Poetry Night 2

Events by Dominique Gerald Cimafranca | Sunday, January 25th, 2009

Our second Poetry Night, held at Wings and Wedges in Matina Town Square, was a smashing success. Students from UP Mindanao came out in full force and comprised most of the readers and audience (though we did get good representation from Ateneo de Davao, University of Southeastern Philippines, Davao Writers Guild, and other young professionals, as well.) All in all, our crowd had grown by around 50% more than the first Poetry Night.

Ms. Aida Rivera-Ford started off the evening with an inspirational message for the young writers as she recounted her own early days as a writer and editor for Silliman University’s Sands and Coral. She talked about how she came to write her masterpiece, “The Chieftest Mourner”, as she drew inspiration from a real event while on vacation in Manila. “You write how you see the world,” she said.

Poetry Night 2 was an auspicious night as it coincided with the first release of “Davao Harvest 2″, the anthology of literature edited by Tita Lacambra-Ayala. Several of the contributors to the compilation were in attendance. Award-winning writers Mac Tiu, BJ Patiño, Arnel Mardoquio, and Jhoanna Lynn Cruz, all featured in the book, also read their pieces. Davao Writers Guild president Ricardo de Ungria capped the evening with a performance of his poem.

Young poets who read their own original works were:

Vanessa Mae Almeria (“Workshop”)
Josie Jane Balabag (“Usa ka Gabiing Dili Makatulog si Matet”)
Lyda May Sual (“Usa ka Gabiing Nakighilawas ang Manananggal”)
Arian Rey Tejano
Allen Samsuya (“Face-ist Monologue”)
Kelly Marie Conlon (“Geometry”)
Angely Chi (“iPod”)
Brenndon Garino (“Bliss”)
Julienne Mumar (“An Invitation”)
Christian Jane Centina (“Water on Fire”)
Maki Caniban (“Ang Ulan ug Ang Imong Pagbalik”)
Yas Ocampo (“Eating Nilagang Mani”)
Karla Stefan Singson (“Wait”)
Bam Baraguir (“Wait — A Reply”)
Kim Castillo (“Into the Woods”, “Shimoda II”)

As with the first Poetry Night, the ebullient Jhoanna Lynn Cruz emceed the event. Poetry Night 2 was organized by Kim Castillo and graciously hosted by Wings and Wedges.

More pictures from Poetry Night 2.