‘Lilibeth’ novel now in Amazon
THE Filipinos’ love and fondness of bizarre stories is apparent with how the stories of mythical creatures had stayed alive for generations and generations now. During the earlier years when there are still no internet or other means of entertainment, the Filipinos content themselves with stories of “aswang,” “tikbalang,” “kapre,” and “dwende,” among others.
American author John Shupeck, after marrying a Filipina from Lupon, Davao Oriental become enthralled with the stories his in-laws shared with him.
SunStar Davao is lucky to have a one-on-one interview with Shupeck himself. Everything we need to know about his journey in writing the book and about the book itself are straight from Shupeck himself.
1. How was your interest and attention drawn to this Filipino mythical creature? Where did you first hear of this concept, and when did you realize it to be a good potential for a novel?
Well, I heard of the aswang through my wife Cherry, who is a Davao native. Late at night, she would joke with me that she saw an aswang standing behind me while I was outside. Soon, I started asking questions about the creature, becoming more and more interested in its history. While I was in the Davao region from December to February of last year, I asked my wife's family even more questions about the myth, which led to me writing and completing the novel in only three weeks.
2. How do you think aswang is different from Western mythical creatures? How do you think ‘Lilibeth’ is different from those that came before it?
One thing that I think is interesting is how this is one of the few instances where the aswang's story is being told from an American perspective.
Many of the reviews I've received have noted how fascinating the Filipino aspects of the story are: the culture, life in the barrio, the aswang itself.
In Western culture, we have very similar stories about vampires and werewolves. I think what sets the aswang apart is its Filipino roots. One of the most interesting aspects of Dracula is his mysterious Eastern European lineage. While he is a monster, he speaks eloquently, he has manners, and he has an aura of seduction about him.
Likewise, Lilibeth acts in her own ways: she is playful, loving, and extremely devoted to the one she loves. I thought it would be fun to take the best characteristics of Filipino women, and then put those characteristics into a monster. At its heart, this is a very strange love story.
3. How do their individual characters intertwine with that of this small village in Mindanao where the story was set? Why set it in Mindanao?
I chose the village of Lupon in Davao Oriental because that's where I stayed with my wife's family for two months, in the baranguay of Bagumbayan. There is an old chapel there that I thought looked so scary at night. That's where the first idea of the novel started in my mind, in that old chapel.
4. What were the challenges and what were the learning you got along the way? Is this your first novel? Is this your first novel set in the Philippines?
This is the fastest I have ever written a novel. I learned so much along the way, including native Filipino customs and culture, as well as how to write a different kind of story compared to what I normally write. My wife's family was so instrumental in helping with this project, giving me many Bisayan and Tagalog phrases in order for it to be more authentic.
5. Where can readers access your novel and for how much?
They can find the e-book version of Lilibeth on Amazon.com for around P50. If there is enough interest, I would like to also have print copies of the book available in stores across the Philippines very soon!