An Interview with Keana Aguila-Labra

Keana Aguila Labra (they/she) is a Cebuana-Tagalog Fil-Am poet, writer, and playwright residing on stolen Ohlone Tamyen land, otherwise known as San José / South Bay / Bay Area, California.

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If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?

A few of the songs in my book’s soundtrack would be: “Maps” by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, “Youth” by Daughter, “To the End” by My Chemical Romance, and “Lightyear” by The Story So Far.

What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?

I constantly return to Obit by Victoria Chang. I am also reading Ghost Of by Diana Khoi Nguyen, Poeta en San Francisco by Barbara Jane Reyes, and If I Must Die by Refaat Aleer.

What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?

I work to serve as an editor and publisher in addition to my creative writing. And my day job is as a case worker in social services.

Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?

Poetry is a selfish act, as well as a creative one. I shared with a fellow poet once that the emotions inside of me were too big to keep inside. I wanted to reach out to others and remind myself I am not alone, and with my writing, I hope I can reassure someone else that they aren’t alone either.

Where is your favorite place to write?

I love to write where I can hear nature – whether it’s in my home with the window open, or outside of a cafe on a sunny day. It helps to remember that I am a part of this world and my writing is a reflection of that world, too.

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