Day Devoid and Other Stories

by Luis Joaquin M. Katigbak

Luis M. Joaquin Katigbak’s Day Devoid and Other Stories features four narratives that delve into the psyches of various women, focusing on topics like philosophy, doppelgangers, alternate realities, and bibliomania. Their brevity is part of Katigbak’s unique style, evoking atmosphere and characterization without the unnecessary baggage.

ebook

First published January 1, 2015

About the author

Luis Joaquin M. Katigbak is the Associate Editor of Esquire Magazine (Philippine edition). He has won numerous honors for his writing, including four Palanca Awards, a Philippine Graphic prize, and a Young Artists’ Grant from the NCCA.

Luis has come out with two books so far: THE KING OF NOTHING TO DO (Milflores Publishing, 2006), a collection of essays, and HAPPY ENDINGS (University of the Philippines Press, 2000), a collection of short stories which has gone into multiple reprintings. Both were nominated for National Book Awards by the Manila Critics Circle.

Luis has worked in TV and advertising, and taught Creative Writing at the University of the Philippines. He writes a weekly column for the Philippine Star, called "Senses Working Overtime." He lives in Ortigas and has a cat named Skywise.

Reviews

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in high school when I first read Katigbak's short story collection, Happy Endings. I've been a fan of his fiction ever since. But the book that followed it was a non-fiction title (which I haven't read, by the way). Day Devoid and Other Stories is Katigbak's sequel at foraying fiction, and while the gap between his first collection and this title is wide, this does not disappoint. The prose is intact, calm, yet moving. A single thread weaves the four stories in this collection together--women finding themselves in dreams, other worlds, reflections, and film concepts.