Poems.

Mind-boggling day/s. Finished Goon Squad early Wednesday and was, naturally, exalting virtues of fiction zombie-like then come workshop time was completely turned around when first batch of Bakla and the City poems (v. tentative title/idea) received well in class. (Because of dire need of affirmation of late, will shamelessly try to quote the nice words here; also, for nostalgia.) J. Neil said something like, "One of the best things about being a teacher is discovering new voices." By then, already got tingling sensation in tummy. Then he continues, blah blah first time to have me as student, blah blah flower between the pages of a book blah blah "wonderful" (in that typical gushing way of his).

But needy, self-absorbed moments aside, realized what went well in this workshop and didn't (as well) in fiction workshop: intention. J. Neil completely (as in to the bone) nailed what I wanted to render/achieve, while Jing and (some) classmates were like tilapia hauled to manure-laden soil, flailing and writhing about helplessly, mouthing stuff that bloody missed the point. (Of course, also recalibrating work as some of the disconnect falls on me.)

Shet forgot whole point of this. Will not abandon you, fiction. I think. Just boggles the mind the many ways words can evoke shit, like poetry.


PS. Will review Goon Squad soon.
PPS. Stayed the night at Alaysa's. After class, had dinner at Mashitta with Alan, then walked to Makatarungan. Realized life can be so easy without commuting (but then whole city-city project would've been non-existent as well - Hay ang gulo-gulo!).