Literary Hoaxes

Random number between 1 and 328, page 307 of Literary Hoaxes, in the middle of one of the most profitable hoaxes, Naked Came the Stranger, Penelope Ashe fictitious author #goliwaliwph #november2018 #pages pic.twitter.com/wRfvk8CDPp

— glenncruz (@glenncruz) November 20, 2018

Random number between 1 and 328, page 307 of Literary Hoaxes: An Eye-Opening History of Famous Frauds by Melissa Katsoulis is in the middle of the story of one of the most profitable hoaxes aimed at the "literary mainstream," launched by 1960s newspaper columnist Mike McGrady and 25 other accomplices: Naked Came the Stranger, a chapter-by-chapter revenge sex of a wife wronged by a philandering husband, deliberately badly written, by a fictitious author Penelope Ashe. It was a success as a prank, and the work became a bestseller; the "intellectual pranksters" eventually confessed publicly. And that just fueled in more sell:

As predicted, sales began to soar, the hoaxing aspect lending Naked an even more cultish identity -- and, no doubt, enabling high-minded litterateurs and armchair critics legitimately to go out and buy a trashy book with a naked lady on the cover in the name of current affairs.... In the years that followed, it was translated into all the languages a 1970s porn-watcher might expect: Dutch, Danish, Norwegian, Italian, Spanish and French.

The month of November is “Library and Information Services (LIS) Month” per Presidential Proclamation No. 837 signed on November 19, 1991 by former President Corazon C. Aquino.

This month in liwaliw Pages, titles pre-selected from my home library are those found under the 000 class of the Dewey Decimal System, or under computer science, information and general works. Check this title out on my Library Thing.


[This post is antedated: 20181122]

I'm Kissing You

"I'm Kissing You" (also, "Kissing You") is co-written and performed by British R&B recording artist Des'ree, born Desiree Annette Weeks on 30 November 1968. The song is included in the artist's album Supernatural, and as theme song, in the original soundtrack album of Romeo + Juliet, or title in full, William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

Pride can stand a thousand trials
The strong will never fall
But watching stars without you, my soul cried
Heaving heart is full of pain
Oh, oh, the aching! 

Romeo + Juliet, while it retained the Shakespearean dialogue, its setting was modernized to an American urban landscape held hostage by warring gangster families of Montague and Capulet. It was released in the United States on 01 November 1996, and was a commercial success, grossing over nine times its 14.5 million US dollar budget. It starred future Oscar winning actor, then 22-year-old Leonardo Di Caprio in the role of Romeo; born Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio on 11 November 1974.

Kapalaran

(Dateline: 03 November 2018, Magsaysay Avenue, Baguio City)

Remembering Rico J. Puno, who passed away in the early morning of 30 October 2018 at the age of 65. Born in 1953, Enrico de Jesus Puno, or "Rico J." was one of the pioneers of Original Pilipino Music, started as a singer in folk houses and nightclubs in the early seventies, and began a recording music career after he got the attention of producers when he shared the stage impromptu with the Temptations. He started a pop trend of incorporating Tagalog lyrics in his versions of English language songs,  most popular of which was "The Way We Were" with lines such as "Namamasyal pa sa Luneta na walang pera."

O bakit kaya
May ligaya't lumbay
Sa pag-ibig
May bigo't tagumpay
'Di malaman, 'di maisip
Kung anong kapalaran
Sa akin ay naghihintay

Rico J.'s iconic hit "Kapalaran" is eloquent of the Filipinos' lamentation of Fate. Us Filipinos deride ourselves for our brand of fatalism, the "Bahala Na" attitude, as Filipiknow explains:

[T]he attitude can also promote a sense of helplessness and resignation of one’s fate at the local level, and a countrywide lack of empathy and collective action on the national level. This is also the reason why we tend to have amnesia over past wrongdoings committed by our leaders.

(Puno also engaged in local politics. When he died, he was setting up for his re-election bid in the City Council of Makati.)

Let's take some time to reflect. The month of November is also Filipino Values Month per Proclamation No. 479 series of 1994.


REFERENCE: Galang, Rosalinda, "Puno, Rico J. (Enrico De Jesus Puno)," CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art, Volume VI, Philippine Music (Manila: Cultural Center of the Philippines, 1994), pages 355 and 356.

Never Ever

(Dateline: 01 November 2018, Casa Abadilla, Kawit, Cavite)

Made a dated joke on Facebook, greeted "Happy All Saints Day" on my wall with a link to this hit song from the all-female group that came out in the nineties. And being dated, no one appeared to get the joke. Or the ones who would were vacationing/staycationing away from Facebook. Or sadly worse, were no longer of this realm (pause).

Never ever have I ever felt so low
When you gonna take me out of this black hole?
Never ever have I ever felt so sad
The way I'm feeling yeah, you got me feeling really bad 

Never ever have I had to find
I've had to dig away to find my own peace of mind
I've never ever had my conscience to fight
The way I'm feeling, yeah, I just don't feel right

"Never Ever" is All Saints' breakout hit that once flooded the mainstream and international airwaves, released as a single in 10 November 1997. The group's self-titled album that contained it came out weeks later, 24 November. All Saints got its big break in November of the previous year when the recording deal for the album was sealed. Then on November 1998, All Saints was awarded Best New Act at the MTV Europe Music Awards held in Milan, Italy, where Never Ever was also nominated for Best Song.


[This post is antedated: 20181118]

October 31 is Wednesday

View this post on Instagram

Get your spook on!

A post shared by Doggo (@doggoisofficial) on Oct 25, 2018 at 7:54am PDT

Dateline: 01 November 2018, Pasay City

(Warning: All the Halloween delight starts and ends with the above Instagram embed.) 

I would have wanted a fun Halloween post, but it was an ordinary Wednesday for me, only slightly less ordinary when work was called off at three in the afternoon. Still bills to pay, detergents and whatnot to buy... ooh, and Book Sale. Missed out on a family visit to the memorial park on the eve of All Saints Day, but spent time with them first November, an uncle's birthday celebration at Casa Abadilla in Kawit, Cavite. Then the parents squeezed in a quickie vacation in Baguio... off we go, Saturday, two nights for them, and one for me (because: Monday).

Then, some shameless plugging...