interview Qs

Good evening!

Hello, VISOR. I am Mark Joseph I. Argoso, a third-year creative writing undergraduate from the University of Santo Tomas, currently writing a thesis collection of nonfiction work steeped in the automotive/mobility industry and car enthusiast community. I have been a reader of VISOR.ph for five years since 2017 and have been keeping tabs on the authors of this site since 2019. My thesis professor, Mr. Jose P. Mojica, suggested that I directly talk to magazines and blogs to help bolster the thesis with relevant material, so I'm writing this email as a way to reach out.

I am writing to ask about any potential audience for my questions regarding the history of car journalism and related literature in the Philippines, as well as any input regarding the beginnings and influences of the staff and key figures running VISOR. A large part of my beginnings as a writer was built upon me reading this blog daily, side by side with other sites both here and abroad. Therefore, this interview will be focused on tracking any literary (creative nonfiction) or journalistic tradition on cars, transportation and mobility in the Phillippines.

This interview will be comprised of ten questions, totalling about 20 to 30 minutes long. If possible and permissible, a positive response will be appreciated within two to three days.

Thank you very much!

Truly yours,

Mark Joseph I. Argoso
3CW
AB College of Arts and Letters
University of Santo Tomas

1. How did you start out writing about cars, if at all? If you did not start with cars, then where did you write?

2. What local books/magazines/essays/other works about cars, transportation etc. have you read through the years, from your beginnings till now?

3. Among the authors you've read (local and international), who do you cite as your key influences?

4. Between publications, who do you reckon is considered the exponent of Philippine motoring journalism? Who is often regarded in the industry as the central figure that all others either look up to or refer back to?

5. Are there any contemporary works (from the 2000s to now) that can be considered literary material? If not, what comes close, and why do you think automotive writing has yet to reach the same literary distinction as sports or travel writing, at least in the Philippines?

6. Finally, what resources can I gather to help in my search for a local tradition of automotive journalism in the Philippines?

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