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Balikbayan: Critical Edition

"Balikbayan" was a short story published at Likhaan 17 in 2023. Through the relationship of Stella, a trans woman, with her sister, Katrina, who was a victim of tokhang, it tackles the entanglements of the US war on drugs and terror, neoliberalism, and extrajudicial killings under Duterte, written in largely multilingual English via chismis and beki. In 2024, it was adapted for the stage by playwright May Cardoso, for which I was the dramaturg. While the short story can be freely read online here, the critical edition comes with additional materials that give further historical and political context to the narrative. Here are the contents: "The Political Milieu of 'Balikbayan'""Balikbayan"Timeline of EventsCritical Notes, from my dramaturgical presentation to the Balikbayan production team and actorsWriting Notes, on rewriting and extending the first draft based on the feedback of my Bread Loaf co-fellows in 2021Bibliography Purchases of this critical edition will go towards funding my graduate school applications. If you live in the Philippines and would like a physical copy for a lower price (PHP 100.00), please contact me @rayjideguia.