Finkomarts and Nueve (IX)

After graduation while I was reviewing for the Chemistry board exams when a batch mate from college of Science called me and they wanted to include me in their next line up of authors for publishing a literary book.  We were the second book to be published by Finkomarts.  I immediately went there and talk to the person behind Finkomarts, which was an indie publishing and event organizer. 

It was during that time that my literary instinct was surfacing.  I was keen in studying science, but ever since highschool I would always find a way to write poems.   And most of my readers were just my seatmates or some friends who knew I love poems.  I submitted my collection and it was published in August 2000 with the title of IX (NUEVE), mga nobena at lagnat nang kaluluwa with other eight authors.  The other authors who showed their love in literature were Rommel Gestopa, Robert Fabian, Aaron Rapadas, Cana Lee Laeno, Ivy Baldoza, Maribel Hernaez, Pia Francisco, Raquel Galino and yours truly.  It was launched in Freedom Bar in Anonas.

Sadly, Finkomarts was only a short-lived publishing and event organizer company.  There were unprecedented problems that occurred when it closed.  It would have been a great avenue for writers, painters and performing artist to showcase our talent.  I believed that they were one of first in the indie publishing industry that supported the likes of me.  They were able to publish Bubot, Nueve, Taxi signs, and other 2 books whose titles I already forgot. 

Poetry reading was also included during the launching of each book.  We were encouraged to participate and even the audience to read their works.  I remembered being a guest in Martin’s Late at Night by Mr. Martin Nievera with other authors, where poetry reading was the main topic and we were joined by Session Road to do the music while we read poems. (If I only had it recorded then, it would have been great since it was an accomplishment.)    There were also numbers of events that they organized.

And during those times I was able to compose poetry in Filipino which I never did. It was inspired by the other authors who were really excellent in Filipino verse.

But after that, my writing career stopped.  Although I had created a number of stories and attended a workshop for script writing in 2004.  The poems were again shelved.  The stories I wrote doesn’t have endings.  My knowledge in script writing ceased and never got a chance to grow.  I tried creating a blog but in the end, I deleted 4 years worth of writing.  In 2008, I had a syndrome of writer’s block.  I couldn’t write anything at all.