The 7th NVM Gonzalez Writers' workshop will be held in the U.P. Diliman and in Baguio City, Philippines. The workshop aims to provide the venue to practice and master the tools of literary presence. It addresses in particular, but not limited to, the growing presence of Filipino-American writers in the American landscape and the ever expanding Filipino diaspora. The workshop hopes to provide ample and secure scaffolding to those who aspire to claim their "clearings" and invent and imagine new worlds to inhabit and make their presence felt.
The Workshop addresses and hopes to attract young, aspiring and even published writers willing to mentor others from the Filipino-American community, as well as other communities, although Filipinos living elsewhere are encouraged to join.
It hopes to foster greater and deeper appreciation of the works of present and past Philippine and Filipino-American literature, recognizing that these works are expressive productions of a society and culture that is still in the process of defining its presence in the United States and in the world.
As a tool for capturing the expressions of life in the now diasporic world of the Filipino, good writing becomes essential to articulate, to explore, and to share these new worlds and vocabularies that many Filipinos now inhabit, from Hong Kong, the Middle East, Western Europe and the United States. It will be through literature that these global ties can be bound.
" There is not a place in the world, including Antarctica where a Filipino cannot be found - NVM Gonzalez"
| POST WORKSHOP REFLECTIONS Seattle (July 3-6, 2013, University of Washington campus in Seattle, WA) My experience at the three day workshop under the tutelage of Peter Bacho was exhilarating, challenging and most of all added to the consciousness of my own shortcomings and potential as a novice author. Especially helpful were critiques of my efforts by the other participants in the workshop. They were published writers and their frankness and expertise were not negative and were motivated to clarify and support my own efforts. This was the first writer's workshop I had experienced although I have taken several creative writing courses at community colleges throughout Seattle. Peter's candor and incisive perceptions added to my motivation to continue tweaking and seeking out my voice. I would recommend this workshop for novice and experienced authors/writers without reservation -Pio de Cano, Seattle workshop 2013 |
