RONELO Ladiao is one of my trusted friends.
Some people, even my other friends, question my association with Ronelo.
They say that Ronelo is loud, and crazy.
But that’s exactly why I like Ronelo!
He is loud and crazy like me.
But he is also damn talented, and hardworking.
And most of all, he is interested in what I do.
He’s updated about my projects.
And without my asking, Ronelo often offers to blog about me.
He sends me questions that I actually enjoy answering.
Here’s his latest interview with me.
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Iconic Ilonggo writer Peter Solis Nery in the time of COVID
An interview by Ronelo S. Ladiao
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Ronelo S. Ladiao (RSL): You are known to release books year after year. How many books are you going to release in 2020? Tell us more about each one, and how you came up with their concept.
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Peter Solis Nery (PSN): For my New Year’s resolution, I promised myself to slow down with book publishing this year 2020. But I was committed to finish two textbooks for senior high school: one is about 21st century literature, and the other is about Philippine contemporary arts. I envisioned them for use in the Literature and Humanities appreciation courses so I was very excited. I was content and satisfied with these two books.
But to write the literature textbook, I wanted to tap teachers of the course/subject. I wanted them to write literary criticisms. I mean, if they demand their students to write critical essays, I think that they should know how to write such essays themselves. So I conducted an online workshop on “Writing about Literature” in May. And I was pleasantly surprised with the output of the participants. I’m including them in my literature textbook, but I’m also publishing them in one anthology of critical essays. I think it will be called We Begin in Awe, and the title will be explained in the introduction.
In April, while people were put in COVID quarantines and lockdowns, Celia Parcon finished the translation into English of my six Hiligaynon Palanca-winning stories. For the scope and magnificence of her work, Celia was awarded the 2020 Peter’s Prize for Literary Translation. Part of her prize is the publication of her book of translation. Thus, in May, Nothing’s Lost: Stories by Peter Solis Nery, translated by Celia F. Parcon was published in the US.
By May, I have also produced more than a book’s length of materials for my new memoir. I wrote stuff weekly since January. Mostly stuff to explain to a potential boyfriend my own personal compulsions. I had no intention of publishing it this year. But because of Covid and lockdowns, everybody went into this psycho and mental stress mode. Everybody was depressed and distressed. And I thought, But my planned memoir is so apt, so relevant, and appropriate for the stressed (COVID) situation! It is light reading, and it talks about how I was coping with distressing situations in the last five or seven years. Thus, The (Almost) Fabulous was born. ‘Almost’ in parenthesis is an important key to reading the book. The (Almost) Fabulous was published in June.
Releasing a memoir this year reminded me of the memoirs I wrote in 1996 (The Essential Thoughts of a Purple Cat), 1997 (Moon River, Butterflies, and Me), and 1998 (My Life as a Hermit). I began to reread my early memoirs, and I recognized how different my early voice was. But also how beautiful, and still sincere. Because the books are over 22 years old, and out of print, I felt it wouldn’t be fair for millennial readers (and my millennial fans) to miss the early Peter Solis Nery. So, I decided to republish them all three in one volume. It’s called Heart of My Youth because, well, the memoirs chronicled the “heart of my youth.” I asked three writers to introduce each of my books to new, and millennial readers. And I think the beautiful introductions are an added attraction in Heart of My Youth.
In February, I talked to some people in Iloilo. A literature committee in the planned Iloilo Arts Festival 2020 was supposed to publish all the 20 years of Hiligaynon literature from the Palanca contests. I have seven Palanca-winning stories — enough material for a book of its own. I don’t know what happened to the Iloilo Arts Festival publication project. But I’m not holding my breath over these things. Because I can, I just go ahead, and decide to publish my seven stories. Winners like me do not wait for projects. We create projects! So, yeah, I decided to tap another literary scholar to introduce my stories, which are considered the new classics of Hiligaynon literature. The book should be out before the end of the year.
That’s seven books right there, if you are counting. But it is only August. Who knows? I might be able to make another memoir, this time more focused on my life as a writer. That way, I can also help respond to the need of new writers to give them direction, and lessons in the literary life. (To be continued)/PN
