Expatriate writing

The term “expatriate writing” conjures the romantic and banal image of the lonely writer in exile in some cramped room pounding an old typewriter or writing on pad paper and trying to keep his fingers warm by rubbing his hands. This was how it was for Jose Rizal, working on his novel in Ghent, Carlos Bulosan in Seattle, and Jose Garcia Villa in Greenwich Village—to cite a few Filipino exile writers.

Today the Filipino expatriate writer is more likely seated before a computer or laptop—tapping the keys to create literature in exile.