Albert Casuga
Encyclopedia
Albert B. Casuga, is a notable Philippines
-born Canadian
writer. He lives in Mississauga, Ontario
, Canada, where he continues to write poetry, fiction, and criticism after his retirement from teaching. He served as an elected member of his region's school board.
He was nominated to the Mississauga Arts Council Literary Awards in 2007. A graduate (English & Literature, magna cum laude, 1963) of the Royal and Pontifical University of St. Thomas (now University of Santo Tomas, Manila), he taught English and Literature at the Philippines' De La Salle University and San Beda College
. He has authored books of poetry, short stories, literary theory and criticism. He has won awards for his works in Canada, the U.S.A., and the Philippines. His latest work, A Theory of Echoes and Other Poems was published February 2009 by the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House.
Casuga was a 1972 Fellow at the Silliman Writer's Workshop in Silliman University, Dumaguete City, Philippines. He was the first winner of the Philippine Parnaso Poetry Contest in 1970 (now defunct). He won First Prizes in the Mississauga, Canada Library Systems Literary Contests in 1990 (for Fiction), 1996 (for Poetry), and 1998 (for Poetry). He was editor of the Journal of Arts and Sciences in UST (1961-62), Graduate School Journal of UST (1964), Literary Editor of the San Beda College Journal (1965-1968), and Assistant Literary Editor of the UST's Varsitarian (1962). He worked as a journalist with the United Press International (1963-65), and arts writer at the defunct Philippines Herald in the 70s. As a senior writer of the Philippine literary diaspora in Canada, he worked as writer and editor at the Metroland Publishing Company, publishers of Harlequin books and the country's largest daily The Toronto Star. He taught communications courses at the International School of Business (Canada) of which he was concurrent Communications director at its Mississauga campus (1990-98).
His works were published in the Philippines Free Press, Graphic Weekly Magazine, NOW Philippines, The Sunday Times Magazine, Asia-Philippines Leader, Poetry Magazine (Maryland), Amihan (UST), De La Salle Philosophy Journal, San Beda College Journal., Philippine Writing, and poetry anthologies. His literary criticism was cited by Dr. Isagani R. Cruz in his Beyond Futility (The Filipino as a Critic, 1984, New Day Publishers, Quezon city, Philippines) as one of the more significant literary criticism of Philippine Literature in English.
Casuga was born in Baguio City, the Mountain Province during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, and grew up in San Fernando, La Union, in the northern Philippines. He finished his elementary education in San Fernando Elementary School (Salutatorian
), his secondary education at the La Union National High School (Valedictorian, 1959). In high school, he served as editor-in-chief of the La Union TAB, the pioneer high school newspaper in the Philippines. He married his university classmate, Lourdes Veronica Casuga, with whom he had five children, and at this writing, a grandfather of nine.
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
-born Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
writer. He lives in Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga, Ontario
Mississauga is a city in Southern Ontario located in the Regional Municipality of Peel, and in the western part of the Greater Toronto Area. With an estimated population of 734,000, it is Canada's sixth-most populous municipality, and has almost doubled in population in each of the last two decades...
, Canada, where he continues to write poetry, fiction, and criticism after his retirement from teaching. He served as an elected member of his region's school board.
He was nominated to the Mississauga Arts Council Literary Awards in 2007. A graduate (English & Literature, magna cum laude, 1963) of the Royal and Pontifical University of St. Thomas (now University of Santo Tomas, Manila), he taught English and Literature at the Philippines' De La Salle University and San Beda College
San Beda College
San Beda College or Dalubhasaan ng San Beda in Filipino is a Private Benedictine college run by the Benedictine monks in the Philippines. It is located on Mendiola Street in San Miguel, Manila...
. He has authored books of poetry, short stories, literary theory and criticism. He has won awards for his works in Canada, the U.S.A., and the Philippines. His latest work, A Theory of Echoes and Other Poems was published February 2009 by the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House.
Casuga was a 1972 Fellow at the Silliman Writer's Workshop in Silliman University, Dumaguete City, Philippines. He was the first winner of the Philippine Parnaso Poetry Contest in 1970 (now defunct). He won First Prizes in the Mississauga, Canada Library Systems Literary Contests in 1990 (for Fiction), 1996 (for Poetry), and 1998 (for Poetry). He was editor of the Journal of Arts and Sciences in UST (1961-62), Graduate School Journal of UST (1964), Literary Editor of the San Beda College Journal (1965-1968), and Assistant Literary Editor of the UST's Varsitarian (1962). He worked as a journalist with the United Press International (1963-65), and arts writer at the defunct Philippines Herald in the 70s. As a senior writer of the Philippine literary diaspora in Canada, he worked as writer and editor at the Metroland Publishing Company, publishers of Harlequin books and the country's largest daily The Toronto Star. He taught communications courses at the International School of Business (Canada) of which he was concurrent Communications director at its Mississauga campus (1990-98).
His works were published in the Philippines Free Press, Graphic Weekly Magazine, NOW Philippines, The Sunday Times Magazine, Asia-Philippines Leader, Poetry Magazine (Maryland), Amihan (UST), De La Salle Philosophy Journal, San Beda College Journal., Philippine Writing, and poetry anthologies. His literary criticism was cited by Dr. Isagani R. Cruz in his Beyond Futility (The Filipino as a Critic, 1984, New Day Publishers, Quezon city, Philippines) as one of the more significant literary criticism of Philippine Literature in English.
Casuga was born in Baguio City, the Mountain Province during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines, and grew up in San Fernando, La Union, in the northern Philippines. He finished his elementary education in San Fernando Elementary School (Salutatorian
Salutatorian
Salutatorian is an academic title given, in the United States and Canada, to the second highest graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point average and number of credits taken, but...
), his secondary education at the La Union National High School (Valedictorian, 1959). In high school, he served as editor-in-chief of the La Union TAB, the pioneer high school newspaper in the Philippines. He married his university classmate, Lourdes Veronica Casuga, with whom he had five children, and at this writing, a grandfather of nine.
Books
Casuga's books include:- Summer Suns (short story collection with Cirilo Bautista), UST Press, 1962, Manila
- Narra Poems and Others (poetry collection) San Beda college Publications, 1968, Manila
- Still Points (poetry collection) Flores & Associates, 1970, Manila
- In A Sparrow’s Time (poetry collection) Infocom, 1990, Canada
- Songs for My Children (poetry collection) Infocom, 1996, Canada
- The Aesthetics of Literature (Literary Theory and Criticism), Asia Foundation & De La Salle University, 1972, Manila
- Man in Search of Meaning: Literature (Humanities Series), Asia Foundation and De La Salle University, Manila
- Man and His Literary Past: The Classical Tradition (Humanities Series), Asia Foundation and De La Salle University, Manila
- A Theory of Echoes and Other Poems (UST Publishing House, Manila, 2009)
- Poems included in A Habit of Shores: Philippine English Poetry 1960s (UP Press, ed. Gemino H. Abad)
- Poems included in Introduction to Literature (Fiction Poetry Drama) Revised Edition by Edilberto K. Tiempo, Miguel A. Bernad, Edith L. Tiempo
External links
- Personal literary blog
- New poems on his personal poem blog
- Philippine Literature Portal
- PoemHunter.Com
- http://albertbcasuga.blogspot.com/