Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo
Encyclopedia
Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo (born Cristina Pantoja on 21 August 1944) is an award-winning Filipina
fictionist, critic and pioneering writer of creative nonfiction.
Pantoja-Hidalgo is a high school valedictorian
of St. Paul College Quezon City. She received both her Bachelor of Philosophy (Faculty of Philosophy and Letters)Ph. B. (1964) magna cum laude and MA in Literature (1967) meritissimo from the University of Santo Tomas
. She later received a Ph.D in Comparative Literature from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1993. She is an Associate for Fiction at the U.P. Institute of Creative Writing and a member of the Philippine Literary Arts Council (PLAC). She previously served U.P. as Director of the U.P. Institute of Creative Writing, Director of the University of the Philippines Press and coordinator of the Creative Writing Program at the U.P. Department of English
and Comparative Literature
, College of Arts and Letters. Pantoja-Hidalgo is currently Vice President for Public Affairs and Professor of English
, comparative literature
and creative writing
at the UP Diliman.
Pantoja-Hidalgo has been writing for Philippine
newspapers and magazines since the age of fifteen. She has worked as a writer, editor and teacher in Thailand
, Lebanon
, Korea
, Myanmar
(Burma) and New York
, U.S.A. Her interesting lifestyle, the result of her husband's fifteen-year connection with UNICEF, is reflected in her writing. Pantoja-Hidalgo was originally best known for an unusual kind of autobiographical/travel writing, which includes Sojourns (1984), Skyscrapers, Celadon and Kimchi (1993), I Remember (1991) and The Path of the Heart (1994). Pantoja-Hidalgo later won numerous other prizes for her fiction, creative nonfiction, literary scholarship and edited anthologies. She has frequently published many of her creative and critical manuscripts in major publications in Finland
, Korea
, the Philippines
, Thailand
and the United States
.
Besides travel essays, Hidalgo has a collection of personal essays, The Path of Heart (1994), and Coming Home (1997). She has also edited several anthologies with the help of her colleagues from the University of the Philippines such as: Philippine Post-Colonial Studies: Essays on Language and Literature which she did with Priscelina Patajo-Legasto and The Likhaan Book of Poetry and Fiction with Gemino Abad.
She has encouraged many aspiring writers’ efforts by editing their works: Shaking the Family Tree (1998) and Why I Travel and Other Essays by Fourteen Women (2000) with Erlinda Panlilio. Hidalgo found the idea of writing short and simple initiation stories appealing. It reflects in her collection of short stories: Ballad of a Lost Season and Other Stories (1987), Tales for a Rainy Night (1993), Where Only the Moon Rages: Nine Tales (1994), Catch a Falling Star (1999) and the most recent one Sky Blue After The Rain: Selected Stories and Tales (2005).
Before and after her fifteen years abroad, Hidalgo was a teacher first at the University of Santo Tomas
and later at the University of the Philippines
. Completing the requirements for her doctoral degree on Comparative Literature, Hidalgo has found many opportunities to read Literary Theory as well as put these into practice in her own works. Hidalgo claimed that she had never considered herself a literary critic, but just the same, she found it useful to collect five of her critical essays in A Gentle Subversion: Essays on Philippine Fiction in English (1998).
Hidalgo's critical essays, which reflects her interest in fictional writing by Filipino women, serves a much-needed contribution to a developing body of feminist scholarship in the country today.
This way of storytelling resulted to a "Dynasty in Cyberspace" against a backdrop that juxtaposes two entirely different cultures: the first being superstitious while the other sophisticated. Such stories leave the readers a fascinating effect ---- for it would have been our own ancestors' story if we have the courage to dig them all up.
Hidalo has been very firm abut her stand on this particular novel, it isn't realistic nor does it have any attempt on realism ---- it is a romantic novel. Fellow writer Ophelia Dimalanta supports Hidalgo as she says in her review of Recuerdo, that readers might have the tendency of commenting on the contravening of some degree of verisimilitude in the narrating o the stories rendered through letters which come regularly and with such contrived continuity and incessantness. Clearly, Dimalanta's response is a way of reinforcing Hidalgo's claim of Recuerdo being a romantic novel.
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
fictionist, critic and pioneering writer of creative nonfiction.
Pantoja-Hidalgo is a high school valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
of St. Paul College Quezon City. She received both her Bachelor of Philosophy (Faculty of Philosophy and Letters)Ph. B. (1964) magna cum laude and MA in Literature (1967) meritissimo from the University of Santo Tomas
University of Santo Tomas
The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines , is a private Roman Catholic university run by the Order of Preachers in Manila. Founded on April 28, 1611 by archbishop of Manila Miguel de Benavides, it has the oldest extant university charter in the...
. She later received a Ph.D in Comparative Literature from the University of the Philippines Diliman in 1993. She is an Associate for Fiction at the U.P. Institute of Creative Writing and a member of the Philippine Literary Arts Council (PLAC). She previously served U.P. as Director of the U.P. Institute of Creative Writing, Director of the University of the Philippines Press and coordinator of the Creative Writing Program at the U.P. Department of English
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
and Comparative Literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
, College of Arts and Letters. Pantoja-Hidalgo is currently Vice President for Public Affairs and Professor of English
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
, comparative literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
and creative writing
Creative writing
Creative writing is considered to be any writing, fiction, poetry, or non-fiction, that goes outside the bounds of normal professional, journalistic, academic, and technical forms of literature. Works which fall into this category include novels, epics, short stories, and poems...
at the UP Diliman.
Pantoja-Hidalgo has been writing for Philippine
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...
newspapers and magazines since the age of fifteen. She has worked as a writer, editor and teacher in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
(Burma) and New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, U.S.A. Her interesting lifestyle, the result of her husband's fifteen-year connection with UNICEF, is reflected in her writing. Pantoja-Hidalgo was originally best known for an unusual kind of autobiographical/travel writing, which includes Sojourns (1984), Skyscrapers, Celadon and Kimchi (1993), I Remember (1991) and The Path of the Heart (1994). Pantoja-Hidalgo later won numerous other prizes for her fiction, creative nonfiction, literary scholarship and edited anthologies. She has frequently published many of her creative and critical manuscripts in major publications in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, the Philippines
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...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Besides travel essays, Hidalgo has a collection of personal essays, The Path of Heart (1994), and Coming Home (1997). She has also edited several anthologies with the help of her colleagues from the University of the Philippines such as: Philippine Post-Colonial Studies: Essays on Language and Literature which she did with Priscelina Patajo-Legasto and The Likhaan Book of Poetry and Fiction with Gemino Abad.
She has encouraged many aspiring writers’ efforts by editing their works: Shaking the Family Tree (1998) and Why I Travel and Other Essays by Fourteen Women (2000) with Erlinda Panlilio. Hidalgo found the idea of writing short and simple initiation stories appealing. It reflects in her collection of short stories: Ballad of a Lost Season and Other Stories (1987), Tales for a Rainy Night (1993), Where Only the Moon Rages: Nine Tales (1994), Catch a Falling Star (1999) and the most recent one Sky Blue After The Rain: Selected Stories and Tales (2005).
Before and after her fifteen years abroad, Hidalgo was a teacher first at the University of Santo Tomas
University of Santo Tomas
The Pontifical and Royal University of Santo Tomas, The Catholic University of the Philippines , is a private Roman Catholic university run by the Order of Preachers in Manila. Founded on April 28, 1611 by archbishop of Manila Miguel de Benavides, it has the oldest extant university charter in the...
and later at the University of the Philippines
University of the Philippines
The ' is the national university of the Philippines. Founded in 1908 through Act No...
. Completing the requirements for her doctoral degree on Comparative Literature, Hidalgo has found many opportunities to read Literary Theory as well as put these into practice in her own works. Hidalgo claimed that she had never considered herself a literary critic, but just the same, she found it useful to collect five of her critical essays in A Gentle Subversion: Essays on Philippine Fiction in English (1998).
Hidalgo's critical essays, which reflects her interest in fictional writing by Filipino women, serves a much-needed contribution to a developing body of feminist scholarship in the country today.
Novel: Recuerdo
Recuerdo is an epistolary novel consisted of messages sent through email. The messages all came from Amanda, a middle-aged widow, to her daughter Marisa, a university student. Amanda is in Bangkok while Marisa is in Manila. Writing letters is Amanda's way of sorting out her life and helping Marisa understand their family' past. Amanda use her own mother's (Isabel) stories in many of these letters.This way of storytelling resulted to a "Dynasty in Cyberspace" against a backdrop that juxtaposes two entirely different cultures: the first being superstitious while the other sophisticated. Such stories leave the readers a fascinating effect ---- for it would have been our own ancestors' story if we have the courage to dig them all up.
Hidalo has been very firm abut her stand on this particular novel, it isn't realistic nor does it have any attempt on realism ---- it is a romantic novel. Fellow writer Ophelia Dimalanta supports Hidalgo as she says in her review of Recuerdo, that readers might have the tendency of commenting on the contravening of some degree of verisimilitude in the narrating o the stories rendered through letters which come regularly and with such contrived continuity and incessantness. Clearly, Dimalanta's response is a way of reinforcing Hidalgo's claim of Recuerdo being a romantic novel.
Novel: A Book of Dreams
A novel all about dreams and their respective dreamers. A novel in which the characters live in their own dreams, in particular, those of Angela's. But before readers mistakenly take this for a postmodern novel, the book's blurb adds, "But for all its affinity to the postmodern pastiche, its plot is the traditional one of the search... the quest."Short Fiction
- Ballad of a Lost Season, 1987;
- Tales for a Rainy Night, 1993 ;
- Where Only the Moon Rages, 1994;
- Catch a Falling Star, 1999
- Sky Blue After The Rain: Selected Stories and Tales , 2005
Essays / Creative Non-fiction
- Sojourns, 1984
- Five Years in a Forgotten Land: A Burmese Notebook, 1991
- I Remember...Travel Essays, 1992
- Skyscrapers, Celadon and Kimchi: A Korean Notebook, 1993;
- The Path of the Heart, 1994;
- Coming Home, 1998
Literary Criticism
- Woman Writing: Home and Exile in the Autobiographical Narratives of Filipino Women, 1994;
- A Gentle Subversion: Essays on Philippine Fiction, 1998
Anthologies (as editor)
- Selections from Contemporary Philippine Literature in English, 1971
- Philippine Post-Colonial Studies, 1993 (coedited with Priscelina Patajo-Legasto)
- The Likhaan Book of Poetry and Fiction: 1995, 1996
- Shaking the Family Tree, 1998
- An Edith Tiempo Reader, 1999
- The Likhaan Book of Poetry and Fiction: 1997, 1999
- Pinay: Autobiographical Narratives by Women Writers, 1926-1998, 2000
- Why I Travel and Other Essays, 2000
- Sleepless in Manila: Essays on Insomnia by Insomniacs, 2003
- My Fair Maladies, 2005
Textbooks
- Creative Nonfiction: A Manual for Filipino Writers, 2003
- Creative Nonfiction: A Reader, 2003
Honors and Awards
- Carlos PalancaPalancaPalanca may refer to:*Palanca Awards*Palanca, Angola a comune in Luanda Province, Angola*Palanca, a commune in Bacău County, Romania*Palanca, a village in Floreşti-Stoeneşti Commune, Giurgiu County, Romania...
Memorial Awards for Short Fiction, Essay and the Novel - Philippine Graphic Awards for Fiction
- Philippines Free Press Awards for Fiction
- Focus Awards for Fiction
- National Book AwardsPhilippine National Book AwardsThe Philippine National Book Awards, or simply the National Book Awards, is a Philippine literary award sponsored by the NBDB and the MCC . It is the national book award of the Philippines...
from The Manila Critics' Circle - British CouncilBritish CouncilThe British Council is a United Kingdom-based organisation specialising in international educational and cultural opportunities. It is registered as a charity both in England and Wales, and in Scotland...
Fellowship to CambridgeCambridgeThe city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the... - U.P. President's Award for Outstanding Publication
- U.P. Gawad Chancellor for Artist of the Year
- U.P. Gawad Chancellor for Outstanding Teacher (Professor Level)
- Ellen F. Fajardo Foundation Grant for Excellence in Teaching
- Outstanding Thomasian Writer Award
- U.P. Gawad Chancellor Hall of Fame Award
- U.P. System International Publication Awards
- Henry Lee Irwin Professorial Chair in Creative Writing, Ateneo de Manila UniversityAteneo de Manila UniversityThe Ateneo de Manila University is a private teaching and research university run by the Society of Jesus in the Philippines. It began in 1859 when the City of Manila handed control of the Escuela Municipal de Manila in Intramuros, Manila, to the Jesuits...
External links
- University of the Philippines Institute of Creative Writing
- "Second Thoughts", Manuel Viloria's website on Philippine literature, culture and society
- New Officials, University of the Philippines
- Gawad Haydee Yorac
- UP ICW Website of Gawad Balagtas Recipients
- The Philippine Novel in English into the Twenty-First Century
- Breaking Barriers: The Essay and the Non-Fiction Narrative
- PALH Books
- University of Nueva Caceres, Naga City
- The Paz Marquez-Benitez Lectures, Ateneo de Manila University
- Philippines: Women's Studies Bibliography, University of California, Berkeley
- Philippines 2004, UCLA Library
- University of Hawaii at Manoa Library
- The Country's Literary Produce for 2000 by Bienvenido Lumbera
- Your Portal to Philippine Literature
- National Book Development Board
- The Literary Encyclopedia
- World Literature Today 9WLT}
- Modern Literature of Southeast Asia
- Tulikärpänen filippiiniläisiä novelleja
- 忘れられた地での5年間：ビルマノート
- University of California at Los Angeles