Friday, October 5, 2007

Meet Luis Joaquin M. Katigbak




Luis Joaquin M. Katigbak
- was born on July 26, 1974 in Quezon City, Philippines
- Graduated from the University of the Philippines with a degree in Creative Writing
- wrote to books:
1) Happy Endings (book cover seen below)
2) The King of Nothing To Do: Essays on Nothing and Everything





- He didn't think he would become a writer until during his miidle stay in college. He though he was going to be a mathematician but since he has been writing since childhood and getting published in magazines since his early teens, he realized that writing was what he did best so he shifted out of BS Mathematics and into BA English (Creative Writing)

- He was a fellow of the 1993 UP National Writer's Workshop. His stories have been printed in the Philippine Graphic, THe Philippines Free Press, The Likhaan Book of Poetry and Fiction 1995/1997 and East Magazine among other publications. He has won a Philippine Graphic and a Palanca award for his short fiction. His collection of short stories, "Happy Endings," was nominated for a Manila Critics Circle National Book Award. He currently writes a column for the Manila Bulletin's i section called "The King of Nothing to Do"

- He currently works for Pulse.ph as a Senior Editor and as Reviews Editor for BURN Magazine. He previously worked as a staff writer for PULP/MTV Ink, Lecturer of Creative Writing at UP Diliman and Director II for the Office of Justice Carpio.

- "The culture surrounding me was one that believed in the power of the well-considered word, that placed great value on the pursuit of meaningful and/or innovative means of writing expression, and that took for granted the importance and influence of literature. Now, as someone working in mass media and pop culture, I notice that the literary qualities so prized in the academe are not necessarily highly valued or sought after nor influential at all."