THE MAKING OF "BUT FOR THE LOVERS"---NOW IT CAN BE TOLD

In the United States, the relationship between between a book author and his publishing editor can sometimes be fraught with a lot of ambivalence; love- hate in some cases where the author may not want to budge from his passionate belief in his own writing. If one were to read letters between Thomas Wolfe, for instance. Or Hemingway and other American authors, one can have a glimpse of how these two entities dealt with each other.

In the Relationship between Editors and Authors: A Lit Review, Kelly Shackelford describes this even more strongly: 

"The stereotypical relationship between editors and authors is one of antagonism. Editing seems to naturally produce conflict between editors and authors as they vie for authority over each piece of writing. Often, editors feel unappreciated and believe that authors are over-sensitive to changes, while authors feel threatened and believe that editors are taking away ownership of their writing. No one is surprised when the two sides disagree, and their conflicts have become a source of humor." In the case of Wilfrido D. Nolledo and Hal Scharlatt, considered during his time as one of the best editors in New York, the kind of relationship between them in the course of Hal's editing of BUT FOR THE LOVERS perhaps was a rarity. Scharlatt was, in 1967 an editor of one of the leading, if not the leading, publishing houses in New York, the Random House Publishing Co. He was the one assigned to handle a thriller book collaboratively authored by Wilfrido and a British author, Stephen Gray Wilfrido had met in the Iowa Writers' Workshop. The two authors submitted through John Hawkins, a literary agent who visited the University of Iowa in search of potential authors to sell in New York. I remember having read Scharlatt's letter (I'll dig some more into Wilfrido's file for the original) praising the writing (as most editors are wont to do as a prelude to the ax) and saying it just wasn't right for them. He added, however, in a p.s. note asking who wrote this and that chapter the difference in style being so obvious. Upon learning who authored the ones that impressed him, he asked if Wilfrido had a novel of his own. He wanted to take a look at it. Wilfrido sent three chapters of BUT FOR THE LOVERS through John and on the basis of those three chapters alone, Hal made an offer to publish it, sending the contract through Agent Hawkins who was thrilled that the first big  publishing house that had taken a look at it accepted it outright. In New York, publishers or editors and even agents would not give a writer the time of day if they were not unusually excited over a manuscript submitted. In the contract was even a stipulation for an OPTION  for the second novel Wilfrido may write. An Option gives the publishing house priority to read it over all other publishing houses. Throughout all this, Robert Coover, multi-awarded American author, who was then a visiting professor handling the Creative Writing Workshop at the University of Iowa which Wilfrido was attending under a Fulbright scholarship, provided mentoring that proved very valuable in validating Wilfrido's writing skills and his gift of language. Hal later had to move on to E.P. Dutton Publishing, another leading publishing company in New York. He made it a condition in his new job, though, that he would bring with him BUT FOR THE LOVERS, and requested Random House to allow him to do just that. That was how E.P. Dutton came to be the final publisher. Anyway, I hope to post here a few excerpts from the letter exchanges between Hal and Wilfrido. The letters have prints already fading and hopefully can be included in a future publication before they completely get obliterated with age. In the meantime, let me just quote here what I think are the most intense arguments between the author and editor. It appears that Hal had not red-penciled the manuscript at all but just typed  in a separate sheet what he wanted cut or changed with his strong and valid, one must admit, arguments as an editor. Wilfrido, on the other hand, argued back point by point in what appears like a battle of wits between the two. 12 March, 1970 Dear Willie, In the largest sense, I want to reiterate my commitment to BUT FOR THE LOVERS and to emphasize how extraordinary I think is its song, its language, its incredible fusion of myth, history and comedy. Above all, it is a feat of language, an ambition on such large scale that your accomplishment is simply awesome. Having read the entire manuscript four times, I want to once again direct my remarks to the extremely difficult question of cutting and thereby tightening the manuscript for one purpose: to keep the reader interested, not purely in the language itself but in the events of the novel and the condition of its characters... a fusion between history and man...  ......... Pages 125     The story of Vanoye should be a separate chapter. I want to suggest cutting pages 140-157 to       139     completely. Willie, we especially have to consider that the reader is deep within the novel by                      now and there's a definite impatience stemming from the continual detailing of minor events. Wilfrido's Answer Pages 125-139 The next three paras will be crucial, Hal.  And please, please, do not take them as the outpourings of a spoiled poet, whatever that is. Pages 140-157 contain the hemorrhage scene of Hidalgo as prefaced by Alma's "menstrual months."  I realize that this is not easy reading; nevertheless, this section is a set-up: in effect, the girl is spitting out the Spanish Colonial experience. Her monthly period comprises, in terms of history, four centuries of Hispanic subjugation. Four hundred years of Spain, Hal! And all I'm asking for Hidalgo is his one chapter in court. If Hidalgo's remembrances strike you as unreadable, they nonetheless contribute to his image as the Don Quijote of Ojos Verdes. We Filipinos have had to wait centuries for the privilege of killing our "spiritual father," and Hidalgo de Annuncio, like James Bond, is unkillable. For me to cut this part would be an act of cowardice, personally. And won't we be doing the reader an injustice by presuming he can't digest such stuff? If it were simply a matter of verbiage, something I could cut without harming the structure of the novel, I wouldn't waste this space arguing. With the conviction that this is an integral part of Lovers, I will not spare the reader the printed anguish that my country had suffered in blood.

LOOK, MA, THE ROBIN'S BREAST BLEEDS---POEMS

RECYCLED WATER 
by Blanca Datuin

They say this is water from the sewer.
waste from the world's wanton usage,
feces emitted from toxic humans,
dissolved in bogy ground, fluid from
bodies relieving the excesses of the system.

Is this the quagmire of my soul
begging recycling? Agua de Dios, what have
they done to you? Where is the water of my river
that flowed in my veins when rain was pure,
luxuriated flowers of a softened sun?


Where the brook water that flowed endless,
when birds flew without fear, fishes swam
without the venom of man? Rid it of man's 
waste were that likely. Bleach it to a gleaming
white. Slake the wilted soul.
                       Easter, 2009

               TO BE HUMAN

              By Blanca Datuin

The thing hoods his head and shrouds his face

Scared to let others know the real him.

Would he let us see the contour of his soul?

Beloved earthling, why do you hide behind

a black shade? Is your face so accursed

it glowers beyond my nightmare? 

 What kind of god tells you to behead 

One who touched not a single strand

Of your hair?

What power sets your mind to mangle

a world so lovingly shaped by the one

true God, then rend yourself to pieces?

What vileness breaks your fragile brain

And turns your humanness into a chimera?

Oh, that you would wake up ,

Look to the sun and not be blinded,

Shake off the shackles and taste

The heroic, wresting lives from the dragon.

Breathe in the fresh scent of flowers,

Cradle a  baby, nurse a wounded soldier.

See, the sky bends to kiss the sea.

Sun gleams resplendent if you let it in.

See the you that is human and beautiful

With all the fullness of your splendor.

                                                  - 2009

  .

END OF THE VIRGIN

 By Blanca Datuin                       

A wonder of creation was she,

Standing so pristine,

untouched by human hand,

birthing the fruits of heaven

from the crown of her head

bejeweled with green

down to her feet clothed with

more green.

None but nature tended to her,

quenching her thirst, feeding,

husbanding, with nothing but

drops of rain from heaven.

This was she, of my universe,

standing so serene and beautiful,

before the wanderer hid under

her skirts and violated her thighs,

before the ax man cut her down

to make way for the new highs.

Father Alexander

What is charisma? A special charm, allure that inspires allegiance or devotion. It is a grace, a gift from God that Father Alexander made good use of in inspiring people. Not by proselytizing or propagandizing, but by being just himself, quietly telling you not to be too hard on yourself. To "live in the present. Forget the past. Just listen to the call of God because He loves you." Always, his message was God loving you. So much so that even a despairing sinner gets to believe it and turns his life around because there is God waiting for everyone to come to Him. He made it sound like a simple requisite that one void of  a sense of self-worth can not not heed it. No wonder, when parishioners knew he would be the presiding priest, the church would be filled beyond the entrance door, a Hispanic student of mine had once told me. Adult students of mine who had not gone to Church for years started coming back because they could relate to him; he spoke fluent Spanish, Vietnamese aside from his English language, and learning Tagalog the last few weeks of his life. He was like a star that skyrocketed from heaven and then vanished.just as fast.

To him there were no rejects. The poorest of the poor always first on his list of priority programs. He was so eager to embrace the continuity of our Food Program for the needy, the free health program, the Meal of the Month for the homeless, the ESL Program that has actually been my baby, so many more. At the time of his death, he had some project for the youth, I understand, and put at its head Chuy Sandoval.One of the first things he did upon assumption as administrator-pastor of our parish was refurbish the physical facility of the whole compound. Operation Beautification and Cleanliness, he called it. He enjoined the whole neighborhood to participate in the Street Cleaning Operation. Plants and flowers started springing up around. Security fences went up. Suddenly we had a modernized gate built to make ministry members meeting at night feel more secure. The Police was invited to meetings to help build community unity in fighting crime. It seemed like he was always full of ideas he just had to put into action and reality. He helped the needy, counseled the despairing, was always ready to rush to the bedside of the sick and dying whenever called. Perhaps, this was what drained his emotions: he suffered with the suffering.

  I had just finished reading my Legion of Mary annual report and had barely sat down when a co-Legionary tapped my shoulder and showed me a text on her cell phone: Father Alexander passed away this morning. That was Sunday afternoon. We were in disbelief, No,it can't be true! Eloisa, seated next to me, and I bowed our heads, started praying quietly even as we couldn't help weeping, "Lord, please, don't let it be true. Don't take him away from us. Not our beloved pastor." My other co-Legionary went out of the hall where we were having the Curia meeting, frantically trying to reach anyone from the Our Lady of Peace to verify it. Then came an answer from one ministry member: It's true. It was announced in the last afternoon Mass.

I wonder if there was a single one in the church with dry eyes after that.

(To be continued)

TO THE READER

Some friends following my blog commented verbally they would rather they didn't have to trudge through a maze of posts of different topics in my archive if, for instance, they're just interested in my research findings on some issues or essays and articles on various topics. Others are interested mainly on Wilfrido Nolledo, about which I'm so pleased as it reflects the continuing interest not only in his life but most of all, his literary works. So, to those who follow this blog, please note I'm organizing my archive and putting together my posts according to the form of writing each falls under and/or topics. Thus, the reader will find it easier to find the topic of his/her interest. It will take a little time as other duties beg for my immediate attention.
Thank you, and please continue to give me your comments and feedback.
Blanca aka Alma Viajero.

Gems of Childhood

Sharing this life story of this remarkable saint -

Found: A Gem in My Childhood

St. Louis Of France
Louis was born on April 25, 1214. His father was King Louis VIII of France and his mother was Queen Blanche. The story is told that when Prince Louis was small, his mother hugged him tightly. She said, "I love you, my dear son, as much as a mother can love her child. But I would rather see you dead at my feet than ever to have you commit a mortal sin." Louis never forgot those words. He grew to cherish his Catholic faith and his upbringing. When he was twelve, his father died and he became the king. Queen Blanche ruled until her son was twenty-one. Louis became a remarkable king. He married Margaret, the daughter of a count. They loved each other very much. They had eleven children. Louis was a good husband and father. And as long as his mother, Queen Blanche lived, he showed her full respect. Busy as he was, the king found time for daily Mass and the recitation of the Divine Office. He was a Third Order Franciscan and lived a simple lifestyle. He was generous and fair. He ruled his people with wisdom, charity and true Christian principles. There was no separation between what he believed as a Catholic and how he lived. He knew how to settle arguments and disputes. He listened to the poor and the underprivileged. He had time for everybody, not just the rich and influential. He supported Catholic education and built monasteries. The historian, Joinville, wrote a biography of St. Louis. He recalls that he was twenty-two years in the king's service. He was daily in the king's company. And he could say that he never heard King Louis swear or use any kind of profanity in all those years. Nor did the king permit bad language in his castle. St. Louis felt an urgent obligation to help the suffering Christians in the Holy Land. He wanted to be part of the Crusades. Twice he led an army against the Turks. The first time, he was taken prisoner. But even in jail, he behaved as a true Christian knight. He was unafraid and noble in all his ways. He was freed and returned to take care of his kingdom in France. Yet as soon as he could, he started back to fight the enemies of the faith again. On the way, however, this greatly loved king contracted typhoid fever. A few hours before he died, he prayed, "Lord, I will enter into your house, worship in your holy temple, and give glory to your name." St. Louis died on August 25, 1270. He was fifty-six years old. He was proclaimed a saint by Pope Boniface VIII in 1297. "Be kindhearted to the poor, the unfortunate and the afflicted. Give them as much help and consolation as you can."-St. Louis

I first read about the story of Queen Blanche when I was a child of ten. How providential that on the eve of my birthday, the life of her son, St. Louis IX, would appear on the sidebar of my email, reminding me of this extraordinary mother who produced two saints: Blessed Isabelle and St. Louis of France. Her words, however, reverberates: what a tall order for her own self! But how remarkable her son turned out to be. Could such a mother exist nowadays? Could such good governance and religion, as Louis IX had shown, mix in today's times?  It's a dream devoutly to be wished! 

Gems of Childhood 

Children, these days, get weaned away from the mother as soon as they start walking, or even sooner, for that matter, if and when parents can afford the luxury of a nursery room separate from their own private room. When I was a child, we didn’t have that luxury. Until I was seven, I think, I used to sleep with my mother. I remember the feel of her body giving warmth to me on cold, rainy days. Sometimes, on hot summer days and she was so tired from the day’s endless housework (there were no washing machines nor any other house tools that could provide relief from a poor mother), she would just flop on the buri mat we slept on, and I got a whiff of the smell of  her house dress wet with sweat. But to me, her nearness was all that mattered. If I was sick or had fever, she would rub my chest and back with Vicks VaporRub Cream and then run her fingers through my hair till I fell asleep in the comfort of her gentle touch. I miss seeing that in most mothers nowadays. It’s the touch therapy that’s gone. It was replaced by the modern psychology and attitude to let go of the child to get him or her to become independent as soon as possible.

A Letter from a SUNY Professor re BUT FOR THE LOVERS

 March 4, 2016
 Wilfrido D. Nolledo's "But for the Lovers," (E,P. Dutton, New York, 1986), is available at Amazon.com)

January 19, 2011
In remembrance of my husband's 12th death anniversary, am re-posting these excerpts from a letter by a young Dimiti Anastasopoulos in 1995, now a noted American writer, critic, and English professor at the State University of New York in Buffalo. The letter, saved by Wilfrido and found among his precious collection of letters from friends, colleagues, mentors, publishers and contemporary writers, was one he had meant to answer and thank the writer for but unfortunately never got down to doing. The complete critique might be included in its entirety in another collection of Wilfrido's works, hopefully to be published later.

August 29, 1995


Dear Mr. Nolledo,

...Finished (But for the Lovers) only yesterday, my enthusiasm for it has carried over and preoccupied my day. There's much to celebrate in such a book. the excitement of reading for the first time the work of a stylist with a wholly original voice. As a young reader I can't help but be thankful for a book that's stylistically long overdue. Surely, American readers and writers must take note of your forward-looking style. I think it has opened up the possibilities of what fiction might look like in the near future.


Your novel certainly stands out among the literary fiction being published today. The only contemporary work I've read that approaches its linguistics verve is Julian Rios's Larva. But there's much more to revel in and digest in But for the Lovers, and it makes me wonder why so many other contemporary literary novels sound alike. I suppose writers have given up on the idea of trying to find their own writerly voice, but I can only hope that a good look at your work will present them with a nobler direction, or---as your narrator might prefer it---an ignoble direction. You've opened the boundaries of writing prose into a world's fair of phrase-making to which all writers and readers should attend.  One of the admirable qualities of your style is the refined yet uninhibited carte blanche you take with words, rather than reducing your narrative to an interior voice. Perhaps, by writing in a variety of languages, rhythms and styles, you've exhausted the possibility of a writer's ever "finding" a genuine (limited to one language) voice, and at the same time proven that contemporary fiction does not have to succumb to the logjam of uniformity in a world with entirely too much information and too much noise. You remind us of the laudable goal of honing one's writerly or readerly ear, tuning it to a medley of voices, a sort of pastiche or harmony that one can call his or her own, even though invariably it may be a hybrid of many voices that have already been heard. I hope it catches on. ...
.....
Best regards,
Signed
Dimitri Anastasopoulos
P.S. I'm hoping to read your previous novels--and looking ahead to the novel that's forthcoming--but I see that Dalkey Archive has published only one to date. It's a shame. It would serve Dalkey well to present us with the rest of your work.

MORE ON ABORTION

I googled on the famous Roe vs. Wade and these are my findings:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Norma McCorvey
Born	Norma Leah Nelson September 22, 1947 (age 64) Simmesport, Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, U.S.
Nationality	American
Other names	Jane Roe
Occupation	Director, Crossing Over Ministry
Known for	Roe v. Wade
Religion	Roman Catholic
Spouse	Woody McCorvey (m. 1963–1965)
Partner	Connie Gonzales (1970–1992)
Children	3
Parents	Mildred (mother)

Norma Leah McCorvey (née Nelson; September 22, 1947), better known by the legal pseudonym "Jane Roe", was the plaintiff in the landmark American lawsuit Roe v. Wade in 1973.^[1] The U.S. Supreme Court overturned individual states' laws against abortion by ruling them unconstitutional. Later, McCorvey's opinion on abortion drastically changed, and she is now active in Pro-Life causes.^[2]

[edit] Personal life

McCorvey was born in Simmesport, Louisiana, and raised in Houston, Texas as a Jehovah's Witness. McCorvey's father left the family when she was 13 years old;^[3] her parents subsequently divorced and she and her older brother were raised by their mother Mildred, a violent alcoholic. McCorvey's father died on September 27, 1995. She is of partial Cajun and Cherokee ancestry.^[1]
McCorvey dropped out of high school at the age of 14.^[4] Two years later, she married Woody McCorvey (born 1940), but left him after he committed domestic violence towards her. She moved in with her mother and gave birth to her first child, Cheryl (born 1965).^[5] The following year, McCorvey again became pregnant and gave birth to a baby that was placed for adoption. She then returned to live with her mother, but when Norma intimated that she was sexually attracted to women, her mother disowned her and took custody of Norma's daughter, Cheryl.^[1]

[edit] Roe v. Wade

January 1973: Norma McCorvey shedding her legal pseudonym of Jane Roe.

In 1969, at the age of 21, while working low-paying jobs and living with her father, McCorvey became pregnant a third time. She returned to Dallas, where friends advised her to assert falsely that she had been raped, as she would then be eligible to obtain a legal abortion (with the understanding that Texas's pro-life laws allowed abortion in the cases of rape and incest). Due to lack of police evidence or documentation, the scheme was not successful and McCorvey would later admit the situation was a fabrication.^[6][7] She attempted to obtain an illegal abortion, but the respective clinics had been closed down by authorities.
Eventually, McCorvey was referred to attorneys Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington.^[8] The case took three years of trials to reach the United States Supreme Court. In the meantime, McCorvey had given birth to the baby in question, who was eventually adopted.^[1]
McCorvey revealed herself to the press as being "Jane Roe" of the decision within days of its issuance and stated that she sought an abortion because she was unemployable and greatly depressed.^[9] In the 1980s, McCorvey asserted that she had been the "pawn" of two young and ambitious lawyers (Weddington and Coffee) who were looking for a plaintiff with whom they could challenge the Texas state law prohibiting abortion.^[10]

[edit] Books and conversion

In her first book, the 1994 autobiography, I Am Roe, McCorvey wrote of her sexuality. For many years, she had lived quietly in Dallas with her long-time partner, Connie Gonzales. "We're not like other lesbians, going to bars," she explained in a New York Times interview. "We're lesbians together. We're homers."^[1] That same year, she converted to Christianity and expressed remorse for her part in the Supreme Court decision. McCorvey has worked as part of the pro-life movement, such as Operation Rescue.
At a signing of I Am Roe, McCorvey was befriended by evangelical minister Flip Benham.^[11] She was baptized on August 8, 1995, by Benham in a Dallas, Texas, backyard swimming pool, an event that was filmed for national television. Two days later she announced that she had become an advocate of Operation Rescue's campaign to make abortion illegal.
McCorvey's second book, Won by Love, was published in 1998. She explained her change on the stance of abortion with the following comments:

I was sitting in O.R.'s offices when I noticed a fetal development poster. The progression was so obvious, the eyes were so sweet. It hurt my heart, just looking at them. I ran outside and finally, it dawned on me. 'Norma', I said to myself, 'They're right'. I had worked with pregnant women for years. I had been through three pregnancies and deliveries myself. I should have known. Yet something in that poster made me lose my breath. I kept seeing the picture of that tiny, 10-week-old embryo, and I said to myself, that's a baby! It's as if blinders just fell off my eyes and I suddenly understood the truth — that's a baby!

I felt crushed under the truth of this realization. I had to face up to the awful reality. Abortion wasn't about 'products of conception'. It wasn't about 'missed periods'. It was about children being killed in their mother's wombs. All those years I was wrong. Signing that affidavit, I was wrong. Working in an abortion clinic, I was wrong. No more of this first trimester, second trimester, third trimester stuff. Abortion — at any point — was wrong. It was so clear. Painfully clear.^[2]

Shortly thereafter, McCorvey released a statement that affirmed her entrance into the Roman Catholic Church, and she has been confirmed into the church as a full member.^{[12] [13]}
McCorvey has also stated that she is no longer a lesbian.^[14] On August 17, 1998, she was received into the Catholic Church by Father Frank Pavone, the International Director of Priests for Life and Father Edward Robinson in Dallas.^[15]

[edit] Social and political causes

In February 2005, McCorvey petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn the 1973 decision with McCorvey v. Hill arguing that the case should be heard once again in light of evidence that the procedure harms women but the petition was denied.
On January 22, 2008, McCorvey endorsed Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. McCorvey stated, "I support Ron Paul for president because we share the same goal, that of overturning Roe v. Wade. He has never wavered on the issue of being pro-life and has a voting record to prove it. He understands the importance of civil liberties for all, including the unborn."^[16]
McCorvey is still active in pro-life demonstrations including one she participated in before President Barack Obama's commencement address to the graduates of the Catholic University of Notre Dame. The decision to have Obama speak at the university on May 17, 2009, was met with controversy because of the conflict between his views on abortion and those of the Catholic Church. She was arrested on the first day of US Senate hearings for the confirmation to the Supreme Court of the United States of Sonia Sotomayor after she and another protester started yelling during the opening statement of Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.).^[17]
McCorvey made her acting debut in Doonby, shot on location in 2010 in the small central Texas town of Smithville. Starring John Schneider, Jenn Gotzon, and Robert Davi, the film previewed at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and was released in the fall of 2011.^[18]