Sabina Murray

Selected Links

The Rumpus

I talk to Margaret Lee about the joys of editing

Lithub

Sabina in conversation with Jane Ciabattari about The Human Zoo

New York Times Magazine

Letters of Recommendation: Spam, because I actually do eat Spam

LitHub

Gina Apostol discusses her provocative novel The Revolution According to Raymundo Mata

Cosmonauts Avenue

Philosophy, a personal essay about my mother

VICE

Man of the People, How could Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, despite his policy of murder, be so popular?

World Literature Today

My Mother, Migration, and Me, a meditation on my mother's immigrant status

LitHub

How Can We Make the MFA Workshop More Hospitable to Writers of Color, Ocean Vuong and I talk about silencing, compassion, and pedagogy

The Rumpus

Every Woman Is A Nation Unto Herself: A Conversation with Sabina Murray, I chat with Edie Meidav about the influences on Valiant Gentlemen

LitHub

What Can Historical Fiction Accomplish That History Does Not, Time theory and a prickly encounter with a "famous American writer."

Huffington Post

After Sebald, an essay that looks at Sebald's influence on contemporary writers

Paris Review

Wordsworth's she dwelt among the untrodden ways, essay about my grandfather's relationship with a poem

The Human Zoo

Library Journal starred review

"Highly recommended."

Christian Science Monitor

Sabina Murray's smart, idea-packed story grapples with corruption, identity, and loyalty, building to a searing climax.

Seattle Times

Fascinating...Murray's sense of place is vigorously vivid...

Los Angeles Review of Books

In the Philippines of today, as Ting finds out, it is not external influences...but rather the systems of power within the country, driven chiefly by a dictatorial leader, that dehumanize citizens...

New York Journal of Books

...a narrative of a woman's search for identity, a historical, cultural, and political tale of Filipino society and a tension-filled, action-packed story... an engaging, interesting, and informative novel...

West Trade Review

...a portrayal of Manila ... unpredictable, candid, and, at times, heartbreaking.

Glamour

Klein is a sharp, observant narrator...To a reader unfamiliar with Filipino history it feels both edifying and painfully familiar.

Shelf Awareness

...sublimely transitions into a contemporary sociopolitical thriller enhanced with colonial legacy, cultural erasure, government corruption, and unreliable narrators – an exhilarating literary experience.

The Observer

Immediately absorbing and atmospheric... Murray vaults the reader into a decadent world facing the stark reality of moral failure.

From The Human Zoo

I had heard from others that Gumboc's vendetta against the drug dealers was largely personal, that the ten thousand dead were some sort of performative revenge, the result of a brother who'd been an addict and had died. It made sense, and then it didn't. Another possibility was that it kept the Philippines in a constant state of fear, making it easier to govern. Yet another possibility was that the iron fist of Gumboc appealed to many voters, who liked his swagger. If the Philippines were overrun with drug dealers, that would be an incentive for bringing back martial law. It all seemed plausible and could well have been all there was to know—and all I needed to know—but Chet's casual arrogance annoyed me. I wanted to get under his skin. I didn't know why Gumboc rattled Chet, but he did. The waitress brought the drinks, set them gingerly on the table, and hustled off.

"How's C. G.?"

Chet narrowed his eyes at the mention of his wife. "She's fine."

"And the kids?"

"Good." Chet drummed his fingers on the table. "I know about your husband."

Now we were playing. "What do you know?"

"Maybe I don't know." He was quiet. "Why are you hiding from everyone?"

"I'm not hiding. I've seen Inchoy."

"Inchoy? He won't be happy you're hanging out with me."

"That's because you're a capitalist pig and he's a socialist."

"Inchoy isn't a socialist," said Chet. "Inchoy is poor."