(H)istoryador

by Vim Nadera

From history or story about a mannish lady or feminine man, this is a novel which is not. A combination of journalism and literature. The storyteller is Minerva Concepcion but the voice that one can hear is from the spirit of Rosario Villaruel - the 1st Filipina mason. Both are warriors - the 1st is fighting the journalistic freedom while the latter fights for the independence of Philippines as Katipunera. While Minerva tells her story, she also narrates the life of her society. In her story, she is the hero and the villain. She is the lead character which can be considered not especially if she will be put in front of another character of her story. Her life story is her grandmother's life story considering the lady is not really her grandmother. The grandmother tells her past with the connection of the future. And everyone can consider her as a criminal - one white muddy pigeon.

266 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

About the author

Tayabas-born but Sampaloc-bred VICTOR EMMANUEL CARMELO D. NADERA, JR. is an award-winning poet, fictionist, playwright, and essayist. A B.S. and M.A. in Clinical Psychology degree-holder from the University of Santo Tomas, he pioneers Poetry Therapy in the country. A series of free sessions to cancer patients led to "Asia's first expressive art workshop" at the National Arts Center in 1995 and the staging of his satire Sens Op Tyumor in 1996. Among his outreach programs is the Three Ps , implemented in different hospitals and for which he has won support from the Philippine Society of Oncologists in different hospitals. In addition to being a member of Kapisanan ng May K sa Pilipinas (KMKP), the umbrella organization of support groups of cancer survivors in the Philippines, Nadera is involved with several universities and the writers' groups LIRA, UMPIL, and PETA Writers' Bloc. He founded the UST Writers' Workshop and the Moving the Pen Journalism/Literary Seminar in 1991, as well as the USTETIKA, which has been producing rosters of great young writers since 1989. At the University of the Philippines, he has been inspiring students since he organized Gatula (1996) and other groups known for Performance Poetry. Considered the "father of performance poetry in the Philippines," he represented the Philippines in the Kuala Lumpur World Poetry Reading (Malaysia, 2000), International Seminar on Southeast Asian Literature (Malaysia, 2001), Asia Arts Net Annual Conference (Taiwan, 2001) and Balagtasan sa Singapore (Singapore, 2002).

His epic Mujer Indigena and novel (H)istoryador(a) won the Centennial Literary Prize in 1998. On Balagtas Day of the same year, Vim became the youngest recipient of the Recognition Award from the Commission on Filipino Language, the same body known formerly as Institute of National Language that proclaimed him youngest Poet of the Year in 1985. He has also won in the National Book Awards, Rizal International Filipino Poetry Contest, Gawad Collantes, Palanca Awards, Carlos Bulosan Award. Other awards include the Gawad Leopoldo Yabes, Gawad Parangal ng Quezon, Gawad Chancellor, and TOYM. A prolific editor, critic, columnist, translator and author, his latest books are Poetreat: The Use of Poetry Therapy in Mutual Support Groups of Cancer Survivors in Metro Manila (UST, 2000) and Asinta: Mga Tula at Tudla (UST, 2002). Vim is at present the seventh, and the youngest, Director of the UP Institute of Creative Writing.

Reviews

[Billy Ibarra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ayon sa blurb ng aklat, "Pinaghalong peryodismo at panitikan, ang kasaysayang ito ay kuwentong diyurnalistiko at pampanitikan.". Tinatawid ng nobelang ito (na di-nobela) ang kasaysayan ng Pilipinas mula pa man noong bago tayo sakupin ng mga Kastila hanggang sa panahon ni Fidel V. Ramos (FVR) sa pamamagitan ng pagkukuwento ni Minerva Centenario at pakikipagkuwentuhan niya sa iba pang karakter. Maganda ang paghahalo ng mga fiction at non-fiction na mga pangyayari sa kasaysayan---tila pagkakasaysayan ng mga kasaysayan patungo sa isa pang kasaysayan.

Sa totoo lang, hindi ako sanay magbasa ng ganitong klase ng akda na maraming ibinatong impormasyon na ang hirap i-absorb kaya kailangan mong pag-isipan ang bawat bahagi, minsan pa nga e bawat linya. Information overload malala. Kapag binasa mo ito, kailangan mong intindihin ang mga nangyayari dahil minsan, di mo alam kung nasaan ka nang bahagi ng kuwento: nasa kasalukuyan ka ba o nasa nakaraan? Bakit nandito na ako gayong naroon lang ako kanina? Saan patutungo ang kuwentong ito? Minsan mahihilo ka pasikot-sikot pero bandang dulo'y maiintindihan mo rin kung paano ka napunta sa puntong iyon.

Kung gusto mong maaliw lang, hindi ito ang aklat para sa 'yo. Pero kung gusto mong matuto, para sa 'yo 'to, at kailangan mo talagang pag-isipan ang kuwento hanggang sa dulo.