Tertulia Features Talk on National Artist Nick Joaquin
Ambassador Virgilio Reyes delivers a talk on the legacy of Philippine National Artist Nick Joaquin (photos by NYPCG)
02 November 2017 NEW YORK – As part of the commemoration of Filipino-American History Month, a Tertulia or salon discussion on “Nick Joaquin: A Hundred Years of Plenitude” was held at the Philippine Center in New York on October 25.
The talk on the legacy of Philippine National Artist Nick Joaquin was presented by Ambassador Virgilio Reyes, Jr. former Philippine Ambassador to South Africa and Italy. In his presentation, Ambassador Reyes traced the trajectory of Joaquin’s career and place in Philippine as well as post-colonial literature, juxtaposed with significant events in Philippine history.
Ambassador Reyes’ talk was made even richer with his sharing of personal encounters with Joaquin during Mr. Reyes stint at the Philippines Free Press.
The tertulia likewise featured readings from Nick Joaquin’s works by Antoni Mendezona, Marily Abalos and multi-awarded thespian Lorli Villanueva.
A lively discussion on the impact of Nick Joaquin on generations of Filipino and Filipino-American writers, reasons for his belated discovery by international audiences, and supporting greater recognition for Filipino writers along with other related questions saw the active participation of the audience at the tertulia.
Among the audience members were writers, theater advocates and artists, second generation Filipino-Americans, arts conservationists, and filmmakers. Ms. Rosario “Sari” Joaquin, grandniece of Nick Joaquin and a freshman at New York University shared her family remembrances of the National Artists and expressed appreciation for the holding of the Tertulia.
Consul General encouraged the attendees to reacquaint themselves and also to introduce their networks to the Nick Joaquin through the first-ever anthology of his works published in the United States, “The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic” under the auspices of Penguin Classics.
Future editions of the Tertulia series will be announced in the coming months. END
For more information, visit www.newyorkpcg.dfa.gov.ph/ www.newyorkpcg.org or https://www.facebook.com/PHLinNY/
Some of the attendees pose with Consul General Dizon-De Vega (7th from left, 1st row) and Amb. Reyes (6th from left, 1st row)
Exchange of views during the Tertulia