reading of humorous passages

We had an extraordinary evening today. The Dumaguete National Writers Workshop had a reading session of humorous passages at SU President Ben Malayang's White House.

First, my literature classmate, Bron, and I fetched Ma'am Rowena Tiempo-Torrevillas from her Mom Edith's Montemar residence in Sibulan, a house on a hill overlooking the Tanon Straight. Awesome! Both the view and our guest, Iowa based writer, Ma'am Rowena. I drove very slowly from Sibulan to Silliman so that we could savor having Ma'am Rowena exclusively to ourselves.

When we got to the SU White House, the passage reading was underway. Here's the line-up of hilarious poems read with panache by the writing fellows and the panelists as well.

"Pushing sixty and hanging on" by Jaime An Lim

"Umbrella" by Rihanna

"Bowl Limn Yeah" by Paolo Manalo

"The reader in love" by Cesar Ruiz Aquino

"Poem" by Simon Armitage

"Usa ka gabiing wa'y sud-an ug wa'y bituon" ("A night with no viand and no stars") by Adonis Durado **

"I'm glad I'm a man/ I'm glad I'm a woman" by Anonymous **

"Balaki ko, Day, samtang gasakay tag habal-habal" ("Recite me a poem, dear, while we ride this motorbike") by Adonis Durado

"Response: Bb. Pilipinas" by Janina San Miguel

"Sana" by Masculados

"Anatomy of a kiss" by Larry Henares

(** crowd favorites)

Panelists Cesar Aquino, Butch Dalisay and Rowena Torrevillas read their own poems, too.

Notice that the evening's event was carefully not called "reading of humorous poetry" because some of the pieces read would most probably not pass as poetry. All the pieces were hilarious, nonetheless, and a fun filled evening was had by all.

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Here are the fellows to the 47th Dumaguete National Writers Workshop currently being held for three weeks this May in Silliman:

POETRY:

Lawrence Anthony Rivera Bernabe (UP Visayas)
Noelle Leslie G. dela Cruz (Philosophy Assoc. Professor, De La Salle University)
Ma. Celeste T. Fusilero (Ateneo de Davao)
Rodrigo Dela Peña (London PR Consultancy Creative Assoc., Dumaguete)
Arelene Jaguit Yandug (English Asst. Professor, Xavier)
Bron Joseph C. Teves (Silliman)

FICTION:

Marguerite Alcarazen de Leon (Ateneo de Manila)
Dustin Edward Celestino (UP Dilliman)
Joshua L. Lim So (De La Salle)
Liza Baccay (Speech Pathologist; contributor Cebu Daily News)
Fred Jordan Mikhail T. Carnice (Silliman)

CREATIVE NON-FICTION:

Ma. Elena L. Paulma (Xavier)
Anna Carmela P. Tolentino (De La Salle)
Lamberto M. Varias, Jr. (UP Dilliman)

As for me, I am not a fellow, just an avid listener to the discussions and dissections of the literary works of the fellows. I am way too far behind the caliber of these young people. Only in their twenties and thirties and they write so well already. I am having the time of my life though, hearing people talk pithily about the persona, paradoxes, metaphors, heightened language, multiple meanings, images, cliches, word choices, line cutting and other such exotic fare.