This course will introduce post-World War II Filipino literary writings in English in the Philippines and in the United States. The various socio-cultural contexts, the political conditions and the emotional dilemmas of fictional characters in different times and space will be analyzed and critically studied. One important aspect of the course is the subject of diaspora or migration. It will focus on some writings that touch on the causes, problems and the concomitant effects of this phenomenon as viewed by various Filipino writers.
The course will begin with the development of Philippine Literature in English and then proceed to the discussion of literary works by well-known fictionists like Nick Joaquin, F. Sionil Jose, Estrella Alfon, Ninotchka Rosca, Jessica Hagedorn, Marianne Villanueva, Manuel Arguilla, Wilfredo Nolledo, Carlos Bulosan; poets like Marjorie Evasco, Edith Tiempo, Eric Gamalinda, Merlinda Bobis and Luis Francia, playwrights like Severino Montano and Amelia Lapena Bonifacio; as well as essayists like Nicholas Pichay, Gilda Cordero Fernando and Luis Teodoro.
Requirements: Class participation (attendance), three 7-paged papers; two group presentations; one individual presentation of a novel read; listening to guest speakers.
