Edwin Agustín Lozada was born in the Philippines and grew up in California. Inspired by the nineteenth century Philippine writers, he primarily writes in Spanish to help maintain a now rare tradition of literature in Spanish by Filipinos. In 2001 he received a San Francisco Individual Artist Commissions grant in literary arts, and in the same year Sueños anónimos/Anonymous Dreams, poetry he wrote between 1980-2000, was published. In October 2002 Bosquejos, poems composed in the month of August 2001, was released, and Bosquejos/Sketches, the bilingual edition, in the spring of 2003. He presently lives and teaches in the San Francisco Bay Area and is president of Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc. (Q1) How did you become involved with Carayan Press? How does your work at the press complement your work at the Philippine American Writers and Artists (PAWA)?
In 2001 I received a San Francisco Individual Artist Commissions grant in literary arts for Sueños anónimos/Anonymous Dreams, my first collection of bilingual poetry in Spanish and English. Instead of accepting an offer for the book to be published by a small publisher in Southern California, I opted to use the generous San Francisco grant to learn more about publishing and created Carayan Press. The name Carayan comes from the Ilocano word “carayán” which means river. Philippine American Writers and Artists, Inc. also publishes and so I work on the production of their books. Carayan Press has officially collaborated with PAWA in a few publications.
(Q2) In 2014, Carayan Press published Kuwento: Lost Things, an anthology of new Philippine myths co-edited by Rachelle Cruz and Melissa Sipin. What was the process by which you were able to put this anthology together and bring it to readers? How much input and collaboration did you have with the editors in the final product of this work?
Melissa Sipin and Rachelle Cruz had already been contacting contributors and working on putting together the collection of pieces for Kuwento and when they first approached me and talked about the anthology, I was instantly drawn to the project and committed to its publication through Carayan Press. Rachelle and Melissa were very passionate about Kuwento and I was thrilled to have a part in bringing the collection to the public. After I joined the Kuwento project, just a few more pieces were added. Melissa designed the cover incorporating wonderful artwork from Eliseo Art Silva and I did the layout of the text. As I worked on the layout we came to agreement on details such as fonts, italics, proofreading before and after inviting a copyeditor. Then after a few PDFs of the book it went to press. (Q3) Among the work you do at PAWA is to provide support for two Kundiman fellows and two VONA fellows. How did these scholarships come about, and what can you tell us about the selection process for these fellows?
When PAWA member Manuel Flores passed away in 2007, his wife Penélope Flores -- a founding member of PAWA -- announced to PAWA that Manuel indicated in his will his wish for the creation of a prize fund given by PAWA to deserving Filipino American writers or artists. Thus PAWA created the Manuel G. Flores Prize Fund, and in addition to the funds from Manuel’s trust, Penélope annually matches the amount.
PAWA board members came to an agreement that Kundiman and VONA would select the recipients. In addition to VONA and Kundiman, PAWA has also worked with the NVM Gonzalez Writing Workshop and as of 2016, has put aside an amount for scholarships to Bindlestiff Studio’s Stories High workshops in writing and in acting.
(Q4) Having worked at PAWA for over a decade, have you noticed any particular shifts in content or form of the works by emerging Philippine American writers and artists?
In poetry we see different styles from traditional to experimental and weaving in varied themes such as those of identity, life experiences, or local and global social issues brought on by injustice, politics, or acts of nature. Outside of poetry there have been publications of novels and collections of short stories such as those by Mia Alvar and Lysley Tenorio. There have been books on psychology, sociology, and history. We are also seeing more memoirs coming out and the emergence of graphic novels. Literature for young adults are also starting to emerge -- take for example Erin entrada Kelly's "Blackbird Fly." What I have heard in the last few years are the need for more books for children incorporating elements of the Filipino or Filipino American culture. Only a few have been published in the US in the last 10 years. I know of a handful of individuals who are currently working on helping to remedy this lack. (Q5) As more emerging Philippine American writers and artists gain wider readership and critical attention, are there established writers and artists that have been overlooked? Are there any you wish would find a wider audience?
The number of Philippine American writers and artists gaining attention has indeed risen. The established writers and artists do have an audience, but in general even most of the ones who have gained attention still need to have their readership or audience increased and expanded.