values of the Cebuano family, this project will be implemented for a whole year from March 2012 to February 2013.

LOOKING FOR THE DIAMONDS OF CEBU
For the purpose of identifying the 75 families to be honored, a Search Committee was formed in September 2011 composed of four respected personalities in the academe: Dr. Erlinda Kintanar-Alburo, Dr. Hope Sabanpan-Yu, Dr. Madrileña de la Cerna and Dr. Romola Ouano-Savellon. To avoid overlapping, each member of the committee was assigned a cluster of family names by initial letters: A-D, E-K, L-R and S-Z.
The two main criteria for the search were: 1) residence in Cebu City and 2) with at least 3 members who have contributed to the development of, or given honor to, the city of Cebu in any of the following fields: governance and community service; business and industry; professions (Education, Law, Medicine, Engineering, etc.); sports, media and the arts; religion and apostolic work; and environment, science and technology. Four other guidelines were observed: 1) other members of the family whose contributions have been recognized outside of Cebu City (province, country or abroad) may be added to the three names; 2) the family must have started playing a role in the city or larger community not later than 1965; 3) wives should be considered as representing their family of origin instead of their husband’s family; and 4) families of members of the Search Committee and the Core Group for the Anniversary Celebration would be excluded.
The Search process included the review of published news and features in local papers and interview of key informants, as well as solicitation of nominations from all the city barangays. A deadline for submission of solicited nominations was set on 30 November 2011. Launching of the search was held on 12 December 2011 at the Ayala Terraces.
The members of the Search Committee, together with the core group assigned for the whole diamond anniversary celebration, met several times to discuss the nominations. Some individuals with the same family names but whose relationship to each other was doubtful were waitlisted, then dropped when such relationship could not be confirmed. A few families have been combined when they evidently belong to the same lineage.


“PINANGGANG BANAYNG SUGBOANON”
This slogan was adopted by the Cebu City @75 core group in order to stress the significance of the Cebuano family throughout the growing years of the city. At the same time, the phrase captures the pride and joy with which the whole Cebuano community celebrates their achievements.
Several activities have been scheduled throughout the Diamond Year. For better management, a cluster of 6-7 families will be brought together for a Memorial Presentation, An Exhibit, and a tour for a whole weekend.
Memorial Presentations. For a whole year, eleven sessions to serve as Memorial Presentations of the distinguished families will be held in various universities to feature the family cluster of the month with a special Cebuano trait as theme. The period covered will be from March 2012 to January 2013. Family members or their representatives will be formally acknowledged as a whole during the culmination activity in February 2013.
Below is the schedule for the presentations:
March 2012 at the University of San Carlos (“Hard-Working”) ---- Abella, Veloso, Kabahar, Solon, Cui, Climaco and Jakosalem families
April 2012 at the Cebu Normal University (“Thrift and Industry”) --- Tabal, Gabuya, Herrera, Jaca, Sotto, Diola and Segura families

May 2012 at the University of the Visayas (“Religiosity”) --- Gullas, Hermosisima, Cuenco, Echevarria, Lhuiller and Almendras families
June 2012 at the University of Cebu (“Hospitality”) ---- Alix, Garcia (headed by Gil Garcia), Avila-Cañizares, Rodriguez, Ylaya, Go Tiaoco and Estenzo families
July 2012 at the University of the Philippines-Cebu (“Self-Reliance and Resourcefulness”) --- Inocian, Garcia , Dakay, Del Rosario and Velez-Leyson families
August 2012 at the University of San Jose-Recoletos (“Musicality”) --- Villanueva, Singson, Seno, Tabada, Alcoseba and Echaves families
September 2012 at the Southwestern University (“Sense of Humor”)--- Aznar, Osmeña, Escaño, Aliño, Streegan, Go Thong and Del Mar families
October 2012 at the Cebu Institute of Technology-University (“Resiliency”)---- Escario, Pacana, Salvador, Espina, Briones, Tudtud and Sanson families
November 2012 at the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (“Courtesy”)--- Aboitiz, Barba, Lu Do, Gaisano, Fernan and Vestil families
December 2012 at the Cebu Doctors University (“Entrepreneurship”)--- Uytengsu, Villa, Urgello, Bacalso, Gandionco and Jumalon families
January 2013 at the Cebu Technological University (“Trustworthy”)--- Chiongbian, Sala, Borromeo, Padilla and Reynes-Mercado families.
Exhibits. During the Memorial Presentation, an exhibit of photographs and other documentation will be shown to the public at the venue, which will be transferred to a mall.
Discover What’s New in Cebu. Members of the families of the month will be treated to a special tour on the third weekend, during which they will be taken to various spots of interest in the city and newly developed mountain sites. A free room at the assigned hotel for the month will be available to the family, esp. for those coming from abroad. We are still arranging free roundtrip tickets to one or two members from each family who are residing abroad.
Publication. At the end of the year’s celebration, a coffeetable book covering the 75 families as well as other activities in the celebration will be issued for souvenir purposes.
“Discover Your Cebuano Roots” in Cyberspace. Starting in February 2012, the whole Cebuano community can search for their roots by logging in at special computers in designated public places. This facility is sponsored by the Church of Latter-Day Saints.
Note: The presentation can be done in any way the cluster families want. Each family is given 5 minutes to introduce their members. It’s suggested that the cluster meet and plan on it.

Cecilia Brainard Reads March 9, 2012 in Long Beach

Hi, there,
I'll be doing a reading on Friday, March 9, at Exhibit A Gallery, 555 Pine Avenue, Long Beach. I understand I'll be on, for an hour. I'll read from my new book, Out of Cebu, and from my other books. I'll post the Press release re this program with the details, but do come.http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif



Directions:
From Santa Monica, take I-405 toward Long Beach
Take Exit on left toward Downtown/Aquarium
Keep right to take the 6th St. ramp
Stay straight to go onto W. 6th St.
Turn right onto Pine Ave
555 Pine Ave is on the right


Cecilia

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


~~~~~

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.

Cecilia Brainard's OUT OF CEBU Book Launch

My ninth book, OUT OF CEBU: ESSAYS AND PERSONAL PROSE, was launched at the Casino Espanol in Cebu City last Feb. 5, 2012. It was one of the best book launching I've had! Around 100 people were present; there was a reading of 6 excerpts from the book by some luminaries of Cebu: Louie Nacorda, Mayen Tan, Dodong Canete, Gavin Bagares, Fr. Jun Rebayla, and Pia Marie Mercado. The really great thing about the launch was that everybody had fun. Among the guests were Cebu's Mayor Mike Rama who graced the event. Toti Villalon, Jaime Picornell, Kiting Moro, Myra Gonzalez, Margot Osmena Larranaga, Joy Uy, Steve Aznar, Beth Reyes, Erma Cuizon, Gingging Dumdum, Jun Dumdum, Maribel Paraz, Ka Bino Guerrero, Terry Manguerra, Jojo and Tanya Manguerra, Christy Manguerra, Chinggay Utzurrum, Inday and Monina Blanco, Chona Bernad, and many more.

Read about Brainard's OUT OF CEBU book launch - 3 articles below and photos. More in Cecilia Brainard's Facebook Account.

www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=776751&publicationSubCategoryId=111

www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/feature/2012/01/31/out-cebu-book-be-released-feb-5-203563

www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/lifestyle/2012/02/01/utzurrum-historic-bells-and-book-cebuano-ties-203744

Photos from top to bottom, l-r:
1. Mayor Mike Rama, Cecilia Brainard
2. Cecilia Brainard, Maribel Paras, guests
3. Erma Cuizon, Gingging Dumdum, Cecilia Brainard, Jun Dumdum
4. Fr. Miranda, Mayen Tan, Mayor Mike Rama, Cecilia Brainard, Dodong Canete, Louie Nacorda
5. Steve Aznar, Myra Gonzalez, Gavin Bagares, Margot Osmena Larranga, Joy Uy
6. Joy Uy, Steve Aznar, Cecilia Brainard
7. Joy Uy, Steve Aznar, Cecilia Brainard, Gavin Bagares,
8. Guest,Ibyang Impuerto, guest, Cecilia Brainard


















http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=776751&publicationSubCategoryId=111

Book Launch OUT OF CEBU - update

Picture taken at the book launch of OUT OF CEBU: Essays and Personal Prose by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard. I'll be adding more pictures and narrative, so check back.


l-r: Fr. Miranda, Mayen Angbetic Tan, Mayor Mike Rama, Cecilia Brainard, Dodong Canete, Louie Nacorda, Fr. Rebayla

Interviews from FilAmBook Fest & Book Launch Out of Cebu Today!

Here's a video clip of Interviews of Filipino and Filipino American authors from the FilAm Book Fest. It includes snippets of me and pictures of some of my books. Click here or go to vimeo.com/35542625

Meantime, the book launch of OUT OF CEBU: ESSAYS AND PERSONAL PROSE will be this afternoon, 2:30 p.m., Granada Room, Casino Espanol, on V. Ranudo Street, Cebu City. All those interested are invited. A hard copy invitation is not needed. There will be a reading of excerpts from the book by Louie Nacorda, Mayen Angbetic-Tan, Dodong Canete, Pia Marie Mercado, Fr. Jun Rebayla, SVD, and Gavin Bagares.

Join us for a fun literary event!

Planning Meeting Book Launch Cecilia Brainard's OUT OF CEBU: ESSAYS AND PERSONAL PROSE

Picture taken at the Planning Meeting of the Book Launch of my collection of essays, OUT OF CEBU, launch scheduled on Sunday, 2/5/12, 2:30 p.m. Granada Rm, Casino Espanol, Cebu City. No hardcopy invitations required to attend, but RSVP sancarlospublications@yahoo.com


Seated l-r: Terry Manguerra, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Jaime Picornell
Standing l-r: Louie Nacorda, Gavin Bagares, Jason Baguia, Jobers Bersales

INVITATION: BOOK LAUNCH OF BRAINARD'S OUT OF CEBU

INVITATION:
Book Launch of Cecilia Manguerra Brainard's OUT OF CEBU: ESSAYS AND PERSONAL PROSE, Sunday, Feb. 5, 2:30 p.m., Granda Room, Casino Espanol,Cebu City.

There will be a literary reading of excerpts from the book by Gavin Bagares, Louie Nacorda, Leonidito Leodinito Y. Cañete, Marlinda Angbetic Tan, and someone from USC. Of course Jobers Reynes Bersales, Director of USC press will give a talk. It will be a very fun book launch so please mark your calendars! You don't need a hardcopy invitation, but it would appreciated if you email

SAN CARLOS UNIVERSITY RELEASES BOOK "OUT OF CEBU"

I'm sharing the press release regarding my forthcoming book "Out of Cebu: Essays and Personal Prose" which will be released in Cebu this Feb. 5, by the University San Carlos Press. There will be a limited hardbound edition available at the book launch. If any one wants a hardbound copy, please contact palh@aol.com.


UNIVERSITY OF SAN CARLOS RELEASES NEW BOOK “OUT OF CEBU”


The University of San Carlos Press is proud to announce that the book, Out of Cebu: Essays and Personal Prose, by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard will be released on February 5, 2012.

The book 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 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.”

The author, Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, was born and raised in Cebu. Her parents were Engr. Mariano F. Manguerra and Concepcion Cuenco Manguerra. She attended St. Theresa’s College in Cebu and San Marcelino; she obtained her AB in Communication Arts at 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 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).

She has lectured and performed in worldwide literary arts organizations and universities, including UCLA, USC, University of Connecticut, University of the Philippines, PEN, Beyond Baroque, Shakespeare & Company in Paris, and many others. She teaches creative writing at the Writers Program at UCLA-Extension.
She is married to Lauren R. Brainard, a former Peace Corp Volunteer to Leyte, Philippines; they have three sons and several grandchildren.

Brainard’s book, Out of Cebu: Essays and Personal Essays, is available from Cebu’s University of San Carlos Press (sancarlospublications@yahoo.com).

Happy New Year!

A Happy and Blessed New Year to all!

Review of ANGELICA'S DAUGHTERS

Thanks to Tinamat who wrote this review of ANGELICA'S DAUGHTERS:
onemorepage.tinamats.com/angelicas-daughters/

Angelica’s Daughters by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Susan Evangelista, Veronica Montes, Nadine Sarreal, Erma M. Cuizon
Anvil Publishing, 201 pages

Angelica’s Daughters is a collaborative novel by five established Filipina writers, called a “dugtungan.” A dugtungan is a genre of Tagalog novel popular early in the 20th century, in which each writer creates a chapter and hands it off to the next, who writes another chapter without direction. The result, in this case, is an ensemble performance that contains something of the exhilaration of theatrical improv. One watches these accomplished authors inventively weave a historical romance, creating gripping heroines and turns of plot, crossing decades and national boundaries, tapping into cultural roots of the Philippines, Spain and America. Reading Angelica’s Daughters is a gripping experience.~ Brian Ascalon Roley, Author of American Son (W.W. Norton)

One time during junior year in high school, my friends and I started scribbling on spare pieces of notebook paper. It was a story about a group of friends that we started passing around our group, leaving a part hanging so the next person could continue the story. We never finished the story, but I remember we had a colorful cast of characters, and I ended up continuing the story and posting a snippet of it somewhere that I cannot remember for the life of me. Anyway, we also had the same kind of exercise during my college literary folio days — one would start a story and then another would pick it up. I adopted that exercise for our NaNoWriMo group, and although it never really flew, it was a fun project.

So that’s really one of the reasons why I was curious about Angelica’s Daughters. This book is a collaborative “dugtungan” novel by five authors: Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, Susan Evangelista, Veronica Montes, Nadine Sarreal, Erma M. Cuizon. They are all writers on their own but their friendship (and writing classes) led them to collaborate on different short stories. One day they decided to upgrade into writing a novel, passing on an idea and a chapter to one another, until they came up with the story of Angelica.

Angelica’s Daughters revolved around three female descendants of Angelica de los Santos. First was Tess, whose 8 years of marriage dissolved after she found out her husband Tonio has left his mens wedding ring behind and was dating a younger woman. She flies home to the Philippines to gather her thoughts and herself and spends time with her Lola Josefina. Josefina had secrets of her own, one that she wasn’t sure that her granddaughter (or anyone else in the family would understand). In the course of Tess’ stay, a cousin gives her a bundle of letters from their Angelica, a distant grandmother who was the subject of many of her childhood stories. They were never really sure if all those stories about Angelica were real or not — like how a guy killed himself when Angelica refused to give him her love, or how wives were often jealous of her because of her beauty. Through the letters, Tess got to know her better but there were holes in the story that she longed to be filled. On the annual Tayabas fiesta, Tess meets her younger cousin, Dina, who carries a darker secret that is eating her alive.

As I was thinking of how I was going to review this book, I realized one thing: Angelica’s Daughters could pass as a perfect comfort read. It’s like the local version of a Sarah Addison Allen novel, but maybe even a bit better because it hits closer to home for me. There’s a certain grace and lyricism in the prose that makes me immediately sink into it, and marvel at the familiar feelings it evoked. There’s really something about a well-written Filipino work that just hits the right spot, like how a perfectly cooked dish can satisfy the strongest craving. Case in point, this particular line:

She served herself generously from the garlic fried rice and daing. She took her first bite and closed her eyes with pleasure.

I totally started salivating for garlic fried rice and daing (dried salted fish, for my non-Filipino friends) after I read this line. :) The entire novel had that feel of home that made it such a good comfort read.

Besides that, the book also had an interesting angle of history. This kind of reminds me a bit of old history readings in school, or watching movies based on Philippine history. Note that it didn’t really have the “required reading for school” feel, but it provided a sense of nostalgia for the early Spanish era in Philippine history. Angelica’s letters to her aunt and her stories were vivid and she felt very much alive in those letters. She may not be the nicest or the most honest character, but she is a well-formed character that it’s hard not to be curious about her as the book goes on.

I had a few nitpicks though. For one thing, I felt that Lola Josefina’s angle wasn’t really that explored, up until she admitted her secret to Tess. I wasn’t even aware that she was the third person in the story until I finally figured it out. Also, I thought Dina was introduced a little too late in the story, almost like she was an afterthought, like she was only there to be the receiver of Tess’ wrath.

Also, there was the dreaded insta-love. I wished there wasn’t an insta-love thing between Tess and Luis — I could accept Tess liking/lusting after him during the first time she met him and danced with him in the disco, but the idea of her falling in love with him felt a little too quick for me. I was never a fan of insta-love, anyway, and personally, I would’ve been fine if Tess ended up not having a love life in the end. After all, she still had to find herself after her marriage disintegrated.

Nevertheless, I thought Angelica’s Daughters was a well-written and enjoyable novel that deals with family, love and moving on from past mistakes. It’s chick lit, but it’s not really hardcore fluffy chick lit that I think even guys will like to read this. Plus that recipe for Angelica’s special tsokolate-espeso is a must-try. This is one of the good ones in Filipino fiction, and I hope more Filipinos get to read this book. :)

Tony Suvega- Feng Shui Artist in Philippines

I met Tony Suvega a couple of years ago. He's a world famous Feng Shui Artist in the Philippines. Here's his site:

http://adspinas.blogspot.com/2010/07/worldwide-feng-shui-services-fortune.html

Letter about When the Rainbow Goddess Wept

Christmas 2011

Dearest Cecilia,
Thank you so much for writing "When the Rainbow Goddess Wept." It's one of the most endearing books I've read for a long time. My Lolo told us stories about the war and the flight of the Filipinos to hide and it made it all too life-like while reading your book. Thank you so much for all that you do and all the pro-Filipino things you write. I will always keep you, Yvonne and stories of Old Cebu in my heart.

Sincerely,
Christopher Ganio

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)

The Essential Beginnings: An Introductory Creative Writing Workshop

If you sign up before Jan. 23, you get a $30 discount!

The Essential Beginnings: An Introductory Creative Writing Workshop at the Writers Program, UCLA Extension - Class starts Feb. 23-Mar 29, 6 mtgs. taught by Cecilia Brainard, call 310-825-9971.
The Thursday class meets in 1010 Westwood Blvd, one block from UCLA proper.

The class will make a life-altering Christmas gift!

Course Description: Many aspire to write creatively, but few know how to get started. A supportive workshop for those who wish to write for personal or professional satisfaction, this course provides many fundamental techniques--from journal writing to imaginative in-class exercises--all geared to motivate and cultivate the beginning creative writer. Topics include writing from observation and experience, creating dynamic characters, developing points of view, and writing dialogue. By the course's completion, you have in hand a series of short sketches or a draft of a story.

COMING UP: Art Gallery in Parian, Cebu!

BUZZ: Watch out for the opening of an Art Gallery in conjunction with the Cebu Art Association in the Dona Filomena Building in Cebu City, on time for the 2012 Sinulog! More later on...

The Dona Filomena Building is located on Zulueta Street, near Logarta, and near the Historic landmarks of Cebu (Jesuit House, Heritage Monument, Yap-Sandiego Museum, Casa Gorordo, and the Cathedral Museum)

Vanishing of the Bees - Worldwide Screenings

http://www.vanishingbees.com/events/

Upcoming Screenings

Thursday, November 17 2011 8.30 PM to 10.30 PM - 415 First Ave, Aloha, OR 97007
Friday, November 18 2011 7.00 PM to 9.00 PM - 1 LMU Drive/ U-Hall 1000, Los Angeles CA 90045
Monday, November 21 2011 12.30 PM to 2.30 PM - 13 Ray Small Drive, Papakura, Auckland 2122, New Zealand
Monday, November 21 2011 6.30 PM to 9.30 PM - 633 South Broadway, Boulder, Colorado
Tuesday, November 29 2011 4.00 PM to 6.00 PM - University of the Philippines Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines
Friday, December 2 2011 6.30 PM to 8.30 PM - 90 Quaker Hill Road, Unity ME 04988
Saturday, December 3 2011 7.00 PM to 9.00 PM - Albert Street, Wickham NSW 2293, Australia
Saturday, January 7 2012 11.00 PM to 1.00 PM - 3755 N HWY 17-92, Lake Monroe, FL 32747,
Saturday, January 21 2012 1.30 PM to 3.30 PM - 601 North La Canada, Green Valley, AZ 85614
Wednesday, March 21 2012 6.30 PM to 8.30 PM - 200 North Main St., St. Wallingford, CT

~~~
SILENCE OF THE BEES is another documentary on bees available for free on the internet

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/silence-of-the-bees/full-episode/251/

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIUo3STj6tw

Botero in San Miguel de Allende

Fernando Botero in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Angelica's Daughters: A Dugtungan Novel - picture

This picture of an old church reminds me of a scene from Angelica's Daughters: A Dugtungan Novel - page 145 "When Paolo and Tess swung open the heavy, dark wood doors, they were greeted with the strong odor of burning incense and the startling beauty of elaborately painted tiles beneath their feet..."



ANGELICA'S DAUGHTERS, A Dugtungan Novel

by Cecilia Brainard, Erma Cuizon, Susan Evangelista, Veronica Montes, Nadine Sarreal

Anvil Publishing, 2010

For copies, contact ANVIL (www.anvilpublishing.com)
email: anvilpublishing@yahoo.com
In the US, Email: palh@aol.com; palhbooks@gmail.com

"Chick lit with a comfortable dose of smartness and historical verve. Angelica's Daughters celebrates audacious heroines primed by deep passion and fairytale romance! Set in the heat of a 19th-century Asian revolution and what its setting becomes by the 21st Century, Angelica's Daughters beguiles with its mythic splendor, threat of a generational curse, masterful betrayals, and female leads readers can fall in love with.
The story found itself as one writer finished her chapter without consulting the others, and passed it on for the next writer in line to do with as she pleased. The amazing result is a delightful read by five writers who cherish their Hispanic, Filipino, and American cultural roots." ~ Felice Prudente Sta. Maria

This collective and collaborative novel proves that writers share much more than just an interest in, as one of the authors puts it, “the idea of creating something of rare beauty out of nothing at all.” They share a Creative Unconscious that, when working on a common text, comes up with startling and unpredictable imaginative delights and insights. This tale of two women living a century apart (and the women and men in their lives) told sequentially by five women is truly an ensemble performance worth a standing ovation.~ Isagani R. Cruz, Philippine Star

"Part of the pleasure of reading Angelica's Daughters, the engrossing new collaborative novel by five established Filipina writers, is seeing how deftly the authors deal with the challenge of writing in this resurrected literary form. A dugtungan is a genre of Tagalog novel popular early in the 20th century, in which each writer creates a chapter and hands it off to the next, who writes another chapter without direction. The result, in this case, is an ensemble performance that contains something of the exhilaration of theatrical improv. One watches these accomplished authors inventively weave a historical romance, creating gripping heroines and turns of plot, crossing decades and national boundaries, tapping into cultural roots of the Philippines, Spain and America. Reading Angelica's Daughters is a gripping experience.~ Brian Ascalon Roley, Author of American Son (W.W. Norton)

MORE ON BEES

I'm still following on the plight of bees. Here are two articles about them:

Dan Rather on Bees: //blip.tv/hdnet-news-and-documentaries/dan-rather-reports-bee-aware-5567670

And Farmers Add Bee-Friendly plants: //abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/farmers-adding-plants-attract-nourish-bees-14784666

Pictures of San Miguel Allende & Guanajuato, Mexico

I visited San Miguel Allende and Guanajuato in Mexico. This is a repeat visit; I love these places. They are Spanish colonial towns in the central part of Mexico - very colorful and vibrant. San Miguel is more touristy; Guanajuato is a university town. The Cervantes Festival was in full swing in Guanajuato and some of these festivities spilled over to San Miguel.

I took the following pictures in San Miguel Allende. The pictures after the door were taken in Guanajuato.
 
Read also
The Many Faces of Mexico
Gigantes at Wedding in San Miguel de Allende 
Pictures of San Miguel de Allende & Guanajuato 
House San Miguel de Allende
Visiting Colonial Mexico

 tags: Mexico, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Spanish Colonial, photographs

Creative Writing Class - Coming up!

I'm teaching Essential Beginnings of Creative Writing at the Writers Program, UCLA Extension Nov. 4-Dec.15, please call 310-825-9415 for more information. This is a good beginning class that covers the real basics: character, character development, tension, plot, conflict, etc.

Pictures from Book Talk, Carson Public Library

These pictures were taken at Book Talk, with Carlene Bonnivier, Cecilia Brainard, Lorenzo Paran, and Samantha Sotto, sponsored by Philippine Expressions and the Carson Public Library, Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011.








Photos:
Top l-r: Cecilia Brainard, Lorenzo Paran, Samantha Sotto, and Carlene Bonnivier
Next l-r: Cecilia Brainard, Samantha Sotto
Next l-r: Lucila Dypiangco, Cecilia Brainard
The rest of the pictures show Oscar and Lucila Dypiangco with guests, most of them Theresians.