Creative nonfiction/criticism
Pagpasok sa Eksena: Ang Sinehan sa Panitikan at Pag-aaral ng Piling Sinehan sa Recto (Entering the Scene: The Movie Theater in Philippine Literature and a Study of Selected Movie Theaters in Recto)
The book presents a fascinating analysis of Philippine standalone movie theaters as homosexual spaces. By approaching the homosexualization of these establishments through an innovative combination of literary and sociocultural analysis, the author conveys a range of understandings of the space. The use of literary texts as a form of ethnography provides an interesting entry point in understanding the queer and possibly liberating potential of the movie theater such that it is within the confines of this space where norms are suspended, blurred, and remade. – Christian Go, National University of Singapore
Media and Communication Series, UP College of Mass Communication
Ang Tagalabas sa Panitikan (The Outsider in Literature)
Chuckberry Pascual’s new book, Ang Tagalabas sa Panitikan, is an example of an evolving discourse bearing the diverse influences of modern writing. A native of Malabon, the author shared his various experiences growing up in Malabon and studying in Manila, the center. He is an outsider in many ways. One of the most significant things in this book is his role as a critic of popular culture, the “other” in literature and culture. His is a voice to listen to, a voice that has described the rhythm and color of the life of ordinary people in a lively and enthusiastic manner. – Soledad Reyes, Professor Emeritus, Ateneo de Manila University
Winner, Best Published Research, Dangal ng UST Awards
Finalist, Gintong Aklat Awards 2020
Ang Labis na Mahalaga (What is Most Important)
Ang Labis na Mahalaga may be understood in English as “what is most important,” but it can also be translated as “the excess that is important.” The notion of excess being referred to is taken from Hau’s formulation, i.e. “the heterogeneous elements that inform but also exceed nationalistic attempts to grasp…complex realities at work in Philippine society.” And it is this paradoxical quality of Philippine literature that is highlighted by the eight chapters that make up the monograph.