Pati Poblete's The Oracles and 2nd Noveltown event coming up - By N.L. Belardes

The Oracles isn’t just a Filipino story. It’s a story simply about appreciating culture no matter who you are.

Pati Poblete understands the need for the culture of diversity in the newsroom; she has a new respect for the social and familial implications of the culture of myspace; and she’s also personally digested the impact of Americanization and cultural loss. In her memoir, The Oracles she explores such issues as Americanization and de-Americanization.


Cultural fashion differences = childhood anger.

Having worked with the San Francisco Chronicle since 1999, Poblete has since moved on to the Honolulu Advertiser as a deputy editorial page editor. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t stirred up controversy along the way. Her views are opinionated and prod a stick into the side of journalism no different than the words of Howard Owens on howardowens.com.

Bakersfield residents who follow the drama of local Bakersfield print news know Howard’s story. They’ve read between the lines on his blog and formed opinions regarding Central Valley news.

Don’t think all the scandal is in Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, folks.

But what about Pati Poblete’s book, The Oracles? It’s not scandalous unless you think cultural loss and the transformation of self-identity makes for a bad persona.

Well? Let’s look further…


She looks much different on her myspace page.



If you grow up an Americanized kid these days, you might watch Disney, the Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon and reality TV. You might worship the latest bohunks in American film like Brad Pitt, Colin Farrell and even that questionable new James Bond, Daniel Craig. Your favorite food? Try hamburgers, pizza and sugary breakfast cereal. No problem. You might even read magazines that feature the latest Hollywood hip parade.

Now imagine it’s the early 1980s and you’re Pati Poblete, a young Filipino-American girl staring googly-eyed at the Brady Bunch. I know I did. C’mon Marsha. You know you loved me.


"It's that Filipino culture, honey. They're different"

Suddenly your grandparents who live in different parts of the Philippines come to America to change everything you know about an American kid’s way of life.

What happens? De-Americanization and Americanization all at once. While your grandparents take on aspects of the American way of life, at the same time they dump culture into a young girl who tries to spit it back out like Castor Oil.

Is that bad?


Hawaiian Tiki culture meets 25% Mexican mostly Irish kid who like cocoapuffs and books on cultural connections...



Do you hate your grandparents for the cultural medicine they’re forcing on you? And if you do, for how long? Can such hate dissipate? How can you ever appreciate forced change?

Today your life might revolve around fast cars in a small town. How could you grasp culture when you might not care about a world farther away than the latest warehouse rave, field party or drag race? Maybe that’s American cartoons and Abercrombie and Fitch to a young kid. Take those away and most young Americans would kick and scream too.

And replace with what?


Dusty Gumby kid culture blocks the book. No Grandparents?

The appeal of The Oracles is reading about losing not what you love but in gaining what you didn’t know you could appreciate. Sure, Poblete’s portrayal of her grandparents is a harsh view of her reality. But then maybe the harshness was in the little girl herself who may not have appreciated her grandparents' way of life no matter how they would have presented culture.

The Oracles is a mantra about appreciating what a culture has for you, and not just what culture might have for the kid next door. It’s a story about what might happen when a culture forgets about you, just as you may have forgotten it (or never knew).

In the end, The Oracles is a charming memoir that revolves around a little girl’s hateful feelings toward who she might be: someone not as American as she thinks.

Now I know Malcolm Margolin of Heyday Books (And more on Malcolm) has a special place in his heart for Poblete. He recently wrote to me in an email:

Nick, I rejoice in your friendship, and I'm knocked out by what you and Noveltown seem to be planning for Oracles. Pati Poblete is utterly gorgeous, smart, genuinely likes people, and is utterly gorgeous. Not only that, but she's utterly gorgeous. She has terrific energy to promote the book, herself, and Filipino culture, she's fun to be around, and she's utterly.... But I repeat myself…

You can rejoice in knowing that Noveltown is bringing Pati Poblete to Bakersfield. “Celebrating the Oracles” is the name of the second Noveltown event coming this November 11th to Russo’s Books. If you missed the Chicano event, “Stories From Dust” you don’t want to miss this celebration of culture headlined by writer of The Oracles, Pati Poblete. More details to come…


"I can't believe I read that. I'm going to leave a comment on her blog!"

In the meantime, listen to Poblete read from The Oracles just a few weeks ago in the Pinoy Pod. It’s good stuff.

Here's our call for poets and poetry to be read November 11th specifically about The Oracles in your life. Send submissions to nick@noveltown.net.

Remember, every culture has Oracles; the wisdom of transplanted culture can teach both young and old. Who are the Oracles in your past? Grandparents, war heroes? Are you a kid who never understood your grandparents broken English?

Learn.



Purchase The Oracles through Bakersfield's Independent Bookstore, Russo's, online.

This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on Saturday, September 30, 2006. You can leave your response.