GMANews.TV posted the fourth and fifth installment of my 7,000-word email exchange with Pacific Rims author and the new kilabot ng mga kolehiyala, Rafe Bartholomew. In part 4, we discuss a few more issues about Filipino-American players and get into it about the future of the Alaska Aces franchise. The emails were written a couple of months before Alaska’s championship, and Rafe expressed his doubts about the Cyrus Baguio-Willie Miller. I was higher on the trade than he was at the time, and I guess the next Philippine Cup will bear each of us out, without Diamon Simpson available for the Aces then.

In part 5, Rafe goes solo with “The ballad of Willie Thriller”, a 1,000-word opus that takes on more Fil-Am identity issues before tackling Willie Miller. Even though Rafe’s word count bumped me off this installment, I really liked this post because, to my mind, it works as sort of an addendum to his book. As I said in my piece for GMANews.TV about Pacific Rims, Thriller is the book’s most indelible character, and I’m just glad Rafe got to write and ruminate about a complex man for whom he obviously had, and still has, a lot of affection.



By the way, if you missed them – or if you’re just a masochist and you’d like to re-read – you can still find part 1, part 2, and part 3.

Also, if you haven’t heard, Rafe’s back in town! Check out his blog for the full schedule of his appearances. I’ll be swinging by his signing tomorrow night at Powerbooks Greenbelt, so if you’re gonna be there… EB tayo. Hehe.