"A lot of novels about the Philippines or set in the Philippines don't cut it at all because they don't capture the crazy quilt atmosphere and the hybrid ambiance that occurs twenty-four hours a day. Things happening all the time, and noise and crowds and beautiful animals and amazing flora. At the same time, pollution and urbanization and sophistication and, you know, the jungle. How do you do all that? You can't tell it in a traditional way because the language dies. And also the music of the language itself, the music of the streets. How do convey that chaos? So, once I decided to go with it as I found it, I relaxed because at the risk of alienating some readers, this was the way the novel had to be presented."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Immigrants to the United StatesNovelists from the PhilippinesPeople from ManilaPoets from the PhilippinesPlaywrights from the Philippines
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
Imported from EN Wikiquote
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Jessica_Hagedorn
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Jessica Hagedorn
27 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Jessica Hagedorn →
Related Quotes
"It will never end, I hope-whatever "it" is. The gift, the quest, the visions, the dreams in secret languages. The son…"
"We all need money to live and continue to make our art. And sometimes these prizes and awards can be a sort of valida…"
"(Is it important for Filipinx/Filpinx American storytellers to focus on Philippine culture and history in their work?…"
"When I was a young activist writer in the Bay Area, I thought I had all the answers. Sometimes I was right, and a lot…"
"My leaving was not of my doing; that was because of my parents’ breakup. But I was fortunate to be living in San Fran…"
"Having access to all these languages and dialects enriched my already wild imagination and made me curious—about who …"
"Philippine literature—just like the Philippines itself—is complicated, and can’t be easily described or pinned down. …"
"What I try to share with younger artists, not just writers, is you have to not be afraid. You have to try it. It’s ou…"
"…Research is always involved, to make sure details, language and atmosphere feel right. Then comes the hard work of a…"
"Defiant, naive, and passionate, we are sprouting up all over the Bay Area-artists of color who write, perform, and co…"