Five excellent reads by Lasallians
It’s time to update your reading list and grab these interesting books!
[Part of a series]
Nothing transports the mind better (and cuts traffic time in half) than a good read. Excellent books also enrich our lives by encouraging critical thought, creativity, and empathy.
Featured below are some of the most intriguing and engaging works of literature from a few notable Lasallians:
Make sure to add these books to your reading list!
- The Trilogy of St. Lazarus by the late Dr. Cirilo F. Bautista, National Artist for Literature and DLSU Professor Emeritus of Literature, is considered as his magnum opus and one of the greatest exemplars of modern epic poetry. Written in a span of 30 years, it is a compendium of books consisting of The Archipelago, Telex Moon, and Sunlight on Broken Stones. The Trilogy is a narrative rendition of modern Philippine history spanning the Spanish colonization of the Philippines and reaches all the way into the modern era.
2. DLSU Professor Emeritus Dr. Marjorie Evasco’s Ochre Tones is a poetry collection written in both English and her native Cebuano. It is a result of a period in her life between her residency in Scotland and her return to Cebu. In writing about her experiences, she intended to bridge the gap between the two languages and retain the expression and subtleties found within both languages.
3. Sky Over Dimas by DLSU alumnus and Literature Assistant Professor Vicente Garcia Groyon is a Palanca-award winning novel that centers on the wealthy Torrecarions of Bacolod. Part mystery, family drama, and social critique, the book transports the readers into an unfamiliar territory.
4. Victorette Joy Campilan’s debut novel All My Lonely Islands was originally her thesis for her Master in Fine Arts degree at De La Salle University. The manuscript won the 2015 Palanca Memorial Awards Grand Prize for the Novel in English, while the published work won the 2017 Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award. Poetically written, the book is a coming of age tale that meditates on the themes of identity and redemption within both languages.
5.) Janina Marie Rivera took her MFA in Literature in DLSU. At age 14, battled against Àrterio-Venous Malformation (AVM) — a fatal congenital condition that left her with recurring headaches and a permanent, visual half-blindness. “A Night Bird Sings of Blindness and Fear” is the first book of its kind in the Philippines that specifically tackles the topic of AVM, the related struggles for self-acceptance, maturity, and desire to live courageously in the face of illness. The book was launched at this year’s Manila International Book Fair.
