To Write is To Hold On
Written by: Isabela Crisostomo
Photos from: Dominique Bangay
As Ms. Lee read her acclaimed picture book, she spoke with such a cadence that can only be described as magical. Her vivid recollections of Filipino summers spent with her Lola as well as the music that came with it, touched the hearts of all who were in the room that day. Drawing from the love of her grandparents, Holding On was written in honour of her Lola, who is battling Alzheimer’s. She wrote it with the intention of preserving their sweetest memories of one another. For her, it was the Lola who could remember everything, and for her Lola, it was the little girl who found beauty in everything. Accompanied by Isabel Roxas’ illustrations, this very purpose felt so alive in the book. Every meticulously cut out scene, from the homemade adobo to the carabao in the field, made the story feel so uniquely Filipino. In essence, that book was purely her song, her story, and her voice.
“If you want to hold on, you have to sing your songs.” is a line from Holding On—a short story written by the dearest Sophia N. Lee of Batch 1999. Ms. Lee graciously visited her alma mater last Wednesday on the 22nd of January to share her wisdom and writing expertise with our community’s aspiring writers and fellow lovers of the craft. Hosted by Voices, the talk’s theme centered around finding one’s true voice when practicing such a profound art form.
To all the writers out there: bad first drafts are a given; however, do not forget that that process is yours and yours alone. Besides establishing your audience and refining your technique, you must allow yourself space to hone a voice. Don’t adapt your voice to accommodate a market because it will lose its authenticity. For Ms. Lee, this was one of the greatest obstacles she had to overcome. Despite it all, she advised that you must hold on to the reason you write in the first place. Our school’s dearest alumnae reassures us that every story has a reader, and that at the end of the day, the song is yours to sing.
During the Q&A segment of the talk hosted by Mrs. Sarmiento, Ms. Sophia emphasised the idea that stories can come from everything and anything. “It takes slowing down to find a story,” she said, “It is important to pay attention to all the little things that may go unnoticed.” Even down to the tiniest details of her picture books, she placed importance on her characters’ skin colours being “distinctly kayumanggi,” because it was a Filipino story for the Filipino people.
Aside from her family, Ms. Lee’s inspiration for writing stems from the desire for representation. As a reader herself growing up, she wanted to make books that were safe spaces for children, especially for those who wanted to read stories that reflected theirs.