Sionil Jose’s eighth volume of essays, Writing the Nation: Essays on Philippine Literature, Politics, and Culture, consists of lectures, talks, and speeches, the core of which is literature, “the world where he lived and breathed his ideals and aesthetics.” The articles included in this book, were culled mostly from his column, “Hindsight,” in The Philippine Star. The essays trace the development of Philippine literature in English and express his literary views, particularly on the role of literature in depicting the human condition and the function of writers as “keepers of memories” through their narratives. Compared with his provocative and passionate socio-political commentaries, Sionil Jose’s views on literature are more circumspect and pragmatic, but no less thought-provoking. Reading these selections will enable us to savor the universality, substance, and soundness of his thoughts.