THANK YOU STAR FOR GIVING WRITERS THEIR DUE, EVEN IF IT IS JUST A DISCUSSION PLATFORM
By: Iris P. Concepcion

The Philippine Star's series on writing has formally ended earlier. I probably learned more about the monetary aspect of scribbling from these people more than the hundreds of books written on the matter.

This time around, Star's resident scribbler Mr. Butch Dalisay discussed about how to improve one's writing craft. When the parody is done, it is all back to business. As one poster near a musical store declared : "My Chemical Romance: We Are Shooting The Killjoys."

There is a longer Q and A in this episode (it is like a film; this could be a good documentary series just to increase our cultural awareness by several points). I finally sat in one of the white chairs reserved for attendees and found a book by Conrad de Quiros sitting beside me. Its cover was torn and I had to hold it least I'd be shot by the writing gods for being such a louse. This writer can articulate in manifold ways what I can only conjure feistily in my head. He is so Star in that regard. When he was faced with some editorial skirmish, he wrote this. I copied the quoted line from the held book:

"I kept my cool throughout most of this, preferring to get back at them by sipping their expensive wine and nibbling their delicate cheeses which they kept bringing out to demonstrate the extent of their prosperity or back in crawling out of the hole."

Mr. Dalisay is an articulate speaker, being an educator himself. He was as subtle as a gentle breeze can possibly be, parrying in his simple demeanor the aesthetics of being a local John Updike. His spiel was informative especially on the existing costs and brawls happening in publishing houses. I was looking for an upturned pebble on the beach to get covered by moss interaction, but the guy shifted the discussion to how creative writers, them who are often open to vultures, can guard themselves from abuse. The insight was most helpful.

What is happening in music or arts in general is definitely taking a long time to germinate in the publication area but rest assured, people like him can start a movement towards that end. I have listened to writers, those who toiled like beggars, who are are not protected by their employers. Someone from the audience questioned the worthiness of news reporters and the quality and content of news (finally), as Mr. Dalisay can rouse only the importance of a novel as a big, fat book that could travel out from the hands of the publishing houses to the readers.

I did not realize "binabarat talaga ang mga manunulat sa bansang ito." It is demeaning in a sense and numbs the senses but you listen to him or read de Quiros and you know somewhere, you could no longer be bullied by unnecessary kibitzers. I am alarmed that writers here do not have contracts with their employers and are mostly hired through a network of, well, friendship. I was framing my question along that line: How do you deal with a buffet taunting you that some can write badly but can afford immaculate pools? It was comedic, but in a heartwarming way.

From a fellow writer, there was tact and understated imagery of comfort coming from these writing practitioners (the panelists include the owner of National Bookstore Miguel Ramos, BBC's Rico Hizon and film maker Pepe Diokno who said quite a creative mouthful as someone else). When Mr. Dalisay said New York-based Vintage is a vanity publishing house but is a smartass page deliverer, I almost raised my hands up for a glorious halleluiah. My favorite writer Dave Eggers was picked by this house and I was the more richer in inspiration for it.

I hope everyone on the road can discuss heated topics like this out in the field--it is better than regaling about the traffic and pestilence when cornered. It was a democratic exchange. I may not agree with some of their views but at least, they are handled like true gentlemen of the profession.

My God, I said. There is furor and buzz about sculptures, paintings, installations and writers in this country. I could not even get to Mr. Dalisay. The line was long (one of my kids, in a eureka-like, stupid cameo, joined the fray and sought an autograph from him). I just placed a book on surfing on one distraught lady's face as they swarmed the writers.

Kathy Moran, in her usual sentence-gushing self, developed a crush (I think) on Pepe Diokno. This is the only showbiz laughter we got and it was cute as hell.

Thank you Philippine Star for this gift of intellectual sustainance; you know it is a celebration. Philippine Daily Inquirer's publisher, Mr. Isagani Yambot was even there to question the guys on stage. He asked pointed questions himself. A guy from Business Mirror was extolling the beauty of having an exclusive school of journalism in this country, and how to retrain the existing crop of news reporters. It was an eye opener.

Kudos to the practitioners of the craft. You have come a long way gentlemen and ladies.

Henceforth, you get the drift. Yes Mr. Hizon, sexyfying the news is hard but better that, than soft.