Nov. 18 2016, 9:50 p.m. – A THOMASIAN author challenged young writers to write about social issues as a way to contribute to the local literary scene.
“Ang mga writer na nakakapagbigay ng social commentary ay ang mga tunay na may sinasabi. You may find them humorous, but they still have certain gravity in their works,” said UST Publishing House Director Jack Wigley at a book launch at the Tanghalang Teresita Quirino last Nov. 18.
Wigley equated criticism in the form of “panlalait” with social commentaries intended to give reflections instead of merely insulting.
“Sumasalamin [ang panlalait] sa mundong ginagalawan natin. Even without politicizing, these personal stories depict a bigger picture of the Filipinos and their culture,” Wigley said in an interview with the Varsitarian.
Wigley launched his anthology of creative non-fiction stories, “Lait Chronicles,” alongside UST Publishing House Deputy Director Ailil Alvarez’s “Slivers of the Sky: Catholic Literary Readings and Other Essays.”
For Alvarez, literary criticism entails reading a text from a different perspective, not mere fault-finding.
“The lens we use [for reading texts] reflects what our hearts want to see, and Catholic criticism always wants to see God because it is literature fired by faith,” she said.
Alvarez is a writer of criticism and theory focused on Catholic spirituality and women’s studies.
The event, titled “Langit at Lait,” was the fifth installment of the UST Authors Series which showcases the works of UST Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies resident fellows. N.M.M. Garcia
