Growing Up Filipino Redux

Cecilia Brainard is gearing up to edit a new volume of Growing Up Filipino, so poise your fingers above your keyboard and prepare to explore (um, fictionally speaking) the gnashing teeth, red-rimmed eyes, and dramatic pronouncements that accompany a Filipino-style coming of age.

It was big fun to be included in the first book, as the launch featured many bookstore and library readings and, it follows, many opportunities to meet fellow writers. I'm sure it'll be the same for the second go-round. Here is the official call:

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

This is a call for submissions of short stories for an anthology tentatively titled, Growing Up Filipino II – Stories for Young Adults. The book will be edited by Cecilia Manguerra Brainard and will be published by both Anvil and PALH. Contributors will receive copies of the book as compensation for the use of their work.

The manuscript should be approximately 8-10 pages long, typed, double-spaced (approximately 1,800-2,300 words). This should be emailed to CBrainard@aol.com. You may also send it by air mail to:

Cecilia Brainard
c/o PALH
PO Box 5099
Santa Monica, CA 90409
USA

This book project is a follow-up of an earlier short story collection entitled Growing Up Filipino: Stories for Young Adults (published by PALH 2002, and Anvil). The following review from School Library Journal describes the 2002 collection:

Grade 9 Up -These 29 short stories offer a highly textured portrait of Filipino youth and an excellent sampling of creative writing. Thematically arranged, most of the pieces have been written since the turn of the 21st century. Each story is introduced by a thumbnail sketch of the author and a paragraph or two about some element of Filipino culture or history that is relevant to the story. Authors include those born and continuing to live in the Philippines, emigres, and American-born Filipinos. Tough but relevant topics addressed include a gay youth's affection for his supportive mother, the role of religious didacticism in the formation of a childhood perception, consumer culture as it is experienced by modern teens in Manila, and coping with bullies of all ages and stations in life. … The high caliber and broad but wholly accessible range of this collection, however, makes this title a solid purchase for multiple reasons.

The 29 stories in the 2002 edition of Growing Up Filipino were written before 9/11 (September 11, 2001). The editor would now like to collect a second volume that continues to address the young adult audience. The stories in the collection will still be about the Filipino experience in the Philippines or any part of the world. But in this second volume, the editor is seeing
contemporary stories, or post 9/11 stories. The editor is seeking the best stories about growing up Filipino. The editor is not looking for stories written by young adults, but about Filipino young adults. The editor envisions the stories dealing with relationships, family, falling in love perhaps, and other issues that the young adults deal with. Character-driven stories are
encouraged. Those interested in submitting are encouraged to read the first volume of Growing Up Filipino: Stories for Young Adults, to get an idea of the kind of stories the editor is looking for.

Deadline for submission is August 1, 2007. Early submissions are welcome. Please send your bio (approx. 150 words) in people-friendly narrative form.

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ABOUT THE EDITOR: Cecilia Manguerra Brainard is the author/editor of over a dozen books. She maintains a website and a blog.