I’m in the TransPacific Literary Project!

I’d been sitting on this until everything was finalized, and today’s the day! My essay, “Tiangge” is the first entry of the TransPacific Literary Project’s Trans:Act Folio, and I couldn’t be happier!

I wrote the bones of this piece four years ago, around four in the afternoon. It just poured out, fuelled by a haze of nostalgia and homesickness. Immigrants are transplants who carry pieces of their homeland with them no matter where they may be, and sometimes I miss the part of myself that I had to leave behind.

This wasn’t something I ever thought I would share, but I am glad I did. The challenge was to seamlessly incorporate the native language of transaction into the piece, and I was fortunate to have an absolute marvel of an editrix who patiently helped me wrestle it into the shape it eventually ended up taking. People never believe me when I say I’m a sentimental little thing, but seeing my work published is always a surreal experience, and I’m really excited to be able to share my essay with you now!

"I am witness to the unadulterated rawness of death. There is no attempt to explain, no attempt to assuage my conscience."—Nikka Cornelio-Baker in "Tiangge" https://t.co/yyLem0OLtf

— Asian American Writers' Workshop (@aaww) April 18, 2019

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Nikka Cornelio-Baker's "Tiangge" in TLP’s Trans:Act folio takes us into the wet womb of her childhood marketplace in Dumaguete City, Philippines. Jack fish = 70 pesos/kilogram (1980s) @nikkajow

A post shared by AAWW (@aaww_nyc) on Apr 18, 2019 at 12:26pm PDT