Dorm Room Discussions

#9 Bedroom Brainstorming: On Young Adult Literature and Making Reading a Habit

In this episode, I rambled about why I love reading, young adult literature, and what pushed me to propose the reading course ENG157: Reading Young Adult Narratives. 

#8 Bedroom Brainstorming: On Games, Myth-making, Structuralism, and Deconstruction

This episode is an attempt to synthesize the discussion on Structuralism and Deconstruction through examples as such as video/card games, the difference between myths and myth-making, and even Studio Ghibli and Disney films. 

#7 Bedroom Brainstorming: On Formalism, Paterson, Paterson, and Paterson

This short episode is a synthesis of the background, assumptions, concepts, exclusions, and caveats of formalism as a tool for criticism told through examples such as Paterson (2016), Edvard Munch's The Scream, Lea Salonga, Michael Pacquiao, and some other notable examples. 

#6 Bedroom Brainstorming: On Reading Texts and Understanding the Humanities and Literary Theory

In this short episode, I discuss the roots of the humanities as a field and discipline as well as explain how literary theory works in analyzing and criticizing texts. Overall, this episode is focused on explaining the role of the humanities in improving our society.  

#5 Bedroom Brainstorming: On Richard Gomez's Phallus Painting, Our Indigenous Roots, and Art as a Construct

This episode synthesizes the definition, function, and role of art in society; it discusses art as a social construct and traces back our indigenous roots to strengthen our notion and concept of national art.  

#4 Bedroom Brainstorming: On the Roots of Philippine Literature in English

This is a short primer on the roots and history of Anglophone writing in the Philippines.
PS. The cut word at the end is "underway". Lol. Also, sorry about my dogs in the background.

#3 Bedroom Brainstorming: On Bootlegs, Graffiti, and Zines

A short sit-down on the production, circulation, and consumption of some alternative art forms such as bootlegs, graffiti, and zines.

#2 Bedroom Brainstorming: On Berger's Ways Of Seeing, Benjamin's Aura, and Meaning-Making

I get a little salty as I weave John Berger's Ways of Seeing (Episode 1), Walter Benjamin's Aura, how the camera revolutionized art reproduction, and in turn, how we make sense and meaning out of art. 

#1 Tindalo Talk-throughs: On Trigger Warnings in Literary Pieces

I hash it out with my colleagues in Tindalo Street (my temporary residence in this lockdown): Prof. Liberty Balanquit, Prof. Jonelle Marin, and Prof. Cris Lanzaderas. We discuss the implications of whether or not literary pieces assigned in class, especially those with sensitive and graphic content, should contain trigger warnings in this era of heightened awareness on mental health issues, violence against women, and other considerations.

Introducing: Dorm Room Discussions

Hi, I am Reya Veloso, a professor at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. In response to the closing down of schools during this COVID19 global pandemic, I thought of this podcast, while stuck at my dorm during quarantine, to fill in the gaps for topics that we did not get to discuss in class as well as topics I think my students will find useful even outside the classroom.