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On my fully-booked bedside table.
Pun intended.
As if my bookshelves couldn't contain any more. My books are what's keeping me sane right now - they provide a welcome distraction to my otherwise mess of a life. Don't they always? Anyway, lately, I've been buying a lot of books that (1) of course, I want and (2) are on The Daunting List of Books in Philippine Literature in English That Every Creative Writing Major Should Read Before She Dies/Attempts To Do Her Thesis. Mostly the latter because next semester, I'm going to be a senior (!!!) and as a pre-thesis requirement we are to take CW199, a subject which requires us to read around a hundred books/selections from the Philippine literary scene. Even for a bookworm like me, it still feels extremely overwhelming. And from the "horror stories" I've heard so far about this subject, it's something we cannot afford to not take seriously (i.e. It has a significant effect on our would-be graduating status.) But so far, I'm enjoying what I've bought so far (mostly short story anthologies) and I'm really not complaining - yet.
At least it's my bookshelf gaining weight and not me. Ha!
Books Under Category Number (1) - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. This is the book that will officially take away my Tolstoy virginity. And I have no qualms - I need no protection. I love it. It's the one. :))
- No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July. A collection of short stories which I have already spoken about here.
- Homewreckers: An Adultery Reader edited by Daphne Gottlieb. A short story collection (again) on the thrills and heartaches of illicit love affairs. The first of its kind, I believe. I got this at Book Sale in Festival Mall last week for Php 90 only.
- Taming The Beast by Emily Maguire. I got this for Php75 at Book Sale MOA whereas I found it before for around Php600+ (if I remember correctly) at Fully Booked. It is a tale of innocence and obsession; kind of like a modern Lolita, which is one of my favorite books ever.
- Tales From The Scale edited by Erin J. Shea. Another collection of stories about weight issues on women; it's a material I can gather some resources on for the rewriting of my play for my Filipino playwriting class, which tackles weight obsession.
Books Under Category Number (2)- The Bread of Salt and Other Stories and A Season of Grace by NVM Gonzales. "The Bread of Salt" will always be one of my favorite local short stories. Sure, it is considered the local version of James Joyce's "Araby" but there is a je ne sais quoi about it that makes it all the more endearing, and therefore, more heartbreaking. Hmm, maybe it's the sudden craving for pan de sal it subconsciously brings upon?
- Womenagerie and Twisted by Jessica Zafra. I still believe that she will one day rule the universe. She makes literary geek-ery so cool - and relevant.
- America Is In The Heart by Carlos Bulosan
- Prose and Poems by Nick Joaquin
- Killing Time In A Warm Place by Jose Dalisay, Jr. Sir Butch will always, always be on my list of the best professors I've had in UP.
- The Gilda Cordero Fernando Sampler. GCF is awesome. Is there anything she cannot do?
- The Distance to Andromeda by Gregorio Brillantes. A collection of short stories which my current Fiction professor keeps bringing up.
Yes, I am seriously judging anyone who complains about their 30-paged required readings. Labels: books, CW
________________________________________________________________
On my fully-booked bedside table.
Pun intended.
As if my bookshelves couldn't contain any more. My books are what's keeping me sane right now - they provide a welcome distraction to my otherwise mess of a life. Don't they always? Anyway, lately, I've been buying a lot of books that (1) of course, I want and (2) are on The Daunting List of Books in Philippine Literature in English That Every Creative Writing Major Should Read Before She Dies/Attempts To Do Her Thesis. Mostly the latter because next semester, I'm going to be a senior (!!!) and as a pre-thesis requirement we are to take CW199, a subject which requires us to read around a hundred books/selections from the Philippine literary scene. Even for a bookworm like me, it still feels extremely overwhelming. And from the "horror stories" I've heard so far about this subject, it's something we cannot afford to not take seriously (i.e. It has a significant effect on our would-be graduating status.) But so far, I'm enjoying what I've bought so far (mostly short story anthologies) and I'm really not complaining - yet.
At least it's my bookshelf gaining weight and not me. Ha!
Books Under Category Number (1) - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. This is the book that will officially take away my Tolstoy virginity. And I have no qualms - I need no protection. I love it. It's the one. :))
- No One Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July. A collection of short stories which I have already spoken about here.
- Homewreckers: An Adultery Reader edited by Daphne Gottlieb. A short story collection (again) on the thrills and heartaches of illicit love affairs. The first of its kind, I believe. I got this at Book Sale in Festival Mall last week for Php 90 only.
- Taming The Beast by Emily Maguire. I got this for Php75 at Book Sale MOA whereas I found it before for around Php600+ (if I remember correctly) at Fully Booked. It is a tale of innocence and obsession; kind of like a modern Lolita, which is one of my favorite books ever.
- Tales From The Scale edited by Erin J. Shea. Another collection of stories about weight issues on women; it's a material I can gather some resources on for the rewriting of my play for my Filipino playwriting class, which tackles weight obsession.
Books Under Category Number (2)- The Bread of Salt and Other Stories and A Season of Grace by NVM Gonzales. "The Bread of Salt" will always be one of my favorite local short stories. Sure, it is considered the local version of James Joyce's "Araby" but there is a je ne sais quoi about it that makes it all the more endearing, and therefore, more heartbreaking. Hmm, maybe it's the sudden craving for pan de sal it subconsciously brings upon?
- Womenagerie and Twisted by Jessica Zafra. I still believe that she will one day rule the universe. She makes literary geek-ery so cool - and relevant.
- America Is In The Heart by Carlos Bulosan
- Prose and Poems by Nick Joaquin
- Killing Time In A Warm Place by Jose Dalisay, Jr. Sir Butch will always, always be on my list of the best professors I've had in UP.
- The Gilda Cordero Fernando Sampler. GCF is awesome. Is there anything she cannot do?
- The Distance to Andromeda by Gregorio Brillantes. A collection of short stories which my current Fiction professor keeps bringing up.
Yes, I am seriously judging anyone who complains about their 30-paged required readings. Labels: books, CW
________________________________________________________________
She's a modern lover; it's an exploration, she's made of outer space
Hello, I'm Karla Bernardo. If you Google my name, you will find the Wikipedia entry of a Canadian serial-killer (and trust me, you do not want
to read about that - but I'm sure you will because now you're curious), which is why I suggest you type Bombastarr instead so you can stalk me better.
I spent eight-and-a-half years of my life in the University of the Philippines, where I graduated with degrees in Creative Writing and Juris Doctor. It is also where I learned how to speak a bit of Italian, got a taste of the best tapsilog, and took striptease for PE.
I love telling stories, as much as I enjoy finding them.
<![CDATA[<center><font style="color: #ffffff;">____</font>Want <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/09096636074047764491">more</a>?</center><br>]]>
Featured Works
Stargirl ( Cover story for Nadine Lustre, Scout, January-February 2017)
Surreal / So Real (at Scout)
Ode to a Great Love's 17-year-old Self ( Love.Life, Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Postcard from Diliman
( Youngblood, Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Writer for Philippine Law Register
A Call to Arms (January 2017)
Expecting the Expected (March 2016)
Former Writer for Stache Magazine
The Hero's Journey (June 2013)
The 8 People You Become In Your Youth (June 2013)
The Best Bad Idea That Is Argo (April 2013)
Mike Ross Remembers Everything You Don't (August 2012)
Style Between the Riffs (August 2012)
Book Lovers Never Sleep Alone (June 2012)
A Spectrum of Change (December 2011)
Digital Art (October 2011)
Elements of Style (June 2011)
In Her White Dress (All-Art April 2011 issue)
Morning After Pill ( Fervore: Literary Folio 2013, UP Portia Sorority)
How To Make a Blueberry Cheesecake ( Kalas: Kalasag Literary Folio 2011, UP College of Arts and Letters)
January 14th ( 100: The Hundreds Project, UP Writer's Club)
An Ode to The
Pillow Book (at New-Slang)
Introductions (at TeenInk)
One by One (at TeenInk)
Ask, and you shall be answered
Got a comment, question, violent reaction, love letter, or random piece of information you want to share with me? Just fire away. I don't bite.
(I changed my form and went back to Freedback because Ask.fm's being a bitch, requiring people to sign up for accounts before asking questions. Because I love you guys, I tweaked my ask box a bit, so that the questions will now go directly to my e-mail, but I'll be posting the answers still on my Ask.fm for convenience. TL;DR - I'll still be getting your questions so no worries. You're still free to harass me / send me your love.)
Answers
Most Frequently Asked QuestionAre you a pornstar?No, I am not a pornstar, stripper, or your friendly neighborhood call girl. It's just a fancy pseudonym with a long history, and two R's. Rawr.
Bombastarr.com
Bombastarr is my personal blog and my little corner in the Internet since 2005. Yes, I started writing here when I was 13 years old (aka when I was very angsty, hormonal, and always gushing at the littlest things) -- ergo, you'd have to forgive me if you come across an old post that reeks of immaturity and slightly unpolished grammar. I did a lot of growing up here, and from the looks of it, there's still a lot of growing up to do, so I don't think I'll be leaving this place any time soon.
The domain, Bombastarr.com, was purchased on June 2014 and
launched on July 2014, on the blog's ninth year (and fifth month, to be exact).
It's crazy to think that this blog is now thirteen years old, because (1) that seems like an eternity in internet years, and (2) that means if my blog were a kid, it's a teenager! That's insane.
Here's to more tales, explosive and otherwise.
So, why Bombastarr?
If you've been living under a rock and think I'm a threat to world peace or an object of covetousness, sorry to disappoint you, folks: it's just a fancy pseudonym.
As in most things, it started in high school. It began as a joke between me and a couple of friends during our freshman year. We were practicing for a field demonstration dance which involved the use of shawls, and being the crazy-always-trying-to-be-funny person that I was (or I always attempted to be) I started doing poses with the garment. Someone started taking my picture using my phone, and one shot looked like I was posing for those B-list movies (or should it be R-list, as in R-rated?) of the vegetable-nomenclature variety. #IKYWIM. Hence, the word, "Bombastarr." Yes, very cheeky, I know, but for a 13-year-old, it was quirky enough to figure as a username. That was 2005, right around the time I trying to decide on a URL for a new blog. It's been a lot of years since, and what started as a joke became something I've eventually embraced as an identity.
Despite the many other chances I've gotten to permanently move (to Multiply, Livejournal, Tumblr, Wordpress; to a bigger platform where I can earn or use the blog as a venue for commerce), I've come to realize that Bombastarr is something I can never truly leave behind. It is a place I've grown to appreciate and love because it is a place I can call my own. It's a venue for my rants, my views, my writing. It is home, and it is who I am.
Bombastarr is a glimpse of my life: the thoughts, ideas, and stories that shape it into what it is, and what it will still become. This journal has been with me for all my crazy, often embarrassing adventures, but I'm sure there will be more anecdotes and feelings and people to write about. Which is something I'm really looking forward to. After all, you know what they say about the greatest stories - sometimes, there's still a lot that's left unwritten.
Credits and thank you's
This blog is hosted by PhilHosting.net, and powered by Blogger. The layout is coded entirely by me.
Photo hosting: TinyPic, Photobucket
Question box: EmailMeForm, Ask.fm
Copyright © BOMBASTARR
Elsewhere, she wanders
<![CDATA[
<a href="http://twitter.com/thebombastarr" border="0" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y234/bombastarr/twitter1.png"></a> ]]>
@karlabernardo
Friends, links & affiliates
<![CDATA[
<h1>Links & Affiliates</h1><div class="blogbody">
<a href="http://maryofthewild.com/" target="_blank">Ayiene Silvestre</a><br>
<a href="http://biancabiancita.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Bianca Cabillar</a><br>
<a href="http://latenightepisodes.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Cars Pascual</a><br>
<a href="http://ceejaedelrosario.tumblr.com" target="_blank">Ceejae Del Rosario</a><br>
<a href="http://inipitadventures.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Daryll Santillan</a><br>
<a href="http://mirelasestrellas.blogspot.com/" target=_"blank">Eura Yuste</a><br>
<a href="http://kissingfriday.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Gyk Icmat</a><br>
<a href="http://imyouronlyhope.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Hope Velasco</a><br>
<a href="http://deathcabforkitty.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Kaisa Aquino</a><br>
<a href="http://vain-aholic.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Maye Dellosa</a><br>
<a href="http://thedramaholic.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Ninin Sampiano</a><br>
<a href="http://speakinginwords.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Patrick Santiano</a><br>
<a href="http://walledplayground.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Paula Deveraturda</a><br>
<a href="http://thebestdamnconstellation.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Regine Aurellano</a><br>
<a href="http://arceecola.blogspot.com" target="_blank">Rose Basa</a><br>
<a href="http://spencetheknight.wordpress.com" target="_blank">Spence the Knight</a><br><br></div>
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