Organizer: NYSEAN; Sulo: The Philippine Studies Initiative at NYU
Type/Location: In Person /New York, NY
Description:
Join NYSEAN and Sulo: The Philippine Studies Initiative at NYU for a book talk by Marivi Soliven, author of Suddenly Stateside: Postscript, in conversation with Dr. Lara Saguisag, Associate Professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at New York University. Copies of the book will be available for purchase, and the event is followed by a book signing.
About the Book:
Marivi Soliven’s deeply felt chronicle of immigration, identity, and reinvention. Thirty years after leaving Manila for marriage, graduate student life, and the uncertainties of America, Marivi Soliven returns with Suddenly Stateside: Postscript—a sharp and funny memoir that spans surviving Martial Law to navigating the INS, from learning the dark arts of American housekeeping in Berkeley to the indignities of public restrooms, flashers, driving tests, and a pet rat named Janet, Soliven captures the bewilderment, humor, and wonder of building a life an ocean away from home.
Expanded with new essays and postscripts, this collection confronts the long shadows of authoritarianism, the contradictions of belonging to two countries, and the messy, marvelous business of starting over. Unsparing, subversive, and irresistibly engaging, Suddenly Stateside: Postscript affirms the immigrant imagination in all its resilience and hilarity.
About the Author:
Marivi Soliven has authored 17 books, including The Mango Bride, which won the grand prize at the 2011 Palanca Awards, the Philippine counterpart of the Pulitzer Prize. “Pandemic Bread,” her nonfiction personal essay about interpreting for end-of-life calls during the Covid pandemic, was adapted to an award-winning short film. “Pandemic Bread” has been screened at 11 film festivals across the country as well as in Mexico and London. Apart from writing, Marivi helps fellow immigrants manage their medical, legal and financial issues in her day job as a phone interpreter.
Registration:
To attend the event in person, please register here.
Please register by April 28, 2026 at 6:00 PM to secure your seat.