The life and works of Estrella D. Alfon: A critical edition, vol. I-II

• Main Author: Bas, Herminia Santos
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 1995
• Subjects: Alfon, Estrella D. > Collected works; Alfon, Estrella D. > Biography; Alfon, Estrella D. > Criticism and interpretation; Short stories, Philippine; Women authors; English Language and Literature
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_doctoral/1144
• Institution: De La Salle University

Estrella Alfon is one of the few women writers whose works have been anthologized and published from the pre-war days to the post-war days. She won a number of literary awards but there is only one collection of short stories to her name. Alfon wrote almost a hundred short stories, a number of plays and essays, yet her volume of short stories contains only fourteen of what she had written.This study seeks to give Estrella Alfon the recognition due her as well as to gather her extant works. A literary biography and a critical condition of her works are presented.This researcher adhered to the principles on textual criticism of Bowers, Altick and Greg in preparing the critical edition as earlier demonstrated in the studies of critical editions done by Edna Zapanta Manlapaz on poetess Angela Manalang Gloria, Lourdes Gatmaitan-Banez on poet R. Zulueta da Costa and Teresita Erestain on short story writer Delfin Fresnosa.The critical edition consists of Alfon's short stories, six plays and thirteen essays. Enumerative and descriptive bibliographies were prepared. The works are annotated by stating the data on publications, translations of Cebuano expressions, definitions or explanations of some terms used. Collation and conflation were also done as well as emendation to help ease the job of the literary critic or the literary historian. The works are grouped according to genre and arranged chronologically. Alfon's contribution to the growth of Philippine literature bespeaks of the country's heritage. Therefore, as a representative of the Filipino women writers, she should be accorded due recognition.