March 14, 2015, 4:41 p.m. – THE UST Publishing House
launched a new collection of poems by National Artist for Literature Cirilo
Bautista at De La Salle University Thursday.
“Things Happen” is the fourth Bautista book to be released
by the UST Publishing House following “Galaw ng Asoge” (2004),
“Latay sa Isipan” (2007), and “The House of True Desire”
(2010).
The anthology’s theme, according to Bautista, was inspired
by personal events and recollections.
John Jack Wigley, director of the UST Publishing House, said
Bautista’s poems were reminiscent of different times. “His poems reflect a
longing and remembering of the past—of old age,” he told the Varsitarian.
The event, called “Parangal Para Kay Cirilo,” also launched
De La Salle’s Cirilo F. Bautista Program for Literary Arts.
An open forum, hosted by Inquirer Arts and Books editor and
Varsitarian publications adviser Joselito Zulueta, followed.
Fellow National Artists for Literature Bienvenido Lumbera
and F. Sionil Jose were present during the event.
Colleagues praised Bautista’s new anthology, with Lumbera
saying he “enjoyed [the book] thoroughly.”
Poetess Rebecca Añonuevo noted the quality of Bautista’s context.
“[His poems are] powerful, the lyrical quality is always there,” she said in an
interview.
Bautista, a former Varsitarian literary editor, graduated
from UST in 1963 with a Literature degree. He was named National Artist by
President Benigno Aquino III on June 20, 2014. Alpine Christopher P. Moldez
