From Catholic Schoolgirl to YA Novelist
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Author Mae Coyiuto
Coyiuto was initially circumspect about showing classmates her stories because her concept of writing was strictly literary. The reading curriculum consisted of Macbeth and the novels of 19th century Filipino revolutionary Jose Rizal. But then, friends she trusted with her notebook would draw hearts in the margins and comment kilig, the Tagalog slang for thrilling. Kilig in an all-girls Catholic school is the highest praise, and it prodded Coyiuto to churn out story after story.
Word of her caught on. “That’s when I first realized maybe somebody out there would like to read what I’m writing.”
The opportunity to pursue her potential as a published author happened at Pomona College, where Coyiuto took up psychology. A course in Asian American psychology especially intrigued her. The study of one’s background and its effect on the psyche and perception of the world stirred in Coyiuto a fascination for people from all walks of life. She was about to pursue a career in educational research until a tennis injury curtailed her schooling. To recuperate, she returned home to Manila to be with family.
Mae with mother Elena Coyiuto
“I went through an existential crisis. What should I do after college?”
Coyiuto was a junior. Her sister and a close friend encouraged her to pick up writing again. She discovered how much she missed it. Shy, she had never felt at ease speaking with people. Writing has invariably been her true form of expression.
After graduating from Pomona, Coyiuto enrolled at the New School for an MFA in Creative Writing.
“Everybody in the program was saying to write what you know. That’s how you discover your voice and what stories matter to you. I’ve never written about Chinese Filipino characters in Manila. It was always about Americans in the US. I’ve written about Filipinos back home but not about the culture. I was immersed in Western media growing up, so I didn’t think that was possible.”
When an instructor assigned a young adult fantasy chapter, Coyiuto trusted in her creative instinct. Instead, she submitted a fun prom chapter set in a Manila high school. The Philippine culture enthralled her colleagues. They wanted more, and this boosted her confidence.
“Now I feel more comfortable to write how I feel a young person would sound like and make jokes as corny and cheesy as they can be.”
Developing her reading list was vital to Coyiuto’s artistic growth. She discovered other Filipino American writers such as Randy Ribay. The Patron Saints of Nothing was one of the first YA novels she read that was set outside of the United States.
YA author Becky Albertalli is another influence. “When I read Becky’s works, I remember laughing so much, smiling so much. It just felt like something that was really written for someone in high school. She expanded my view of what a story could be and what the writer’s voice really means.”
Voice is core to Chloe and the Kaishao Boys. In 2020, Coyiuto submitted her manuscript to an Asian American agent named Thao Le at the Sandra Dijkstra Literary Agency, which boasts a roster of eminent clients, including Amy Tan and Susan Faludi. Le was captivated by the vibrancy and playfulness of Coyiuto’s prose. She also responded to a best friend plotline and other narrative tropes that Coyiuto would not have singled out as noteworthy, and she felt akin to the characters, culture, and family dynamics; Le’s husband happens to be Chinese Filipino.
Mae Coyiuto’s Chloe and the Kaishao Boys
Coyiuto hit the jackpot. “Someone who would represent me knows a lot about what I’m talking about.”
Coyiuto had almost gotten representation early on in her career, but the agent then wanted the novel set in the United States. Coyiuto considered the change. She had labored surfing the internet for literary agents, submitting to a wide net regardless of an agent’s preferred genre. Here at last was a chance to get published, but the cultural element would have been lost. Coyiuto demurred.
This experience taught her to be non-negotiable. By chasing validation from the publishing industry, Coyiuto nearly compromised the heart and soul of her story and, in effect, her artistic integrity.
“Finding the right advocate was worth it in the end.”
She has also learned to appreciate compliments rather than to fixate on criticisms. Ultimately, it is faith in herself that quells doubts and bolsters determination.
Chloe and the Kaishao Boys is about a Chinese Filipino girl in Manila with her sights on college in America, but her father sets her up on arranged dates as a ploy for her to stay. On a deeper level, it is about letting go and finding the strength to claim what we love, whether it be a person, a passion, or a place.
In 2020, Coyiuto was in Manila when Le sent her an email at 3 a.m., informing her of Penguin’s interest in publishing her manuscript. The news was a ray of hope amid the bleakness of COVID. All that hard work paid off.
But the release of the novel is more than a personal triumph for Mae Coyiuto. “It means a lot to me when the Filipino communities here [in the US] and back home embrace this as also Filipino. That means the most to me. I hope my story will help other stories in the Fil-Am community to be told.”
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/58456287
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/688793/chloe-and-the-kaishao-boys-by-mae-coyiuto/
https://www.amazon.com/Chloe-Kaishao-Boys-Mae-Coyiuto-ebook/dp/B0B3HTCFTC
https://www.target.com/p/chloe-and-the-kaishao-boys-by-mae-coyiuto-hardcover/-/A-86965216
Rafaelito V. Sy is the author of Potato Queen, a novel about the relationship between Caucasians and Asians in the San Francisco gay community of the 1990s. Please visit his blog of short stories and inspirational essays on film: www.rafsy.com.
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