Friday, August 29, 2014

Meet Dr. Beth McCoy

In 2010 a distinguished professor addressed the graduating class of 2010 in my Alma mater. Of course, I don't find out until 4 years later (yesterday) when I decide to troll around her Facebook page. She was amazing then as a teacher. The convocation address below reminds me of why I will always be her student despite 14 years away from the institution.

Dr. McCoy is an English professor specializing in African American literature. She has taught at Wichita State University and currently teaches at the State University of New York, College at Geneseo. Please have yourself a fantastic read, be inspired and do the work.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

“I live my life in hiding. My survival depends on it.” – Dexter

(most recent post on Balloon-Juice)
My Facebook feed tells me that the film Documented has been honored at the Cinemalaya Film Festival in Manila. I watched it on CNN the Sunday night we arrived at our Outer Banks vacation last month. I watched it alone while the rest of the family was either playing Monopoly with one dice or grocery shopping for the week. I would normally opt to go grocery shopping since I am selective about my diet but stayed in knowing the film was premiering.  It was 2 hours long and I found myself mesmerized by the images of Manila streets. It looked like a modern day Wild West with its dusty streets and a lone rickshaw pulled by a motor bike.
I identify with Mr. Vargas for many reasons. We are both Filipino, similar in age. We are both writers. He is a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist that has covered Presidential elections. I am newly minted on the Balloon-Juice front page having graduated from my audience of 10 with the other other (a little bit neglected) blog. He is “out” about the most intimate details of his life and at some point I might also consider disclosing details about myself. He is friends with the likes of Mark Zuckerburg and I am a stalker of professors. All and all pretty close right? It remains to be seen if he has a luxurious, tumbleweed generator of a cat but I think not with his hectic travel schedule. This may be where I have Mr. Vargas beat.  My immigrant cat says, “eat your heart out Jose!”

Balloon Juice

Hi Everyone,

So its finally happened. My writing has been read outside of my circle of few. I have been asked to be a guest blogger on Balloon-Juice. I have written 3 posts so far and the response has been overwhelming.

I am still working on pieces for this blog - although I can't seem to keep up with the reading, the general mental churning and the expunging from the soul type of activity right before I press "publish". I did learn how to do the "read more" cuts on this interface and Wordpress so you don't get overwhelmed right off the bat when the posts are 5 to 10 pages long on a word document.

So just an update, I am still fully immersed in Dr. Jose Rizal's works. I have completed "the Noli" and currently reading "The Fili". I wrote the review above for BJ and I'm honestly not done writing about the Noli so stay tuned. I will say that the "Fili" is a really exciting read now that I am use to Dr. Rizal's writing style.

http://www.balloon-juice.com/2014/07/24/anonymous-book-review/

Tonight I ordered In Our Image: America's Empire in the Philippines by Stanley Karnow via Abebooks.com.

Be well. I think of you often and we'll talk again soon.