The Fabulous Mythmaking of Imelda Marcos
"In the Philippines, Imelda Marcos is etched in public memory as the fabulous queen of camp, renowned for her dazzling clothes and jewels, so over the top that a word, “Imeldific,” was coined in her honor. Her larger-than-life, rags-to-(ill-gotten)-riches tale still fascinates observers near and far. In a Manila suburb, a former rice mill converted into a shoe museum showcases 250 pairs from her fabled collection of size 8 1/2 shoes. On Broadway, a musical that opened over the summer chronicles her dramatic ascent and descent, set to the pulsating rhythm of disco."
Sheila Coronel, NYSEAN member and Director of the Toni Stabile Center for Investigative Journalism at Columbia University, reviews Nathan Go's debut novel, Forgiving Imelda Marcos, which dwells on the theme of redemption for historical and personal wrongs while suggesting that forgiveness must be sought and earned, which the Marcoses have not done.
