It's Veteran's Appreciation Month.
I can't think of a better time to create a new website. Since I started writing Bataan New Jersey three years ago, I have reconnected with all things-VETS. I knew my late father guided me through the writing of a 700-page book and will be there through its publication. As someone who collects Bataan books, I can safely say that there is almost a non-existent Filipino voice in the WWII and Bataan genre. A couple of books I have are both from the Philippines, and not even Filipinos have heard of them. My shelf is full of Bataan books written by Americans, mostly white Americans. I am grateful for being able to add to this volume of literature. Bataan, after all, is in the Philippines. World War II came to the islands, where most had never seen a war of this magnitude.
As I search for a literary agent (Wish me luck!!!), I have also decided to create a new website. I wrote Bataan New Jersey in the early mornings at a coffee shop every day (!!!) for three years. I finished it early this year, and I spent the following months re-reading and editing, and layering it with poetic language. I can only be grateful to the books that inspired it: Pachinko and Cutting for Stone. These big books gave me permission to see what was possible in darkness. Thank you, Min Jin Lee and Abraham Verghese.
I would like to take a different approach to blogging, less pressure, short and quick. I don't want this to be some literary task. More stream of consciousness, like the rest of this website. Some aspiring writers might visit, and I'd like them to see the human behind the work. I do work outside the MFA system. I designed this website myself (based on a template of course). I have been developing websites going back to the Geocities days. Thanks to Wix, it has become incredibly easy.
Thank you for visiting. Please know that if you encounter an unfinished page, it's because I am still working on this website.
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