Edward Cullen in Manila: A Plea for Local YA (Young Adult) Novels

I probably am the perpetual teenager when it comes to reading choices. Since elementary days up to post-college years, I still enjoy reading novels targeted at hormonally imbalanced pre-adults. When it comes to YA Novels, I think I've read them all, at least the ones people are talking about. Yes, I've endured even the phenomenal Twilight series with its neuron-killing plot and a heroine you'd want to beat with Thor's hammer.

Stephanie Meyer's books aside, I just love the genre. There's this light and free-flowing feeling I get when I read books in the YA category. I especially like those which are infused with supernatural / dystopian alternate universe element to them. Think The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins and The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare.

And yes, it gets formulaic sometimes, when the Ordinary Girl meets Tortured Mysterious New Student Guy Who May Or May Not Be Human in Science class. Then there's the sexy and heart-palpitating Forbidden Love arc after we find out that the protagonist is actually a Vampire / Werewolf / Fallen Angel / Witch. Reading novels like these is simple and entertaining and I pursue it even though it may not give a 20-something young professional like me bragging points when asked what kind of books have I perused.

The problem is this: There may be a myriad of books to choose from in this category with international books, so much that sometimes their world and themes overlap, however, there is a lot of catching up to do with regards to our local literature. All I see are children's books, chick lits and award-winning deep novels about poverty, corruption and drugs that are way too depressing for a teenager to spend time on. There is simply not much to choose from in the YA arena, if at all.

Having read countless of these kind of novels set in New York, or some other city in the United States, I do wish to be able to read one set here locally in our country just so it can be much more relatable to our teens. Imagine Good vs. Evil battling it out in Tondo or a Shopaholic desperately haggling in Divisoria. Our country, our places, our customs, mannerisms are so rich with potential I'm disappointed that, with all the talented writers we have, not a lot have attempted to flourish in such a popular category. 

I believe in the power of reading and how it helps form the mind of an individual, especially when they start at a young age. Young Adult fiction books have their own special power because the characters in the books are especially formulated so that readers can relate to them. It puts a person into other worlds and situations that would be dangerous otherwise if done in real life but gives off the same lessons that could be learned from such scenarios. 

I do hope that with the rise of the international YA scene, our country follows. There is so much untapped power in the genre that I think, if written brilliantly, could upset the long standing bestseller's list dominated by international titles. Now that is a novel I would be proud to read.

What is POTTERMORE by J.K. Rowling?

POTTERMORE

By J.K. Rowling 

P  R  E  S  S      R  E  L  E  A  S  E 

Strictly embargoed until 12.01 hrs British Summer Time
Thursday 23rd June 2011 

J.K. Rowling announces Pottermore 

www.pottermore.com  

J.K. Rowling today, Thursday 23rd June, answered mounting speculation about the nature of her new project and announced  Pottermore, a unique and free-to-use website which builds an exciting online experience around the reading of her hugely successful Harry Potter books, and is partnered by Sony.  The announcement today was heralded by the revealing of the website’s name via an online search for its letters, and a ‘coming soon’ holding page which received over a million visits within 36 hoursof launching. 

For this groundbreaking collaborative project, J.K. Rowling has written extensive new material about the characters, places and objects in the much-loved stories, which will inform, inspire and entertain readers as they journey through the storylines of the books.  Pottermore will later incorporate an online shop where people can purchase exclusively the long-awaited Harry Potter eBooks, in partnership with  J.K.  Rowling’s publishers worldwide,  and is ultimately intended to become an online reading experience, extending the relevance of Harry Potter to new generations of readers, while still appealing to existing fans.  As the Pottermore Shop develops, it is intended that it should include further products designed specifically for Harry Potter fans, offering a potential outlet for Sony products and services related  to Pottermore.    In keeping with Harry Potter’s international appeal, the site will launch in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish, with more languages to follow. 

In the new website, the storyline  will be brought to life with sumptuous newly-commissioned illustrations and interactive ‘Moments’ through which you can navigate, starting with the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s (Sorcerer’s) Stone. On entering, you choose a magic username and begin your experience.  As you move through the chapters, you can read and share exclusive writing from J.K. Rowling, and, just as Harry joins Hogwarts, so can you. You visit Diagon Alley, get sorted into a house, cast spells and mix potions to help your house compete for the House Cup.    

At a press conference at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, Rowling revealed some key features of the website. In an announcement which will thrill fans, she described how she has brought to life both the Sorting Hat and Ollivanders experiences from her books for the first time on Pottermore, by revealing the questions asked by the Sorting Hat  - which places newcomers into their Hogwarts houses according to their characteristics - and the magic behind the Wand Chooser – which finds the right wand for each user from over 33,000  possible combinations. She also revealed glimpses of the new information she has provided on some of the best-loved characters.J.K. Rowling’s announcement on YouTube and sony.com today revealed that Pottermore (along with the Pottermore Shop) will be open to all users in October 2011.  From today, 23rd June, fans can submit their email addresses on Pottermore.com in order to be contacted by the site following the opening of registration on 31st July, Harry’s birthday.  Also on that date, an online challenge will be launched, whereby the first million people to complete their registration will gain early entry into the website, and help put final touches to the experience.   

J.K. Rowling commented, “I wanted to give something back to the fans that have followed Harry so devotedly over the years, and to bring the stories to a new digital generation.  I hope fans and those new to Harry will have as much fun helping to shape Pottermore as I have.   Just as I have contributed to the website, everyone else will be able to join in by submitting their own comments, drawings and other content in a safe and friendly environment – Pottermore has been designed as a place to share the stories with your friends as you journey through the site.” 

Pottermore has been made possible with the support and partnership of Sony. 

Sir Howard Stringer,  Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President  of Sony Corporation, commented: “Sony's association with J.K. Rowling's Pottermore brings together one of the world’s most innovative  brands with the most successful book series in history, in a pioneering partnership that will help shape the future of story-telling.   We are proud to be a part of it, both at this momentous announcement, and as we collaborate on its development over the coming years.” 

On Sony’s partnership of Pottermore, J.K. Rowling commented: “As I think people know, I am very protective of Harry and have always been very selective with any new initiatives, but I am totally committed to making this partnership with Sony and this wonderful  new website a success.  There are many companies I could have worked with on this ultimate digital  expression of Harry Potter’s universe, but it is Sony’s unique philosophy of creativity in harmony with technology that made them my first choice as main partner. The spirit behind Sony’s make.believe philosophy is one that rings true with Pottermore’s own values.”

The detailed creative execution has been led by TH_NK, a leading UK digital  agency,  under the supervision of J.K. Rowling and the Pottermore management team, in co-operation with Sony.   J.K.Rowling’s publishers, Bloomsbury in the UK and Scholastic in the USA, as well as her international publishers worldwide, have been active supporters in the creation of  pottermore.com and thePottermore Shop.  Warner Bros, the makers of the hugely successful Harry Potter film franchise, is also one of the partners who have worked to support the launch of Pottermore through a variety of marketing, promotional and other efforts, and will continue to collaborate as the project grows. The storyline of the second book, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, will go live on the site in early 2012.  The Pottermore Shop opens when the site opens to all in October, selling complete ranges of the eBooks and digital audiobooks in a selection of languages, exclusively.Designed for fans of all ages, the website has been created with child safety in mind, employing best practice and compliance with internet codes of practice in the UK, Europe and USA, and elsewhere.   

Source: http://assets.pottermore.com/emcp/downloads/pottermore_pressrelease_230611.pdf

Screenshot preview of the Pottermore.com site from here.

That's it, I'm officially psyched!

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare: Harry Potter, Buffy / Angel, LoTR and Draco Trilogy rolled into one

Draco Malfoy, there you are.

A little background: I spent my pre-adolescent years reading (and writing) Harry Potter fanfiction. There was this certain fanfiction trilogy that was so superb, it garnered a legion of fans, its own fan art and even 2nd degree fanfictions. Fans would wait for the next chaper with bated breath the way canon-loving readers would wait for the next Harry Potter book by Queen JK Rowling. I am talking about Draco Trilogy, and for years, I idolized the Joss-Whedon-quoting, slash-loving and HP fanfiction legend, Cassandra Clare. 

It took me some time to read her books even though I knew (and saw in bookstores) of her published YA novels. Having reread the thousands of pages of her fanfiction Draco Trilogy, I never realized how much I missed the good 'ol days of geekily roaming around the cyberhalls of Fanfiction.net or Fictionalley.org talking about what would happen next. I also missed Draco Malfoy's complicated character in the trilogy, much better than JK Rowling's characterization of Slytherin's little prince, I dare say.

Imagine my awe and amusement as I began reading Cassandra Clare's very own world and her own set of quirky characters. They were so familiar I would be able to tell that they were CC's work even without the title and author info on the book. There were also tons of little inside jokes and other uncanny similarities like the mention of "Still Not King" button (from her Lord of the Rings humor fic The Very Secret Diaries) and even the bedtime story about a little boy trying to train a raven to please his Father (yes, with a capital "F") is synonymous to that from Draco Veritas.

If one have followed CC's fanfiction writing years as I have, one would know that she is also a fan of Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer and its spin-off Angel having used numerous quotes from both the series and her characters having adopted the same witty and peculiar Whedonverse tongue. It is from these inspiration, that I guess, she picked up some of the traits of the altered urban city from her own books.

There are also other things I've noticed like having a pub / restaurant catering to demons is reminiscent of Angel the Series' demon-scattered Los Angeles. Usage of birds and fireplaces for sending letters and mails, lifted from Harry Potter, as Valentine reminds me of Voldemort, the Circle a toned down version of the Death Eaters and Muggles into Mundanes.

The same way Jace is a spitting image of Draco Malfoy from CC's Draco Trilogy, Simon reminds me of Ron Weasley and Xander from Buffy the Vampire Slayer combined and Isabelle has the persona of Draco Veritas' version of Fleur Delacour.

Believe me when I say that all of these are rather well-meant compliments. These are precisely the things that I love most about the series. Amidst the undertone of lack of originality (which is totally not the purpose of the paragraphs above), I relish the Mortal Instruments' world because it precisely took most of the things that I loved about stories and characters that I was addicted to before and meshed it up into this epic tale that hooked me right from the very beginning. Coupled with Cassandra Clare's graphic and intelligent writing style, there is little that I could complain about.

That said, Cassandra Clare's own personal story is in itself inspiring. From writing fanfiction just for fun of it to being a worldwide best selling author of a YA series with probably a movie in the works, one can really say that, the fate that brought her into such avenue (of course with hard work, determination and a little bit of luck) is nothing short of... magical.

Purple Ribbon Campaign for the RH Bill

Fresh from the irritating loss from the Pilipinas Got Talent-ish text poll in ABS-CBN's HARAPAN Reproductive Health Bill debate last May 8, pro-choice advocates show that they are not daunted by a survey which costs 2.50 pesos per text vote.

Celebrities, politicians lead Purple Ribbon campaign for RH Bill 

No less than former President Fidel V. Ramos and world-renowned singer Lea Salonga led on Wednesday the launching of the "Day of the Purple Ribbon for Reproductive Health," a gathering of public figures supporting the controversial measure.

Several politicians, celebrities, members of the academe and popular personalities pledged their support for the passage of the bill, choosing a purple ribbon as a symbol for their advocacy.

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In the same event, Ramos even urged President Benigno Aquino III to prioritize the proposed measure.

"Mr. President, with due respect, for you to do the right thing, you should now certify the RH bill as urgent," he said.

Meanwhile, Salonga said she can be "ambassadress of reproductive health."

"I want people [to be] armed with as much information as possible... to decide for themselves what is best for them as couples. That's what I'm hoping for," she said.

Salonga added that the proposed RH measure is vital for the welfare of women. — LBG/RSJ, GMA News 

Just yesterday, an online Purple Ribbon campaign for the RH Bill was launched by netizens to show their support for the (hopefully) future law that has been waiting in the congress for more than a decade now. The new Purple Ribbon logo made by TeamManila has been made available as Twibbons for citizens who may want to proudly voice out their support for women empowerment, education and better quality of life for the poor.

And yes, like the Reproductive Health Bill itself, you are presented with a CHOICE. How great is that? Please feel free to use them on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr etc. and spread the word. 

The war is far from over. While Pro-RH debaters are armed with reason, reality and concern for Filipino women, the other side is loaded with century old scriptures, twisted logic and breast cancer. It is not an easy fight but it is a cause that we are willing to uphold despite the name-calling and the threats of eternity drowning in an ocean of flames.

5 Disturbing REALITIES Concerning the RH Bill

5. 11 women die daily in the Philippines due to childbirth. And to think these are due to preventable circumstances that could be aided with adequate skilled professionals and proper instrumentation.

4. Some mothers do not have the education / intelligence nor time to grasp the complexities of Natural Family Planning Method. My class in nursing school had to have hours of lecture, practice and review before we mastered the calculations that is necessary to perform (and teach) the Calendar method and other NFP procedures. And what if, say, the mother has extremely irregular cycles? The "safe" days left would be greatly limited to just a few days. Could the couple have the willpower to abstain, say, 20 days a month if that's what it takes?

3. Teens get their sex education nowadays through the internet by watching porn, reading online materials etc. Yes, you anti-RH supporters may rally all you want against reproductive health lessons in the classroom saying it is inappropriate and takes away children's innocence or whatnot. However, these kids will still find a way to learn about sexuality with just a click of the mouse. Unfortunately, the material in the world wide web is NOT age appropriate nor customized by an expert with a degree in education or other related fields. Most will probably just learn from friends' hearsay or watch pornographic videos and some will try it out just out of curiosity without knowing the responsibilities that comes with it.

2. No matter how hard you scoff at it, teens as early as age 13 and even younger are already having premarital sex regardless of the teachings of the church. If there is a way around this that does not involve reproductive health education and contraceptives, I'd like to find out. Because the church has been teaching abstinence since the beginning of time, and look where it got us.

1. There are thousands of mothers (I've encountered some of them personally) who have no money to pay for government hospital fees (2,000 php and below, seriously) and yet have a newborn in her arms plus 5 more children at home to feed, clothe and provide education. You do the math.

Photo taken from: I Oppose the RH Bill Facebook Page

This is only the peak of a whole Mt. Everest of truths and realities concerned with the heavily debated RH Bill that the opposing side has been seemingly ignoring. Instead, they, for some reason, insist on spreading half truths and skewed reasoning to "defend" morality and babies who don't exist in the first place.

I repeat, this is only some of the many inconvenient truths that I believe the bill could help with. It would be greatly appreciated if you could share your own. And if you happen to be against the Reproductive Health Bill, I would like to find out what you think would be the best way to address these problems.

Valid arguments are most welcome. Personal attacks/insults will only make you look like a fool. Thank you and God bless our country.