An Interview with Victoria Lambinicio

Victoria has a BA in English Literature and an MA in Professional Writing from being frightened of becoming some of the people she met at a mental hospital. She’d been intervened on and placed in mental hospitals three times since being diagnosed with schizophrenia at 19. But rather than being sad, she says it was a learning experience and led her to live an interesting life.

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

I want to write because there are so many things I want to say that don’t fit into normal conversations. Honestly there are so many things I would never personally tell people, but I would write it into a book and publish it.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

Disability payments from the government don’t pay enough for me to live independently. Honestly I’m hoping for enough financial stability from this book where I can move back out from my parents’ house and live my own life. I used to, until I got sick again.

Don’t get me wrong, I love writing. It was a method into the madness of what has become of my life. And now writing might become my “savior” if it could enable me to live on my own again.

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

I actually recommend great Asian songs, from the Philippines to South Korea, in my book. It’s to show the majesty of Asia. I write poems in reaction to the songs’ skills and stories.

If I had to pick one as a soundtrack, it would be “Stay” by BLACKPINK because the music video features four women moving within a silence, trapped in an abandoned building.

Describe your dream book cover.

A mysterious Asian woman. The book cover is covered in black, like her hair, and our eyes immediately go to her red lips. Emblazoned somewhere on the black, it’s titled “Midnight in Asia.”

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

I’ve worked as an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher. It was interesting to realize that you can’t feel dependent on a book when you learn a language. There are too many exceptions to grammar rules to learn and memorize them all. Concentrating on grammar rules also inhibits you from speaking. The best thing you can do when learning a language is to sit down and listen.

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

What I hope most of all, actually, is that readers watch the music videos and songs I recommend. Each one is meant to show the majesty of Asia and its creative people, starting with the music video for “Tomorrow” by Tablo ft. TaeYang.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.