Hoods

The failures have been complete everywhere and nobody feels any alarm.

Charles Greville
June 13, 1848
Diary entry

1) They say the election results speak against GMA. I’m not as astute an observer, but I do want to agree. People have been murdered just by thinking different. People have disappeared. Some of us want honesty. Some of us want rest from all wishful thinking: to hell with politics!

Someone wants the Pope bad.

2) I’m three hours of sleep and two hours of ride away from Laguna. I just want to post that the Sunday Times published my story. It came out with a title typo as “The Childhood.” I wanted it out as “The Childhoods.” Although the plural title still fits the bill in my book, maybe it’s better that it was released in the singular. See, another version of the story exists, a bricolage that employs footnotes and has them eat up half the pages (I say another version, but it might as well be another story). Naturally, it’s a layout editor’s nightmare. When the story took that form, I loved it. I killed the prudent man in my head who advised “kill all darlings,” then I gladly embraced the fact that I’ll never get the monster out on print.

Maybe I’ll stick to “childhood” on the one that did get out and retain the plural for the unpublished other, thus marking the difference at least in my files. It’s Alea’s say! I can honor her from time to time.

When I bought the mag and saw the typo, I smiled. When you’ve cut out two-thirds of your story, your threshold expands to interesting proportions. Thanks to the editor for publishing “The Childhood.” The artists, the staff – everybody. Thanks to my workshop group, Naratibo, for beta-testing “The Childhoods.” Sorry Anna (and the others) for the font size. I tried to be considerate, but the footnotes defied me, jumping to the next page if I didn’t size ‘em in right.

Pink, Ava, and Kabesang Tales thanks for showing some love to the ugly beast. And for liking the story as well.

I’m in season-ending mode here because I guess I must keep off the color pens for some months. The red one beckons. School time.

3) Irma of Dasma, best of luck with all those meetings and prayers. You’re going to need it.

4) I read in the papers that the World Bank put some weight behind the bid of the publishing “cartel” that eventually won the contract to make those error-infested textbooks for our dear children. Alea, tell me you had nothing to do with this!

5) Advanced happy birthday.