NICK JOAQUIN

National Artist for Literature

Short Story

1. The Summer Solstice
A story set in Spanish Colonial times and discussed about the conflict and resolution of Christian faith and pagan beliefs in Filipino culture. It is set in a barrio during the feast of St. John and the pagan feast Tadtarin. The St. John symbolizes the dominance of male as represented by Christian religion. The pagan feast Tadtarin is the recollection of the divine female, powerful over the male, prayed to, worshipped and adored. Main characters of the story are Doña Lupeng and Don Paeng.

2. May Day Eve
Agueda and Badoy look back to that fateful May Day Eve when they met and fell in love. On a warm, tropic night they stumbled upon one another when Agueda followed a superstition of looking into a mirror with a candle to see who she will marry. The story is filled with the flavors of nostalgic Spanish times in the Philippines.