Over a Zoom call, I speak to Miguel Syjuco about his favourite Filipiniana titles, the merits of The Noli by Rizal, the role of honesty in writing & journalism, and much more. Read on to get the low down:
Miguel Syjuco is an assistant professor of practice, literature, and creative writing at the New York University (NYU) Abu Dhabi, a contributor for The New York Times, and author of world-renowned award-winning novel, Ilustrado. Currently, Miguel teaches courses entitled 'Citizen, Writer' and 'Novels That Changed the World', where he discusses the role of literature in society and history alongside analysing the value of one's voice through storytelling.
What is your favourite book?
I always go back to the Noli (Me Tangere) by Jose Rizal. I was born in the Philippines but moved with the family to Canada because of Martial Law. I returned when I was 12, so I spent a good 10 years of my life abroad. This idea of going back to the Philippines, like Ibarra did, and this question of the Philippines being a global experience, are beautifully captured by this book written 100 years ago. I teach it in my class in NYU Abu Dhabi and I continue to marvel at not only its humour and the grace but its very purposeful design, construction and scope.
Any tips on how to be a good reader? Do you have to dissect a work according to the writer’s aims or is it better to read a book for what it is to you?
You can read a book in your own way and you can be entertained by it, of course, but one has much more appreciation for the work and for the creator and the craft if you understand how the work functions. The choices a fiction writer must make (are important), so you can understand why you like a certain work, why it’s successful or critically acclaimed.
What would be your elevator pitch for people to read more?
We are all engaged in storytelling more than we think. We’ve been receiving stories even before we could talk, from our parents who would read us stories as children. Stories are the stuff of life, whether they’re in songs, movies, the sermon, scripture, the stories we tell ourselves about our own personal identities and the identity of our society. If there is anything in the world that we are prepared for, it’s being good readers because we’ve been engaging with stories our whole lives. It’s how we understand ourselves and the rest of the world. If we’re only consuming stuff that is on the phone, what really is memorable? (Reading literature) will give us a solid thing to stand on, a weight that will keep us from being lost.