Category: Blog
-
Philippine Fright Night on YouTube
Last October, Filipino American playwright Thelma Virata de Castro and I celebrated Filipino American History month by reading horror stories from two of my books. It was a fun event hosted by the San Diego Public Library. A recording of our event has just been posted to Youtube and you can watch it at this […]
-
Pandemic Bread
Writing, baking and my day job as a phone interpreter come together in this story. To read the full essay, click on the link below:
-
I’m always surprised that new readers continue to find and comment on The Mango Bride even 8 years after it was first released. Learning that my novel was included in this list was an unexpected honor and delight. Click on the link below to read the full article: https://ph.asiatatler.com/life/worldbookday-7-of-the-most-intriguing-filipino-fiction-books?fbclid=IwAR03HOo80dIDqDgKEKeeDFB_x4Rxboqneeu98xxsBZlClAEbaCUe7JCUzxI
-
April Fools Surprise
On April Fools’ Day I was surprised not by a prank, but by an article by Alicia de Leon Torres, published in our local newspaper. In it, Alicia profiled my writing, the day job as a Filipino phone interpreter, and my years long involvement with arts projects in San Diego. It was an honor and […]
-
Covid Confidential
Amid a worldwide pandemic, the San Diego Central Library continued to promote literacy and support local writers, going above and beyond curbside book pickups. The San Diego Decameron Project is a collection of 100 flash fiction stories centered on this modern-day plague. My story was accepted for inclusion this anthology and was among the top […]
-
Filipino Food Means Love in The Mango Bride
I employed food as a metaphor for love and home in my novel. On this episode of The Talk with Rose Tibayan, I moderated a discussion on Filipino food and how it is recreated, and reimagined by fellow Pinoy expatriates Professor Martin Manalansan, Culinarista Michael Gil Magnaye, Cookbook author Betty Ann Quirino and Covid survivor […]
-
Recreating Home with Food
Filipino food appears in my novel as a metaphor for love in The Mango Bride. For millions of expatriate Filipinos like me, traditional dishes also help us recreate the sounds, scents and delicious flavors of home. I’ve invited a marvelous panel of home cooks to discuss our culinary obsessions and adventures. After contracting Covid 19, […]
-
Generation Women Show
I look forward to sharing the virtual stage next with these phenomenal women next Wednesday, January 27, 7 p.m. ET/4 pm PT. Each of us represent a decade from the 20s through the 70s and will tell a story based on the theme of resilience and perseverance. Mine is about Stress Baking and Covid. Tickets […]