Filipino American pens debut novel ‘Love Can’t Feed You’

By WALTER ANG
August 27, 2024 | USA.Inquirer.net 

NEW YORK — Filipino American Cherry Lou Sy is releasing her debut novel "Love Can't Feed You," described as a "tender yet searing coming-of-age novel about a young Filipina woman suspended between two countries, two identities, and two parents."

Filipino American Cherry Lou Sy

Readers will be introduced to Queenie, who is torn between her family's expectations and her own burning desires.

Queenie, her brother and their elderly Chinese father arrive in the United States from the Philippines to find that her Filipina mother, who'd been working as a nurse in Brooklyn for some time, is now a different woman than the one they knew.

On the cusp of adulthood, Queenie dreams of attending college but her parents can't afford to support both children. Stretching themselves to assimilate, her family begins to fall apart.

Queenie starts to explore the nature of her relationships with her mother, her father, her own sexuality and the new country she's immigrated to as she juggles her many identities: Filipina, Chinese, New Yorker, immigrant, daughter, sister, student, worker, woman, friend, lover.

Inspiration

"I was always interested in prose writing," says Sy. "I even got into an MFA program run by [Filipino American novelist and playwright] Jessica Hagedorn at Long Island University. She liked my prose but she praised my playwriting after reading a one-act I [had written]."

Sy then went on to an experimental playwriting program at Brooklyn College ran by author, poet and playwright Mac Wellman. "Mac was all about experimenting in not just form, but genre. He told me that I should work on a novel if I wanted to."

Sy was taking her master's in playwriting when she began working on the novel. "The story of the narrator, Queenie, wouldn't leave me," she says. "I saw myself in her and I could also see her as a student at Brooklyn College, where I was an adjunct lecturer, encountering people who are like her. Earnest, curious and hungry for change, despite or because of their histories."

"At the time, I was reading Marguerite Duras's 'The Lover' was haunted by the story of an impoverished 15-year-old white girl who has an affair with a rich 27-year-old Chinese man in French Indochina in the 1930s.

"I had never read anything like it, and it made me think of my own background being half-Chinese and half-Filipino.

"What if the protagonist of the book had a child with her Chinese lover? How would it have ended differently? I superimposed this question onto the dynamics of my own family - my mother was 17 years younger than my Chinese father - and began writing."

Frustations, grief, multitude

The story started to become more concrete during the pandemic. "Everything stopped. My career as a theater artist stalled. There was no pipeline for me to enter and Zoom theater was incredibly frustrating. I felt so disconnected with theatermaking as a practice and just started focusing on my novel," she says.

"It was also shaped by the death of my father. We thought that he was attacked because he had a head fracture and was found at a bus stop. He died two months later."

Though she initially tried to process her grief through theater work and had applied for fellowships, those efforts did not pan out. "That's when I turned to prose to deal with my grief," she says.

"The pivot seemed natural. The pandemic was the key event. It made me think about myself as an artist.

"Anyway, a story is like water. Just as water tries to find its way to the sea, a story will find a way to be told. And one can be both a playwright, a novelist and a multitude of other things."

There will be a book launch for "Love Can't Feed You" on Oct. 7, 2024 at Powerhouse Arena Bookstore, Brooklyn, New York. Walter Ang is the author of "Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater." Available at Amazon, Bookshop and other online booksellers.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/155752/fil-am-pens-debut-novel-love-cant-feed-you

Children’s book on resilience, bayanihan inspired by Typhoon Odette

By WALTER ANG
Aug. 25, 2024 | USA.Inquirer.net

VANCOUVER — If you found one of your neighbor's lost possessions, you would most likely return it. But what if you found your neighbor's entire roof?

Filipino Canadian Stephanie Ellen Sy

That's the situation facing Maya in "A Roof!," a new children's book by Filipino Canadian Stephanie Ellen Sy with illustrations by Filipino Daniel Tingcungco.

In the book, Maya discovers a whole roof in her backyard one day after a typhoon. Determined to reunite it with its owners, she and her tatay roll it up and set out on a journey.

Along the way, they get help from a farmer and his carabao, some fisherfolk, a sapatero, a labandera, a kusinera and more of her neighbors. Together, they haul, heave, push and drag the roof. Will they succeed in finding the roof's family?

Based in reality

"I wrote this story while reflecting on Typhoon Rai (known as Typhoon Odette in the Philippines), which struck during Christmas 2021," says Sy, who was born in the Philippines and is now based in Vancouver.

Growing up in the southeast Asian region, destructive typhoons were a regular occurrence for Sy.

But having lived in Hong Kong, the US and Italy, she knows that not everyone in the world has been in the midst of a typhoon. "Recognizing that this experience is unfamiliar to many, I felt compelled to share its importance."

Typhoons are not the only element in the book inspired from real life. Returning house parts is, apparently, also a very real activity.

"A friend shared that, in her hometown, residents write their names and addresses on roofs to aid in their return after a storm. That's how it came into the story!"

Bayanihan

Sy shares that she wants to "shed light on the profound impact of these disasters while showcasing the resilience and strength of communities in the face of adversity."

"Natural disasters are unfortunately all too common in many parts of the world, particularly in Asia, where they significantly shape lives from the initial preparations through the arduous recovery process."

Because of this, she wants to highlight and celebrate the Filipino spirit of bayanihan-a community's collective effort to achieve a common goal - which she believes engenders "kindness, hope, resilience and solidarity."

She says that her book "underscores the importance of unity, compassion and cooperation in times of crisis."

Family dynamics

Sy also draws from family and relationships. "In the Philippines, a significant percentage of the population leaves the country to work [abroad], mostly women. As a result, many children are left to be cared for by their fathers or grandparents.

"I wanted 'A Roof!' to portray these evolving family structures, moving beyond the traditional nuclear model to reflect the realities of the migrant worker culture.

"I wanted this story to resonate with children of migrant workers, and single-parent households, reassuring them that their family dynamic is valid and shared by many others."

Sy says, "I write because it allows me to shed light on issues and share my experiences with those who might otherwise not be aware of them. Books have always transported me, and I want to provide the same escape and inspiration for other kids."

VISIT StephanieEllenSy.com. Walter Ang is the author of "Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater." Available at Amazon, Bookshop and other online booksellers.

How a Filipino American author learned to destroy bridges

By WALTER ANG
Aug. 22, 2024 | USA.Inquirer.net 

HOUSTON, Texas — At a certain point in Filipino American Gabriella Buba's debut fantasy novel "Saints of Storm and Sorrow," a bridge may or may not be destroyed (no spoilers!).

Filipino American Gabriella Buba (left) and her mother Janette.

The only problem Buba had when she was working on the draft was "I had no idea how I was going to destroy an entire bridge," she says.

In the book, Maria Lunurin is a bisexual nun living a double life as she hides a goddess-given gift. To the world, she is a devoted servant of Aynila's Codician colonizers. Behind closed doors, she is a stormcaller, chosen daughter of the goddess Anitun Tabu.

While hiding from the Codicians and their witch hunts, Lunurin does what she can to protect her fellow Aynilans and the small family she has created in the convent. A decision Lunurin makes awakens Anitun Tabu's rage and puts everyone she loves in terrible danger.

Engineer

Buba's Filipino fantasy short stories have been anthologized in "Strange Religion: Speculative Fiction of Spirituality and Belief, & Practice and Of Stardust: A Queer Fantastical Anthology," among other publications.

She is also a contributor to "With Love: What We Wish We Knew About Being Queer and Filipino in America."

For authors who craft stories with situations they may not have knowledge of or personal experience with, there is always research to be done.

But instead of going to a library or Googling the information, Buba was able to turn to an expert she knew personally and intimately, her father Ervin, who is of Czech heritage.

"He was an architectural restorationist by trade and he helped me with all of the infrastructure and bridge building and destruction in the book.

"I worked on it with my dad researching bridge types and load and historical quicklime recipes. [What else do you expect] from an architectural restorationist's daughter?"

"My dad and I used to travel all over the world visiting churches, ancient aqueducts and roman bridges and my dad would tell me all about the stone and materials used and how they should be taking better care of their wood and bronze work."

"My father unfortunately passed away last year of pancreatic cancer. But he was also very proud of my writing and always supportive of my endeavors."

Family

The women in Buba's family also had a big hand in her development as a writer and in completing the book.

"My Auntie Rosie was an amazing resource, helping me double check my cultural and historical details and Tagalog spelling!

"I've always loved stories, my grandmother was a wonderful storyteller and poet, and I think she got me used to the idea of writing and telling stories.

"She had a little notebook on hand where she would write her poems. In fact, the poem included in the book is a tribute to one of my favorite of the myths she would share, the Tagalog Creation Story."

Buba's mother Janette was and is also a strong presence in her development as a writer. "She's always been the biggest supporter of my writing. When I was 7 or 8 I was very upset with how Disney ended `Pocahontas' and my mom helped me write a letter to the Disney headquarters where I helped them `fix' the ending of the movie.

"When I finished my very first original story at the end of high school, she helped me send it out to [a small publisher]. She has been my biggest cheerleader, and an amazing promoter of my book."

VISIT gabriellabuba.com. Walter Ang is the author of "Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater." Available at Amazon, Bookshop and other online booksellers.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/155533/how-a-fil-am-author-learned-to-destroy-bridges

Filipino American theater director gives audiences a peek behind the scenes

By WALTER ANG
Aug. 17, 2024

CHICAGO — Filipino American actor and director Jay Españo is inviting audiences to see what it is like to do behind-the-scenes work for a theater organization with, what else, a show that is about putting up a show.

Filipino American Jay Españo (left), artistic director of PrideArts,
directing the cast of the musical "[title of show]" during rehearsals.

He is helming the musical "[title of show]" for PrideArts, where he is the artistic director.

In this musical by Jeff Bowen and Hunter Bell, two self-confessed nobodies in New York, make a pact to create an original musical to submit to a festival. With a looming deadline, the pair decide to follow the adage "write what you know" and set off to write a musical about writing a musical.

The show kicks off PrideArts' 2024-2025 season. Españo aims to let audiences get to know him and the organization a little better through the show.

"The show is about creating something out of nothing. It deals with the challenges that happens in and out of theater and how it affects the lives of people involved," says Españo, who is on his third year as artistic director.

"This musical draws a lot of parallelism with what's happening to us at PrideArts."

Evolving

"We are still evolving as a company. like the characters in the show, I am still learning as we go. The musical explores the creative process, collaboration, frustration, self-doubt. I've experienced all that in my work as an artistic director as I navigate what our next move will be."

When he stepped into the role of artistic director, Españo made a conscious effort to diversify the organization's play selection and feature playwrights of different backgrounds, new voices, new stories that local audiences have never seen before.

"Last year, we had a Singaporean play and a controversial play about the HIV crisis in the Black community," he says. "The challenge is always how to market these unfamiliar shows and entice new audiences to come to the theater."

The group refuses to become complacent. "After every production, we sit down, debrief and discuss what worked, what didn't work, what can we do better next time."

Nurturing

Españo is thankful for the prevailing dynamic of the city's theater milieu. "The Chicago theater community reminds me of Manila's," he says.

Before moving to the US, Españo was part of the actor's company of Tanghalang Pilipino, the resident theater group of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

"It's tight-knit and everyone kind of knows everyone else. Unlike New York where the constant energy of competition is palpable, Chicago tends to be more nurturing, more supportive of theater artists."

This year, PrideArts is also collaborating with Fil-Am theater group Circa-Pintig. "We will be celebrating Filipino American History Month in October starting with a slate of activities," he says.

"I'm so excited to bring in Filipino stories to our audience. My dream is that, one day, we'll be able to produce an all-Filipino production."

"[title of show]" runs Aug. 23 to Sept. 2, 2024. Visit pridearts.org

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https://usa.inquirer.net/155247/fil-am-theater-director-gives-audiences-a-peek-behind-the-scenes

‘Unwrapping Lumpia’ art exhibit: Call for entries

WALTER ANG
AUG. 12, 2024 | USA.Inquirer.net 

CHICAGO — Submissions are being accepted for the upcoming "Unwrapping Lumpia: Deconstructing the Filipino American Identity" art exhibition.

(From left) Self portrait by Cesar Conde, the curator of
"Unwrapping Lumpia: Deconstructing the Filipino American Identity,"
which is accepting submissions until Aug. 18, 2024.
Works that will be featured in the exhibit include
Arriene Calingo's "Mei in Manila, digital art print on photographic paper, 2024
and Set Gozo's "Freedom," ceramic sculpture, 2024.

Curated by Filipino American painter Cesar Conde, the show aims to be "a powerful platform for Filipino American visual artists to explore, reclaim and redefine their cultural heritage and identity."

The exhibit, slated for Sept. 20 to Oct. 31 at The Catacombs, Epiphany Center for the Arts, is Conde's follow-up to the "More Than Lumpia" exhibit which was held last year in October, coinciding with Filipino American History Month 2023.

Presented by Conde Art Project in collaboration with Epiphany Center for the Arts, Likhaya and Sinag Chicago Art, the exhibit invites Filipino American artists to participate in this "thought-provoking and engaging art exhibit that delves into the complexities of Filipino American identity and experiences of individuals within this community."

Conde encourages interested Filipino American artists to submit works that "explore and express their personal journeys and reflections on identity.

"Works that share their perspectives on what it means to be Filipino American, how their cultural heritage influences their lives and how they navigate their identities in the diverse sociopolitical landscape of America."

Conde Art Project will donate 100 percent of its commission to Fil-Am theater group Circa Pintig.

Complex

"Much like Filipino Americans, lumpia is a popular traditional dish made of different ingredients, texture and complex flavor," explains Conde.

"In the current socio-political climate, where identity, belonging and representation are increasingly relevant, this exhibit offers a space for artists to engage with their roots, nurture their sense of self, and articulate what it means to be Filipino American."

"Using Filipino American identity as a source of empowerment is crucial not only for individuals but also for the community at large.

"By delving into their heritage, artists can uncover narratives that have been suppressed or erased by colonization, thereby reclaiming agency and autonomy over their own stories.

"This process of introspection and expression through art can help decolonize the mind, challenge dominant narratives and assert a sense of cultural sovereignty."

Challenging stereotypes

Conde believes that by engaging with questions surrounding identity, heritage and belonging, "Filipino American artists can contribute to broader conversations about diversity, inclusion and social justice in the United States."

"As a significant minority group in the country, Filipino Americans have a unique opportunity to shape the narrative, challenge stereotypes and advocate for social change.

"In the face of rising neo-fascism, increased incidents of Asian hate and other forms of discrimination, the exploration and celebration of Filipino American identity can serve as a form of resistance, resilience and solidarity."

Submission details

Submissions will be accepted until August 18, 2024. Accepted submissions will be announced on August 25.

Submit photo of works with at least 300 DPI resolution in jpg format, artist statement and artist bio here.

Artist bio must provide statement on what it means to be Filipino American and how your work reflects that.

Mediums in 2D and 3D are accepted. No video works accepted. Works must be professionally presented and ready to hang. Artwork not ready to hang will not be accepted.

Submit one to three works with one of which must be 12" x 12" or smaller. Artworks will be insured while on exhibit. 2D works cannot exceed 40 lbs. Maximum height for 3D works is 6 feet and 18"x18" width.

Drop off dates at Epiphany Center for the Arts are scheduled for September 15 and 16. Mailed artworks must arrive by Sept. 10.

Contact cesarcondeart@gmail.com or 773-412-7609.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/154990/unwrapping-lumpia-art-exhibit-call-for-entries

Filipino American uses boxing skills to direct family drama in LA

WALTER ANG
Aug. 9, 2024 | USA.Inquirer.net

LOS ANGELES — What happens when forty-something divorcee Connie, the family's black sheep who's been estranged for two decades, returns home for the 70th birthday of her glamorously overbearing mother?

In addition to prayers to the Santo Niño, karaoke and chicken adobo, she has to deal with her wayward son, tough-as-nails father, bougie sister with the white doctor boyfriend and flamboyant favorite aunt in a home "exploding in an uproar of hidden truths and harbored secrets."

Filipino American playwright Nicholas Pilapil's play "God Will Do the Rest" will have its world premiere at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, presented by Artists at Play and Latino Theater Company.

This family's drama will be helmed by Fil-Am director Fran de Leon. In a story where there is sure to be conflict, perhaps it helps when the director has a background in boxing.

Boxing

"In boxing, it's important to know when to go for speed, when to come in with power, when to block, when to slip and duck, and when to take a breather and just dance with footwork," says De Leon.

"I suppose it's the same with directing family interaction and conflict. A character shouldn't always come in hard, and never at the same pace. They never want to get hurt, and sometimes will block and counter a hurt by hurting back.

"Other times, they try to avoid and dance around the issue. For this family in particular, they are so much about slips and ducks that they've fallen out of sync, and no one wants to throw the first jab-cross, until finally they're up against the ropes and have no choice but to come in with a power punch.

Hilarious

Conflicts notwithstanding, there are laughs to be had. "Nicholas Pilapil wrote a play that is unapologetically and hilariously Filipino American, from characters having multiple nicknames, to the unleashed beasts we become when watching a basketball game, to the secrets we keep from each other in the name of protection.

"Just like every other Filipino American gathering, we're going to see a lot of food . because that's our collective cultural love language . let's be honest, something is always cooking in our houses, diba?" De Leon says.

Will non-Filipino theatergoers be able to relate to the material? "I would hope so. However, we're not going to bend over backwards and sacrifice authenticity to chase relatability. I don't think that serves anyone," she says.

"I believe that the more culturally specific and true we go, the more universally resonant the experience will be. So, to all the non-brown audiences, I promise you, you can relate to brown people's stories just as easily."

Process

De Leon has been involved with this play from its earliest incarnations. She portrayed the mother character in developmental readings.

"Having the chance to dive deep into one of the two lead roles has definitely helped as I shift over to director. I think in general, that's why people ask me to direct is because I very much see from the actor's perspective: to understand where each character is coming from, their intrinsic needs and methods of getting what they want out of life," she says.

Shifting from one role to another is one of the themes of the play. "I think that at one point or another, we've all felt like an outsider and misunderstood by those who share our DNA. For some, like Connie, you'll see it's blatantly obvious," De Leon says.

"We tend to take on roles in our families, sometimes taken, sometimes earned. But when something in our individual life shifts, when we evolve into something different, making it hard to stay within the confines of those roles, it throws off the family dynamics. How do we get it back, if at all? We get to witness this family effort [in this play]."

"God Will Do the Rest" runs Aug. 29 to Sept. 29 at Los Angeles Theatre Center. Visit artistsatplay.org. Walter Ang is the author of Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater. Available at Amazon, Bookshop and other online booksellers.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/154871/fil-am-uses-boxing-skills-to-direct-family-drama-in-la

Filipino American fathers, sons in new novel ‘Everything We Never Had’

WALTER ANG
Aug. 13, 2024 | USA.Inquirer.net

SAN FRANCISCO — Becoming a father inspired Filipino American Randy Ribay to write his new YA (young adult) novel Everything We Never Had.

Ribay's son was born in 2020. His arrival during such a fraught period, when "much about the future was unknown," compelled him to look inward and consider what kind of father he wanted to be.

He considered not only the way he was parented, but also how he and his immediate family members were shaped by the community, society and historical circumstances around them.

The result is this new tome for ages 12 and up, described as "an emotionally charged and moving" novel about four generations of boys in the Filipino American Maghabol family, who grapple with "identity, masculinity, and their fraught father-son relationships."

Multiple perspectives

The thread begins in the 1930s with Francisco Maghabol, who moves to California from the Philippines but struggles to eke a living in the fields and faces violence from white men in town.

Later, Francisco has become a labor organizer. His son Emil refuses to follow in his footsteps.

In the 1980s, Chris is determined to prove that his overbearing father Emil can't control him.

In 2020, Enzo struggles to keep his anxiety in check as a pandemic breaks out and his abrasive Lolo Emil moves in. He begins to wonder if maybe he can help bridge the decades-long rift between his father and grandfather.

Told in multiple perspectives, each Maghabol boy forges his own path amid heavy family and societal expectations, passing down flaws, values and virtues to the next generation. How will Enzo be able to braid all these strands and men together?

Healing

Publishers Weekly has praised the book as having "[an] emotionally resonant tale . Compact storytelling richly layered with Filipino American culture and history provides the backdrop for each father-son relationship as the Maghabols confront personal and familial expectations in both past and present narratives."

Kirkus Reviews estimation of the book notes that "[this] strongly characterized novel covers the boys' struggles with identity against the backdrop of changes in American society. The many heartwarming and heartbreaking moments offer deep insights into intergenerational patterns and how one's life experiences and upbringing affect parenting and relationships . A powerful and moving family saga."

Ribay's other works include An Infinite Number of Parallel Universes, After the Shot Drops and Patron Saints of Nothing.

For the Chronicles of the Avatar series, he's written Avatar, the Last Airbender: The Reckoning of Roku.

"As I'd hoped, the process of writing helped me think through the questions that prompted me to draft the novel, but it also helped me heal," says Ribay.

"It gave me a deeper understanding of and appreciation for my own family, Filipino American history, intergenerational relationships, and love as an intentional practice."

Walter Ang is the author of Barangay to Broadway: Filipino American Theater. Available at Amazon, Bookshop and other online booksellers.

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https://usa.inquirer.net/154714/fil-am-fathers-sons-in-new-novel-everything-we-never-had