Edith L. Tiempo (Edith Lopez Tiempo) b. Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya 22 Apr 1919. Poet, fictionist. She is
the daughter of Salvador T. Lopez and Teresa Cutaran. Her childhood was spent in various Philippine
provinces where her father was assigned as a government auditor. She graduated from high school in
Bayombong, then took pre-law at the University of the Philippines (UP) where she met and married
fictionist Edilberto K. tiempo. They have two children, one of whom, Rowena Tiempo-Torrevillas, is a
noted fictionist and poet. The couple moved to Silliman University in Dumaguete City, where she earned
the degree of bachelor of science in education, major in English, magna cum laude, in 1947. She
obtained her master of arts degree from the State University of Iowa, USA, in 1949. She was an
international fellow at the State University of Iowa from 1947 to 1950, and was participant in a creative
writing workshop under Paul Engle. She earned her doctorate degree in English from the University of
Denver in Colorado, USA in 1958 under a grant from the United Board for Christian Higher Education in
Asia. She taught at Wartburg College in Iowa, 1964- 1965, Western Michigan University, 1965- 1966, and
Chinese University of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Baptist College, 1978- 1979.
She co-founded in 1962 and co-directed with her husband the Silliman Writers Workshop in Dumaguete
City. She chaired the English department of Silliman University, 1969- 1981, and was dean of graduate
school, 1983- 1987, and director of Honors Program and faculty adviser of Silliman. She has co- authored
some textbooks with her husband. They are credited with systematically introducing the literary theory
of new criticisms to the Philippines in 1951.
Tiempo's published works include the novel A Blade of Fern, 1978, The Native Coast, 1979, and the Alien
Corn, 1992; the poetry collections, The Tracts of Babylon and Other Poems, 1966, and The Charmer's
Box and Other Poems, 1993; and the...