Gleanings From A Life In Literature

F. Sionil JOse, the most widely translated Filipino writer, delivered all these autobiographical lectures in the last decade. Added to tis second edition is The Challenge of History, which Sionil Jose delivered in 2009. They are a summing up of six decades of creative imaagination and dedication. This lengthy writing career was first inspired by his mother, Sofia, who learned English from the Thomasites-- the first American teachers who came to the PHilippines after the conclusion of the Philippine-American War in 1902. This collection is dedicated to his grade school teacher, Soledad Oriel, who introducted him to Jose Rizal, Willa Cather and Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra, and at the University of Santo Tomas, his teachers Paz M. Latorena and juan Labrador; the former taught him how to read, and the latter, a Domican writer taught him an important lesson in writing--clarity. Though these essays are personal, they can be instructie to those who want to read, to write and to understand the Filipinos and their country.Contents01. A Journey to Revolution and Freedom02. Literature As History03. Don Quixote and I04. Filipino English -- The Literature As We Think It.05. Notes On The Writing Of The Rosales Saga06. Spirit and Literature07. To The Young Writers of Cavite08. The Unrecognized Enemy09. Valedictory, December 9, 200710. University of Santo Tomas -- A Memoir