By Carla Adeline E. Via
Multi-awarded fictionist Timothy Montes delivered a public lecture on “The Social Conscience of Silliman Poets” last April 8, during his eight-day stay as a visiting professor at the Silliman University (SU) English and Literature Department.
In his lecture, he compared the poetry of Joma Sison from the University of the Philippines with that of SU poets Myrna Peña-Reyes and Jaime An Lim.
“So, when we talk of the tradition of Silliman writing, what do we mean by that?” he posed.
Montes questioned Dumaguete’s literary culture of tackling “trivial things” such as nature and spirituality, and local writers’ ability to talk about national issues.
He also shared insights on the literary traditions cultivated by the SU National Writers Workshop (SUNWW), the longest-running creative writing workshop in Asia established in 1962.
Moreover, Montes led a brown-bag session among the SU English and Literature Department faculty and staff wherein he shared his insights on designing and teaching creative writing courses for non-literature majors.
The event was organized by the SU English and Literature Department and the Edilberto and Edith Tiempo Creative Writing Center (CWC), in partnership with the SU Culture and Arts Council.
Students from the SU Senior High School – Humanities and Social Sciences, English and Literature Department, and College of Education attended his lecture.
Revisiting Silliman
Montes also participated in the recently concluded Dumaguete Literary Festival 2025 on top of facilitating workshops, lectures, and talks in the SU English and Literature Department.
“[I’m here] to help the new generation of Silliman writers,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Meagan Villaruz, a creative writing major, shared her experience under Montes’ mentorship as a dramaturg last April 10 during a playwright class.
Villaruz also described the opportunity as “an honor” and “incredibly nerve-wracking” since she admired Montes, given his background as a creative writing alumnus under the late National Artist for Literature Edilberto Tiempo.
Montes’ visiting professorship was an event “two years in the making” due to logistical issues, his last visit being the director-in-residence at the 2023 SUNWW.
He expressed his surprise at the number of today’s youth who are interested in writing compared to his time as a creative writing major.
“I was quite lonely here—that was in the 1980s—because I was in a transition period in the 1970s before the Tiempos retired…but now I see na may barkadahan na kayo (but now I see that students have formed friend groups),” he stated.
In a message for the writers at SU, Montes emphasized the importance of taking advantage of the experience and “rich life” the university has to offer.
“Make the most out of your time here [in SU],” he urged the students.
Montes currently teaches literature and creative writing at De La Salle University.
