Writers may draw inspiration from “normalized violence” through storytelling about the metropolis’ everyday struggles, a crime fictionist said.
For Ronaldo Vivo Jr., author of the acclaimed “Dreamland Trilogy,” violence is not always loud and obvious; sometimes, it is so common that people stop noticing it altogether.
“Nakasanayan na natin ang dahas, hanggang sa hindi na natin ito nakikita o nararamdaman,” Vivo noted during a seminar-workshop. “Naniniwala tayong maayos ang lahat, habang patuloy tayong nabulag at minamanhid sa iba’t ibang porma ng karahasan.”
The Manila-based author cited his upbringing in a “squatter area” as the foundation for his crime fiction.
“‘Yong interaction ng community, ‘yong araw-araw na sigawan, karahasan sa looban. Noong lumalaki ako, na-realize ko na, ‘di ‘to ‘yong normal na buhay,” Vivo said.
Vivo said constant exposure to crime news online can desensitize people, as a stream of reports on killings appeared on their social media feeds almost every day.
In an interview with Varsitarian, Vivo acknowledged that young writers might hesitate to turn painful memories into stories.
“Malalaman nila kung handa na sila magsulat kapag hindi na nila tinatanong ang sarili nila kung kailan sila magiging handang magsulat,” he said.
Vivo authored “Ang Kapangyarihang Higit sa Ating Lahat,” a novel on the brutal force of policemen, corruption, and addiction told from the perspective of a holdupper who was accused of a crime he did not commit. It was named a finalist in the 2020 and 2021 Madrigal-Gonzales First Book Award.
Among the books included in the trilogy are “Ang Bangin sa Ilalim ng Ating mga Paa” and “Ang Suklam sa Ating Naagnas na Balat.”
His works received recognition from the Gawad Bienvenido Lumbera, the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards, and the National Book Awards.
The lecture “Gramatika ng Dahas: Pagsulat ng Mundo, Matapos ang Kaayusan,” held Feb. 27, was the third installment of the “Authors on Demand” series organized by the UST Department of Creative Writing. Charlize Ann D. Lavastida
