Manila, the inevitable place

When we saw the city, we believed again in time.” That is not a line from a Mookie Katigbak poem. It’s from Lawrence Ypil’s “The Discovery of Landscape,” the first poem of his excellent 2009 collection The Highest Hiding Place.

It’s not a Mookie poem but he might as well have been talking about her new project. Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta — she got married to award-winning fictionist Sarge Lacuesta a few years back — has put together Metro Serye, a fold-out anthology/chapbook series that, according to its launch’s Facebook page, “will feature the works of different artists, fictionists, and poets with every issue.” Metro Serye comes as a sort of map, perhaps a sort of literary guide to Metro Manila.

Metro Serye is edited by Mookie and published by UST Publishing House. But because, unlike most local anthologies, it’s equally dependent on visuals, the contributions of Manix Abrera should not be overlooked. Manix, the illustrator behind Kiko Machine, is the chief artist of Metro Serye.

I recently chatted with the always gorgeous, always formidable Mookie Katigbak (for the former, take a poll among local writers; for the latter, pick up her 2008 collection The Proxy Eros) about Metro Serye, writers who break the mold, and the economics of literature.

YOUNG STAR: So why the title “Metro Serye”?

MOOKIE KATIGBAK-LACUESTA: I chose the title for a number of reasons. The first being its city associations. The second because the term “Metro” is the Tagalog word for meter — not just the contraption in taxi cabs but also the literary device. “Serye” for the simple reason that this is a series. Also as a kind of wink-wink, nudge-nudge to the country of teleseryes.

There are tons of anthologies printed every year, usually by the big presses. From what I understand, Metro Serye is halfway between a zine and a chapbook. Why did you choose to do it in this format, despite the backing of a big printer?

Well, any publisher will tell you that poetry doesn’t sell. They’re impractical economically and, intellectually, it’s hard to commit to an entire poetry collection. This is a kind of middle ground. People may not commit to reading a poetry book but I’d like to think they’d commit to a sampler that’s easy on the pocket and still caters to the need to read. This format is especially congenial to students. I’m also a teacher so this aspect appeals to me very much. Of course, this isn’t the first time this format has been used — this isn’t an innovation but I think you’ll find the content innovative.

Was this always a project you wanted to pursue? I think this is the first anthology you’ve edited.

I’ve wanted to pursue this project for about a year and a half. And, yes, this is the first anthology I’ve edited. I’ve always been attracted to new writing. The first three issues are dedicated to strong writers who churn out something new and fresh every year.

What gap—if any—are you looking to fill with Metro Serye?

This series is one of the first projects UST is using to launch their “Pop” line. You get something so removed from the mainstream like literature, and you try to make it pedestrian. This sampler challenges the notion that literature is only for academics.

What was your guiding principle in choosing the works here? Was there a prompt or did you do a call for contributions?

I selected the writers because of their strong writing primarily. Although some of them have won literary prizes, their writing still happens to be original and fresh — they don’t seem to cater merely to a current writing milieu or to literary trendsetters.

One of the writers, Anne Lagamayo, was telling me about how Metro Serye is in map format. Obviously, aside from strong writing, the project is heavily reliant on the visuals.

Manix has the knack for internalizing stories and poems given to him and expressing them wonderfully through his chosen style of illustrating — which is uniquely his own but is known to capture public imagination. Kind of like the writing between the folds of Metro Serye. 

How many installments of Metro Serye can we expect?

We’re working on 12 — it’s a monthly series — but hopefully there will be more than that.

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The anthology is having its launch 6 p.m. tonight at Sputnik in Cubao X. They promise booze, food, and some of the best new poetry around.