NP X HC

As a collection of 44 poems, NP X HC tells a semi-autobiographical story of my relationship with family, music, and spirituality. The first half, Nico Penaranda, guides the reader through my separation from religion and Filipino culture, relationship troubles, and my complicated relationship with music. I confront what it means to write one’s pain publicly, and whether or not I am capable of taking that on. The second half, Hollow Chord, serves reinvigorate myself as an artist, reminding myself of the joy I found in writing originally and pressing forward to new ground. I try to look into relationships of family, culture, partners, friends, and with self with more kindness and humor than I once did. In doing so, I let go of feelings of loss and embrace the strange moments I felt happiness and pride. I pay heed to the myths and legends that first inspired me to start writing while also complicating their messages for what I believe is required of ‘the long road’. In writing these poems, I took large inspiration from rock, punk, and folk music as well as from writers like Hanif Abdurraqib, Ocean Vuong, Louis Glück, and Dorianne Laux.