yes, always. i write to eat.

actually, no. as a kid, i was always fascinated by stories of hungry ghosts found in buddhism. the idea is that they are forces driven by these intense emotional needs unfilled by their time living on earth. usually they are treated as tragic figures, a warning to those still alive. in my book, not all the ghosts are literal ghosts. some of them are still alive, hungry for help. these ghosts are hidden in the background—lurking, barely mentioned—but never past the point of being fed.

i’ve worked a lot with kids in the foster care system, as well as with kids in shelters for domestic violence victims and juvenile delinquents and all manners of what society calls “problems.” the books i’ve read about these kids usually seemed inaccurate, meanspirited, or downright cruel. i wanted to write a book that was FOR those kids, not just ABOUT those kids. milly and cilla are amalgamations of a specific group of kids i had the joy of working with. i couldn’t include their names, but they’re mentioned in the book’s acknowledgements.

i prefer they / them, but you can also use he / him.

if you’re filipino, I also welcome siya. in tagalog, siya (loosely pronounced “sha”) is used regardless of a person’s gender.

i listen to music all day, every day. lately, it’s been a lot of Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, Samm Henshaw, Japanese Breakfast, Tank and the Bangas, Chance the Rapper, and whatever new k-pop artists my sister sends me.

i also enjoy playing video games, cooking, and finding new venues to eat at.

kansas.

before that, florida.

before that, the DMV.*

*DC, Maryland, Virginia

a long time ago, two short brown people moved from the philippines to the united states and had my dad. at another point in time, two other short people in the phillippines had my mom and she moved to the united states where she met my dad. presumably, i came from them.

because i am anti-capitalist! and because i owe a lot to bell hooks.

i’ll capitalize letters before sending my manuscripts to my editor though, just to be polite.

i have a bottomless growing list, but here’s the disorganized cliff notes of people whose work have impacted me maybe a little bit more than others: Ursula K Le Guin, Jacqueline Woodson, Diana Wynne Jones, Catherynne M Valente, Erin Entrada Kelly, Annie Dillard, James Baldwin, Ken Liu, Maya Angelou, Elie Wiesel.

Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: Legend of Korra, Infinity Train, Steven Universe, Over the Garden Wall, Hilda, Full Metal Alchemist: Brotherhood, The Good Place, Parks and Recreation, Bojack Horseman, Atlanta, Reservation Dogs, Daredevil, Chef’s Table, Grace and Frankie, The OA, Midnight Gospel, Bob’s Burgers.

i first grew it out after my lolo died from cancer. after a couple years i cut and donated it. it’s been my tradition ever since.

say yes to anything that helps you heal, or helps you grow.