Lush Life: Essays 2001-2010 by Krip Yuson, published by University of Santo Tomas Publishing House, is a collection of 75 essays representing the author’s writings for the past decade. The collection will be launched at the Champagne Room, Manila Hotel on October 20, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. A previous collection of essays appeared in 2001, The Word on Paradise: Essays 1991-2000—On Writers and Writing (Anvil Publishing), which also had 75 essays that represented the 1990s.
The new book’s essays are grouped under six thematic sections: Lush Life Manila; Memorabilia; Gravitas; Academia; Farewells; and Now, Now, Noynoy.
Following are pertinent texts about the book:
Back Cover Blurb
Krip Yuson is undoubtedly one of the country’s most distinguished fictionists and poets, antedating by decades trends and techniques mistakenly labeled “new” today. His novels and short stories— shifting blithely from realism to marvelous realism to postmodern fantasy, from lyricism to broad farce to sophisticated comedy—have some echoes of Nick Joaquin and anticipate Miguel Syjuco. This collection of 75 essays is proof, were further proof needed, that he has few equals in the field of nonfiction. It also demonstrates how a life fully lived—its dizzying heights scaled, its dark depths plumbed—combined with a large soul, an ironic vision, an unfailingly playful sense of humor, and the gift of bending the language to his every whim, are what lead to great writing.
— Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo
Introduction
Seventy-five essays. That’s what it totals for this selection that represents a decade’s produce. Well, slightly more than that. The intent was to present essays written during the Noughts, but it really comes up to 11 years, from 2000 to 2010. And then it was suggested to include at least one other—on recreational places—that dates all the way back to 1994. And which I’d forgotten about. But it had something to do with generations. So I’m easy. A previous collection of essays appeared in 2001, The Word on Paradise: Essays 1991-2000—On Writers and Writing (Anvil Publishing), which also had 75 essays that represented the 1990s. Here then is a sequel of a personal anthology, maybe a bit of the same stuff, but also expanded to comprise the full range of my sybaritic interests—communal wassailing, varieties of sprits and spiritual experience, friendship, poetry, literature in general, demure dalliances, transgender and trans-generational camaraderie, the departure of loved ones, the country I love. I’ve sectioned the 75 essays into six parts, each with a thematic binder: Lush Life Manila, which is all about fluids transfer, that is, inebriation and wenching; Memorabilia, which has the most number of pieces, since senior moments may soon turn into a great big blob of a void; Gravitas, for rendering my brand of nationalism; Academia, consisting of academic papers as well as other mock-serious observations on language, art and poetry; Farewells, which is sort of a weepy Obit section; and for a culminating theme, something I’ve chosen to call Now, Now, Noynoy, composed of a dozen inestimably lyrical essays on our new President. Again I hope that my love for country turns into one of nation with these perorations, other than peregrinations. All of these essays were originally published in various outlets: theme anthologies, The Philippine Star where I have run a regular weekly column over the past dozen years; Philippines Graphic magazine where I used to have a fortnightly column; Illustrado magazine, a glossy lifestyle monthly published in Dubai; the annual Philippines Yearbook edited by Vernon Go; the sporadic Manila Envelope special magazine edited by Jessica Zafra; METRO Him, Rogue, Lifestyle Asia and UNO magazines; and of late the online GMANews.TV with good buddy Howie Severino as editor in chief. My thanks go to dear friend Jing Hidalgo, who patiently nagged me to undertake this selection from among all the prolixity that I breathe, often in shamelessly chatty fashion.
— Krip Yuson
Date and Time:
October 20, 2011 - 6:00pm - 9:00pm
Reposted from panitikan.com.ph with permission.
No comments:
Post a Comment