The blog's first Author Interview of the year is none other than Ms. Bambi Eloriaga-Amago. Her book, "Too Loud: Soothing Sensory Overload with Music" (Kahel Press, 2023) will be launched on January 6, 2023, 2PM - 3PM at the Quezon City Public Library.
1. What books define your writing
life?
A: I
can’t think of particular books, but I do have authors whose writing styles I
do try to emulate (emphasis on “try,” haha!) One is the late Sir Terry
Pratchett. I love how his works are full of humor, while injecting loads of
social commentary...I wish I was that witty. In the middle of reading, his words
just make you stop and think about life, the universe, what it means to be
human, and have a good laugh about it in the process. Genius, really. My top
two favorite works of his are “Nation” and “The Amazing Maurice and His
Educated Rodents.”
Another
is Rumiko Takahashi, the mangaka famous for creating classics like “Ranma ½”
and “Inu-yasha.” I got into anime and manga because of her. She makes
transitioning from funny to dramatic or action scenes seamless. I wish I could
be as effortless as her in evoking mood changes, without having them come off
as pilit or jarring.
2. What books would you recommend to
parents who have children in the spectrum?
A: Not
to, as we say in Tagalog, magbuhat ng sariling bangko, but I’d like to recommend
my own works—“Doobiedoo Asks” and “Too Loud.” I wrote them specifically for the
“support team:” persons who may not have autism themselves, but do have a loved
one who has. “Doobiedoo Asks” was made with parents in mind. It is the story of
our own family and we shared it, in the hopes of helping other parents who may be
facing a similar situation.
“Too
Loud,” meanwhile, I wrote with fostering empathy in mind. It is geared towards
younger neurotypical readers to show them how to interact with a friend or
schoolmate who has autism.
A book I
think, which may be helpful for parents and adults is “My Brain is Different:
Stories of ADHD and Other Developmental Disorders,” it is a manga anthology
illustrated by Monzusu. In the book, the mangaka collects and illustrates
personal accounts of people with developmental disorders like ADHD and autism.
While
for younger readers, controversy over the name Asperger aside, the book that
was most helpful to me in explaining autism to my own son is “All Cats Have
Asperger Syndrome” by Kathy Hoopman. In it, the author likens certain
mannerisms and behavior of people with Asperger to well-known cat traits.
All of
these books are a great first step towards understanding autism, which then
leads to acceptance and accommodations.
Come back for the second part of Bambi's interview tomorrow!
Who is Bambi?
Included
among the Philippine Star Life’s list of women who changed local komiks for the
better, writer Bambi Eloriaga-Amago is also a Journalism graduate (cum laude)
from UP Diliman. She has worked on the editorial staff of various ABS-CBN
publications and sat as Editor-in-Chief of Questor: The Ultimate Anime
Magazine. She currently works as Manga Editor for US-based Seven Seas
Entertainment and also adapts manga scripts for English language readers,
including works like It Started With a Kiss and ToraDora. Her collaborations
with artist-husband Roland include the Carnal series of komiks and the
well-received Doobiedoo Asks, a Kids' Choice Awardee at the 7th National
Children's Book Awards. While her latest published work is Too Loud: Soothing
Sensory Overload With Music, a picture book illustrated by Artie Cabezas.
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