Quote by Jessica Hagedorn: “Love is always the last act of resistance.”

When political systems, violence, or social structures try to crush people, the most subversive thing left is to continue loving — to choose tenderness and connection over bitterness and despair. Love becomes political in contexts where human dignity is denied, and it is often the thing that outlasts everything else.

Hagedorn wrote Dogeaters against the backdrop of Marcos-era Philippines, where personal lives were shaped by state surveillance, political violence, and censorship. The novel explored how ordinary people maintained bonds of love and solidarity within a deeply repressive political environment.

Filipino-American novelist, poet, and performance artist, born in Manila in 1949 and based in New York City. Her debut novel Dogeaters, shortlisted for the National Book Award in 1990, is a vivid portrait of Manila under the Marcos dictatorship, blending pop culture, history, and literary experiment.