A Woman's Impression of the Philippines is an interesting take on the country based on a California citizen's travels to Honolulu, Manila, and throughout the Philippines. Excerpt: "On the morning on which we drew our travel-pay checks, one of the Radcliffe girls was most eager to get downtown before the bank closed. The shops of Manila had been altogether too alluring for the very small balance which remained in her purse after our ten days at Honolulu. The efforts of the small boys were fruitless, so she resorted to the expedient of trying to gather up a carromata from someone leaving his at the Exposition Building."
Celebrating the centennial of his birth, the first-ever U.S. publication of Philippine writer Nick Joaquin’s seminal works, with a foreword by PEN/Open Book Award–winner Gina Apostol A New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice Nick Joaquin is widely considered one of the greatest Filipino writers, but he has remained little-known outside his home country despite writing in English. Set amid the ruins of Manila devastated by World War II, his stories are steeped in the post-colonial anguish and hopes of his era and resonate with the ironic perspectives on colonial history of Gabriel García Márquez and Mario Vargas Llosa. His work meditates on the questions and challenges of the Filipino individual’s new freedom after a long history of colonialism, exploring folklore, centuries-old Catholic rites, the Spanish colonial past, magical realism, and baroque splendor and excess. This collection features his best-known story, “The Woman Who Had Two Navels,” centered on Philippine emigrants living in Hong Kong and later expanded into a novel, the much-anthologized stories “May Day Eve” and “The Summer Solstice” and a canonic play, A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino. As Penguin Classics previously launched his countryman Jose Rizal to a wide audience, now Joaquin will find new readers with the first American collection of his work. Introduction and Suggestions for Further Reading by Vicente L. Rafael For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.
The romance publishing landscape in the Philippines is vast and complex, characterised by entangled industrial players, diverse kinds of texts, and siloed audiences. This Element maps the large, multilayered, and highly productive sector of the Filipino publishing industry. It explores the distinct genre histories of romance fiction in this territory and the social, political and technological contexts that have shaped its development. It also examines the close connections between romance publishing and other media sectors alongside unique reception practices. It takes as a central case study the Filipino romance self-publishing collective #RomanceClass, analysing how they navigate this complex local landscape as well as the broader international marketplace. The majority of scholarship on romance fiction exclusively focuses on the Anglo-American industry. By focusing here on the Philippines, the authors hope to disrupt this phenomenon, and to contribute to a more decentred, rhizomatic approach to understanding this genre world.
Florence Kimball Russel's 'A Woman's Journey through the Philippines' is a captivating travelogue that offers rich insights into the cultural landscape of the Philippines in the early 20th century. Written with a keen eye for detail and a lyrical prose style, Russel takes readers on a vivid exploration of the country's diverse regions, customs, and people. The book serves as both a travel narrative and a valuable historical document, shedding light on a time when the Philippines was a US colony. Through her observations and encounters, Russel paints a multifaceted picture of a nation in transition, grappling with the complexities of colonization and cultural exchange. As a pioneering female traveler and writer, Florence Kimball Russel brings a unique perspective to her narrative, offering a glimpse into the challenges and triumphs of a woman exploring unfamiliar territories on her own. Her adventurous spirit and curiosity shine through in every page, making 'A Woman's Journey through the Philippines' a testament to the power of female exploration and cross-cultural understanding. Readers interested in travel literature, women's history, and Filipino culture will find this book both enlightening and inspiring. In conclusion, 'A Woman's Journey through the Philippines' is a must-read for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the intersections between travel, culture, and gender in the early 20th century. Florence Kimball Russel's vivid descriptions and thoughtful reflections make this book a timeless classic that continues to resonate with contemporary audiences.
General Adult. From the acclaimed author of A Gentle Madness comes a new collection of more than thirty dispatches from the world of books. Reports on a nascent library in Iraq and a firsthand account of a high-stakes book auction combine with provocative discussions of the deliberate destruction of books and insightful profiles of book collectors, writers, and librarians to create a panoramic view of bibliomania.
