Penmanila In NY
Click here to see photos and read comments about Sir Butch Dalisay's sojourn to New York for the PEN World Voices Festival, which he wrote about here. And then click here to listen to him speaking at the event.
His latest blog entry, "The Good, Raw Stuff", is up, where he talks about the recent UP Writers Workshop. Click on the above link to read his whole entry, but here's an interesting quote from it, which adds to some sentiments from older PGS blog entries:
I HAD an interesting chat in the sidelines of the workshop with crime novelist Felisa “Ichi” Batacan, whose Smaller and Smaller Circles quickly acquired a following after its publication in 2002. Now based in Singapore, Ichi is working on a “prequel” to Circles, and has co-edited a collection of Filipino crime fiction. Both of us continued to wonder why the crime-fic genre hasn’t been as popular here as it is elsewhere, especially when—as the tabloids never fail to remind us—we’re swimming in a sea of crime.
I had some ideas to offer Ichi:
Crime in this country often isn’t just crime against persons; crime tends to be socially and politically rooted, involving issues of power, privilege, and, inevitably, justice. Our crime fiction begins where others end—the solution of the crime is just the beginning of the search for justice. Our problem isn’t solving crime—our problem is the solution: once we know whodunit, what then? How do you go up against the powers that be?
But then we’re no longer talking fiction, are we?
His latest blog entry, "The Good, Raw Stuff", is up, where he talks about the recent UP Writers Workshop. Click on the above link to read his whole entry, but here's an interesting quote from it, which adds to some sentiments from older PGS blog entries:
I HAD an interesting chat in the sidelines of the workshop with crime novelist Felisa “Ichi” Batacan, whose Smaller and Smaller Circles quickly acquired a following after its publication in 2002. Now based in Singapore, Ichi is working on a “prequel” to Circles, and has co-edited a collection of Filipino crime fiction. Both of us continued to wonder why the crime-fic genre hasn’t been as popular here as it is elsewhere, especially when—as the tabloids never fail to remind us—we’re swimming in a sea of crime.
I had some ideas to offer Ichi:
Crime in this country often isn’t just crime against persons; crime tends to be socially and politically rooted, involving issues of power, privilege, and, inevitably, justice. Our crime fiction begins where others end—the solution of the crime is just the beginning of the search for justice. Our problem isn’t solving crime—our problem is the solution: once we know whodunit, what then? How do you go up against the powers that be?
But then we’re no longer talking fiction, are we?
posted by pgenrestories at 5:12 PM
5 Comments:
any story that revolves around finding justice in the philippines is fiction.
i think one of the genres that could really shine if written in filipino would be crime fiction.
but that's just my wishful thinking.
perhaps one reason why crime fic genre isn't as popular as it should be here in the philippines is the uttter hopelessness and banality of trying to find justice in the philippines? especially since you mentioned that crime here involves issues of power and privilege...and politics no doubt
but that's just my wishful thinkingMine too, Cev. Mine too.
Hi, Anonymous. Some other people did bring this up too in the older post, so your idea may have weight behind it.
boss,
nainspire ako magsulat, kahit paunti unti lang.
kung may oras ka lang. http://www.cev-ruiz.blogspot.com
pero hindi ata ako handa sa kritisismo. bahala na. fire away. subukan ko araw araw mag sulat.
thanks.
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