FEATURE PAGE
Photograph taken by: Saint.
FATHER OF TWO, HERO TO MANY
– V.
Demigods going on dangerous quests, heroes fighting various spawns of enemies from Greek mythology, and underdogs finding their power's true potential – these are only some of the many scenes that stuck to readers while reading Rick Riordan's books.
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Richard Russell Riordan Jr. is the number one New York Times best-selling author of over 20 novels. He is mostly known for being the author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series.
Born on June 5, 1964, Riordan grew up in a family with quite the artistic qualities. His mother was a musician and an artist, and his dad was a ceramicist; which was no surprise when he turned out to be like them also. The Lord of the Rings series was what inspired him to write when he was young, and he also liked reading about Greek and Norse mythology (which is evidently seen in his works). He started writing when he was in middle school, and had a history of working as an editor in their school newspaper.
(Fun fact: Riordan won third place in the state for UIL feature writing!).
He graduated college at the University of Texas at Austin with a double major in English and History and then worked as a teacher. He lives with his wife and two sons.
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Riordan published the first book of the Percy Jackson series in 2005, 'The Lightning Thief', because of his son Haley. Riordan taught Greek mythology and Haley, who was diagnosed with ADHD and dyslexia, had always taken an interest to it. When Haley was in second grade, he would always request his father to tell him stories about Greek mythology, which led Riordan to create Percy Jackson's character – a demigod who finds out that he is the son of the Greek God of the Sea, Poseidon. In three nights, Riordan finished telling his son the story and Haley requested him to write it as a book. Riordan didn't want to disappoint his son, so he took his time in writing it. He included attributes of dyslexia and ADHD to his characters, to show his respect and care for children with the same mental illnesses.
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What was supposed to be a small request from his son, became an inspiration to many. To this day, Riordan continues to write about demigods who embrace their differences and encourages his readers to do so as well.
Beat: the rhythm of a piece. Like how the words rise and fall on the empty sheets of paper. The scratches of the pen gliding on paper scream the hymn of a writer’s heart.
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Forte: strong, powerful. Each sentence carved to make a change. Creating stories that toyed with the emotions of people during the renaissance era in England, William Shakespeare indeed blew the world by a storm with his sonnets and playwrights. Ranging from topics tackling love, life, death, revenge, grief, jealousy, murder, to magic, and mystery, it was no secret that Shakespeare is one of the best British writers to ever exist.
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Tempo: overall speed. Its letters dancing to the flow of the story at the right pace to create a form worth remembering. Shakespeare’s steps to gaining his title now certainly did not happen in the blink of an eye. Despite his plays brought to life during the 17th century in continental Europe, it took up until the mid-18th century for his crafts to become widely known. It goes to show that the journey of a lifetime starts with the smallest steps. During his time as an actor, writer, and part-time owner of a playing company between 1585 and 1592, it wasn’t until 1953 where his narrative poem “Adonis and Venus” became an overnight sensation. 400 years later, his writings are still read, recited, memorized, and performed.
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Measure: one complete cycle. The pages carefully written to thwack and affect the spectators’ lives forever. Having written about 38 plays, 154 sonnets, two long narrative poems, and a few other verses, his work definitely screamed the hollows of his soul. Pouring his heart out on every letter, carefully weaving them together to create something for the people to cherish and celebrate literature, a timeless celebration indeed. His life mostly comprised of writing, and well, writing is his life.
Bridge: transitional passage. An open door that provides linkage from the former generation to the next. His works greatly influenced the industry of writing and literature today, as people would often hook his name with English itself. Truly, his works were phenomenal especially now that common people can now understand with the help of translations from the original copy. These serve as a thread that sews the past and the present and will mold the future of literature.
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Change, the ever-so constant in this world. He changed the game for creators both during his time and now with his tragedies and linguistic power. An estimation of 20,000 words was used all throughout his career coining about 1,700 of those. He is credited for some of the most popular phrases, an immortal legacy, per se.
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Leggiero: lightly. Feather-like strokes, dusting the lives of people with his prowess. Softly, but the feeling lingers. While the heart bleeds with Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and Hamlet, the heart thumps for A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Tempest, and Twelfth Night. His array of writings displayed such diversity that it touched the lives and inspired many. His words and depictions on what life can be, gently tickles the brain of the audience to think and reflect.
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Allegro: lively. The letters made to never falter. Like the notes written on the spaces of a staff within a time-signature, his words and works will continue to play a harmony for as long as English lives on. His immortal melody, the beat of his heart to be felt with every sentence carved on the paper where he wrote. With his timeless masterpieces, the art of writing will continue to play Shakespeare’s symphony. #
SHAKESPEARE'S SYMPHONY
– Fury.
VISION OF THE BLIND
– Mutya.
The touch that has caressed the hearts of many, the mute yet powerful voice she holds, and the mind that has inspired a lot of souls, is yet to be known.
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The deafening silence she must conquer each day brings hope to her mother who prays for her to hear a sweet lullaby.
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The endless darkness that fills her sight, that makes her mother grab onto her tight, wishing her daughter to see the world with color.
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All these hindrances her life holds, deep down her soul was eager to discover the beauty in existing. She is Hellen Keller, visioning the world through her empty eyes.
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Her eagerness to learn was aided by a Perkins teacher named Annie Sullivan, who was consistent to make Helen see the world as it is. Tapping hand gestures on the lass’ palm, Helen learned to understand simple things around her trying to utter those words.
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Letting her run free on the wilderness, making sense of creations that surround her, Helen slowly began to distinguish the beauty in her life. Bit by bit, the young girl lets her thoughts speak in a way only her teacher hears.
As years grew apart, her heart turned out to be swayed the most by her experiences. She wrote to inspire and spoke to let the world hear her soft yet powerful voice.
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Helen’s life was a ship in the sea, hidden in a dense fog with no vision of what she had in the way. Yet, with Sullivan’s arrival, the thick fog has disappeared with all the patience the teacher brought upon her.
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And once there was an aspiring writer who heard the uplifting story taught to her generation. The story fueled her burning passion in placing depth of emotions through a piece. Adhering all experiences encountered, the story that was once a tell tale made her much more of a writer, an inspirer even. Hellen Keller's existence is an example, showing that no matter how dim your life is, shedding light upon it proves that you are persistent to see the brilliance this world offers.
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The thousand thoughts this writer cannot speak, are being voiced out through something people can read. The scorching flame in her heart was fueled by Keller's determination and dedication in inspiring the people.
Photograph taken by: Saint.
MAPAGBALAT-KAYONG KATARUNGAN
– Mandaragat
Sa pagpikit ng kaniyang mga mata, kasabay ng pagtapos sa pagsulat ng mga huling katagang tatatak sa puso at isip ng bawat Pilipino, siya ay napangiti. Sa wakas, nakuha niya na rin ang kaniyang pinaka inaasam-asam, ang mapaglaban ang katarungan anuman ang mangyari. Nakilala siya dahil sa kanyang nais na magkaroon ng pagkakapantay-pantay, at hanggang ngayon, sya ay nagpapasalamat pa rin ukol dito.
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Ikaw? Nagawa mo na ba ang iyong ninanais? Ano ang laman ng puso mo? Katulad ba ng manunulat na ito na maialis ang mapagbalat-kayong katarungan? Alamin natin.
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Sa panahon ngayon, nakilala na ang pagsusulat bilang sining, isang paraan upang maipakita ang nais ipahiwatig ng bawat manunulat. Kasama ng mga manlilimbag ng larawan, ang bawat letrang naisusulat at salitang nabubuo ay nagkakaroon din ng larawan at mensahe.
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Sadyang napakalakas na ng impluwensiya ng pagsusulat; mapunta man sa mga plataporma sa internet, o kahit sa mga dyaryo o magasin. Ngunit noong kaniyang panahon, ang pagsusulat ay tila ba pinagbabawal na sandata sapagkat alam ng mga dayuhan ang bagsik ng mga Pilipino sa larangan ng pagsusulat. Ang mga obrang tulad na lamang ng magkakasunod na kwento ng Rosales ay sapat upang maging patunay dito.
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Noong kaniyang panahon, siya ay nakaranas ng kawalan ng katarungan, kahit pinipilit sa kanila na mayroon namang ginagawa ang iba. Ngunit ang tulong, ay hindi naman nakarating. Ito ang nag-udyok sa kaniya na gamitin ang pluma bilang sandata, at ilabas ang kaniyang mga hinaing.
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Dahil din sa kaniya, nabuhay ang mga mumunting inspirasyon na nagtulak sa iba pang manunulat na sundan ang kaniyang mga yapak. Tubong probinsya, gamit nya ang mga lugar sa kaniyang mga maiikling kuwento upang mabigyan katotohonan ang nangyayari. Sa kanyang pagsulat, naipakita niya ang diskriminasyon lalo na sa mga magkaka-ibang lahi.
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Si F. Sionil Jose ay sadyang naging kilala sa kaniyang mga maiikling kwento. Ngunit, ang pinakamahalaga ay ang dahilan kung bakit sya nagsimula. Ganoon din naman sa kahit anong pagsubok na maaaring maranasan. Darating ang panahon na kailangan nating tumayo at magsabi ng opinyon, lalo na kung tayo ay may nais baguhin.
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Mula sa simpleng paggawa ng desisyon, o hanggang sa paglaban sa kalayaan, lagi nating tatandaan na ang bawat isa ay may boses; boses na kailangan lamang palakasin at patapangin upang pagdating ng panahon, matupok at matanggal ang sarili nating bersyon ng mapagbalat-kayong katarungan.
Photograph taken by: Saint.
DR. JOSE RIZAL'S PASSION
– Lady Norse
Jose Rizal, an ophthalmologist by profession, and a writer by choice. A Filipino nationalist that served the country during the tail end of the Spanish colonial period.
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He wrote poems and letters during the Spanish Colony that awakened the Filipinos who were blinded by the Spaniards. He was executed by the Spanish Colonial government for the crime of rebellion after the Philippine Revolution, inspired in part by his writings that broke out. Despite the obstacles, his passion for writing never ended.
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He proposed the writing of a novel about the Philippines with a group of Filipinos and was approved by the people who were present at that time. However, this project did not materialize. The Filipinos that agreed to help him did not write anything. The novel was planned to describe the phases of Filipino life, but almost everyone wanted to write about women. Because of this, he pulled out of the plan and decided to write the novel alone.
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His novel called "Noli Me Tangere" was published in the year of 1887. He achieved the idea of the content that exposes the ill society after reading a related novel. The prospective novel expresses the Filipino culture was perceived to be backward, anti-intellectual, and not conducive to the ideals of the Enlightenment.
In the sequel of the novel, "El Filibusterismo" was published during the year 1891: A man named Juan Ibarra changed his identity to a jeweler named Simoun, traveled around the world in disguise to hide his real motive of rescuing his beloved, Maria Clara. As the story progresses, all the secrets and intrigues are revealed. Simoun's jewels were thrown away, eliminating the greed, violence and other evils that they might have provoked.
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Rizal's content may not always impress everyone, but it would always satisfy his imagination and his motive in writing his works.
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After being executed by firing squad, Rizal remains recognized as the national hero of the Philippines and one of the greatest for helping the country take its first steps to independence.