I was so happy to finally get the chance to visit Uno Morato in Quezon City, and to be a part of a creators’ discussion to boot! The first Usapang May-Akda, hosted by Adam David, featured Mervin Malonzo and me. We are all readers of each other’s work, and this definitely elevated the quality of our discussion about our influences and process.
Let me share with you Adam’s questions:
1) Influences on your horror work – even non-horror influences (ie, Rizal as influence on TABI PO), even extra-literary influences (news, creepy pasta). Question on process: how do you prep for working on your work?
2) Eliza’s very urban horror VS Merv’s very rural horror – also modern VS traditional? – care to elaborate on the whys and wherefores of the two? Why choose one over the other? Question on subject: why do you write about what you write about?
3) The human body as site for potential acts of horror, rendered to it and rendered by it – body horror: the sexual implications of, the sexual assault subtext of, the sadomasochist dimensions of, the horrific act as release of sexual energy – consumption (TABI PO) and possession (DWELLERS) as an unwilling owning of another’s body, as objectification of the body, as rape. Still a question on subject: why do you write about what you write about?
4) Talk about upcoming work! Solo projects, collaborations.
I really loved the questions, and the questions that arose during the discussion itself. You may listen to Adam’s audio recording here (English/Filipino) or here (Mervin cleaned up the audio to make it clearer). Warning: Laughter, in-jokes, digressions.
Maraming salamat kay Adam at sa Uno Morato, at sa lahat ng dumalo at naki-chika sa amin. Sa uulitin!
After the talk, the guys sat down to play Resistance. Do visit Uno Morato, read some books, have coffee, and play some games. I love the place.
Eliza Victoria 