Jray Madarang, who grew up in Porterville, near my hometown of Terra Bella, reached out to me last month to do a podcast for October’s Filipino-American History Month. He had attended our San Esteban Circle annual dance on Labor Day Weekend in 2015, when I gave a short speech on our Filipino-American heritage and talked about my debut novel, A Village in the Fields, which had been published that September.
Fast-forward five years. Jray, now residing in the Bay Area, recently spoke to his relatives back home and talk about me revealed that his grandparents knew my parents, and that we had this Central Valley connection. He reached out to me to do a podcast last month, but somehow his communication slipped through the cracks. We finally connected and conducted the interview about various topics – our heritage, writing, what I’m currently working on.
You can check the podcast out here.
Maraming salamat po, Jray. It was such a nice conversation. Enjoy all!
Hello Ate Patty!
Thank you for your talk today!
I am curious to hear more about you and your book and found you here. I’m glad to have seen you today at LPC’s Literary Fest!
How neat that I have an auntie in Poplar, near Porterville. Carlos Bulason’s book was really an eye opener just like Philip Vera Cruz’s. Recently I read Gayle Romasanto’s book with Dr. Mabalon!
I learned about more from Pinayista! Are you connected to them?
Thanks again!
Thank you so much, Candy! Wonderful that you have read those books! I am not connected to Pinayista, but I will check them out. Thank you for attending the session.