Skeletons on my bookshelf

THIS WEEK’S WINNER

MANILA, Philippines - Penzer R. Baterna, 22, is a content developer from Iloilo City. He graduated with a degree in Journalism at West Visayas State University. Aside from reading and writing, he is interested in film, photography, politics and blogging.

As a kid I remember dreaming of a huge library full of good books. I loved reading, but neither of my parents realized that. Of course, they did buy me good fairytale collections and children’s stories but never did they realize I wanted more.

Every Christmas, I hoped to receive a good book, but I had toys from my godparents and picture frames from my school Christmas party instead. No books. No stories to read. So I just filled my fantasy of reading good stories by writing some — although most of them weren’t that good.

When I went to college, I started saving for good books. Stephen King is my favorite author. Maybe because my first good read was his Pet Sematary, which I borrowed from a friend when we were in fifth grade. Then I read Carrie and my fascination for King started and grew really great. I already have 27 different titles from the guy.

One of my favorites from King is Dolores Claiborne. A story of motherly love caught in a roller coaster suspense-filled psychodrama. It is about Dolores and her struggle to make the investigators believe that she didn’t kill her employer. She really did not, but throughout the interrogation, she confessed one thing she had done in the past — kill her husband. The book is dark but, believe it or not, it made me see the truth behind the cliché on what a good mother can do for her children. Dolores Claiborne made me more appreciative of little things moms do. And I guess it reinforced my love for my mom more — mushy and gay as it may sound.

Reality check though, not all moms are like Dolores. Some seem to ignore their being a mother and force their children to do things. I once heard a conversation between a driver and his friend in the front seat of a jeepney about a mom pimping her own daughter. If eavesdropping is a crime, I’d be serving a life sentence now. If the story is true, I wonder where the motherly heart of that person went. She should read Dolores Claiborne and be touched by it.

Books really fascinate me, and I hope not to miss reading a good one. So I collect and read.

Recently I finished reading the newly launched Si Amapola sa 65 na Kabanata by master storyteller Ricky Lee. Just imagine a gay manananggal who has alter egos saving the Philippines. The manananggal represents us — our diversity, our differences. And despite these differences we need to do something to unite and save the country from filth and greed.

Another book from a Filipino writer that I really love is Kislap by award-winning author Abdon Abalde Jr. The book is a collection of short stories of exactly or not more than 150 words. It has become my icebreaker from monotonous routine. When I feel bored, I’ll get it from the shelf, flip it, say stop, and read the story from the page it has stopped. Sometimes, I reread the entire book.

Filipino writers are marvels in their own ways. But, as I see it, a lot of us are more into foreign writers, staying blind to how beautiful Filipino literature is. 

Yes, a lot prefer foreign books but one genre of Filipino literature that is hugely followed by readers is humor.

The first Filipino book I had was Eros Atalia’s Peksman Nagsisinungaling Ako. I bought it out of curiosity. The title interests me so as the man with bulging gums raising his right hand and promising that he is lying on the cover. Ironic as the cover is — the irony continues as I flip from page to page. What I like about the book is that it also contains a collection of short stories that offers glimpses of life, especially in this country. I loved Atalia’s writing, which led me to buy his other books.

Bob Ong is another Filipino author who is well-loved by avid readers. I read his books before Atalia’s but never owned one. When I started collecting books by Filipino authors I also started buying his books, which are cool, sarcastic and truthful.

Bob Ong has good books, but I wonder why he remains anonymous until now. Such anonymity reminds me of Richard Bachman, a writer from New York who died in 1985. I’ve read his The Regulators, which according to reports, the manuscript was discovered by his wife in the attic of their residence after he died of cancer — which they identified as “cancer of pseudonyms.” The day Bachman died is the birth of the person behind him — Stephen King. It is not shocking, after all, since the two have similarities in the way they write. So maybe I’ll be laughing and rolling when one day I’ll find out that Atalia and Bob Ong are the same person. Forgive me if I’m wrong, just my two cents.

Books by Filipino writers are good reads. See Jessica Zafra’s Twisted series.

Books are really fascinating as they contain fragments of us, of people around us and of reality. And really, my parents did not notice my fascination for books until they saw them grow in numbers. And here’s more that they should know: When they thought I was studying late at night when I was in high school and college, I wasn’t. Most of the time I was doing two things: reading a book borrowed from my friends or writing something to read. Now the thought that I was studying hard in my room saved me from doing chores on weekends, too — just taking out some skeletons in my bookshelf!