“Beyond the monstress motif, this chapter of Reyes’s has me thinking about the avenues through which I share my writing. Do I go to an indie press? A traditional publisher? Academic press? Which publishers are credible? Respected? Why does that matter? For whom does it matter? How important to me is having full ownership? How will I be edited? Will anyone even find merit in what I have to say and how I say it? In 2022, even as I was writing my thesis chapter on the subversive potential of global Anglophone works, the publishing world’s bent for commodifying the works of authors of color threatened to stifle the hope I had for engaging in the creative storytelling process (specifically in my non-native English language) as well as the publication process. And then in fall 2023, I came to learn of a local Filipina-run indie press. I also attended an art show highlighting Pino/a/xy and Asian/-American artists. Seeing this communal resistance laid out before me has made all the difference in my praxis. There are places where our art thrives, and it doesn’t involve molding ourselves to white supremacist casts.”
