A lovely profile on the online New York magazine The FilAm

NEW YORK CITY:  The FilAm, an online magazine for Filipino Americans in the New York area, has published a lovely profile article about my work on its site.  Written by New America Media fellow Maricar Hampton, the article is entitled "Writing, theater and always the two shall meet."

The FilAm reaches the vast, dynamic network of Filipinos, numbering anywhere from 150,000 to 300,000, in the New York tristate area.  The FilAm has enjoyed steadily rising unique views – averaging 7,500 a month so far — with stories that continue to inform, entertain, raise questions and provoke.

The site, which features cutting-edge articles and commentary, is a content partner of Business Mirror in the Philippines; the Philippine Daily Inquirer; FilAm Star in San Francisco; Feet in Two Worlds in New York; and Voices That Must be Heard of the CUNY Graduate School of Journalism.

Hampton's article takes the form of a q-&-a and begins with this introduction:

The first Filipino — and first Asian — to win the Nathan Award for Dramatic Criticism, Randy Gener talks about doors opening to a wind gust of awards, honors and opportunities, including editing a newspaper in the Prague. 

TF: Was it easy breaking into a writing career in New York?
RG: I never gave up, even when doors were closing on me. I have learned to just continue doing what I do, I have learned to have faith in myself and faith in my writing as a form of artistic expression. 

TF: Would you consider the Nathan Award your most meaningful award?
RG: This award meant the most to me because the prize for which I won are not strictly for reviews. They are mostly for essays, and in some cases they are feature articles. So to be given the prize for best dramatic criticism when in fact I have never seen each of these as pure dramatic criticism pieces is one reason. 

Another lovely thing about the prize is it puts me in a group of people many of whom I have admired and respected over the years. 

TF: Any advice to young writers?
RG: Writers blossom into different fields depending on what opportunity they have been given. We have chosen a difficult road. There will be obstacles and stumbling blocks but I want to say, ‘Have faith, wake up every morning and do something — even the smallest thing — to move your art forward.’ 

Please read the rest of the article by clicking here.

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