
Mary Grace is a wordsmith based in Chicago who has written internationally for television, magazines, books, journals, and children’s education. From stories of sea-faring and womanhood to deliciously cold prairie treks in 18 degree Midwestern weather, her writing explores her twin passions: Filipino culture and the wonders of nature. The unique and the universal.
Over the last 15 years, Mary Grace has been devoted to bringing nature stories and Filipino-based fiction out into communities. She has worked with people from many different walks of life and backgrounds united in a common love of stories, creativity, and reading. Through her writing, Mary Grace encourages audiences to read for pleasure and education.
She is active with: Kandila, a four-woman writers & artists collective devoted to Asian American arts, global consciousness, and peace. Families of Asian American Students (FAASt). The Step-Ins Book Project. And the Historical Novel Society.
Mabuhay means live. Live powerfully, live lovingly. Through her writing, Mary Grace encourages you to do just that.

Television
The Know Your Heritage Show. CBS and Central City Productions. Two seasons.
Fiction, Poetry, & Essays
Magazine Articles – Samples
Children’s Education
The Chicago Children’s Museum. The Flipside of Culture performances at U.C. Berkeley. Pangarap, Filipino American Literature Forum through U.C.L.A.’s Asian American Studies Department. The Uptown Writers Space.
Fiction. A historical novel set in the sixteenth-century Philippines. A fiercely determined woman leader. Tattooed warriors. Canoes. Ankle-length hair. The power of grandfather crocodile. An armada. The scent of ylang-ylang flowers drifting down the mountain-side. Love in the time of war and a clash of religions.
Nonfiction. A collection of 25 oral histories and photographs of Filipina Americans about growing up, becoming women, and navigating Filipino and American cultures. A community project with co-author, Bay Area photographer Elaine Serina.
Click on the anthologies for more info.