Tania De Rozario is a writer and visual artist engaged with issues of gender, sexuality, home, memory, and representations of women in Horror. Her work delves into the intricate relationships between identity and environment, exploring how personal experiences shape our worldview. De Rozario utilizes her artistic talents to probe deeply into the human psyche, often focusing on the less-examined facets of female experiences, particularly within the horror genre. Her interdisciplinary approach merges writing with visual art, offering a unique perspective on the themes she explores.
Exploring themes of love, pain, and the search for belonging, this work intertwines queer memoir with poetic reflection. It delves into the struggles and vulnerabilities faced by individuals striving to create their own sense of home in a world that often feels unstable. The narrative captures the emotional complexities of identity and the resilience required to navigate life's challenges.
In this engaging and intimate collection of personal essays, Lambda Literary Award finalist Tania De Rozario reflects on her experiences growing up as a queer, brown, fat girl in Singapore. Blending memoir with elements of history, pop culture, horror films, and current events, she explores the nature of monsters and the meaning of difference. At just twelve, Tania faced a harrowing attempt by her mother and church friends to "exorcise" her perceived wickedness due to her boyish demeanor. This pivotal moment revealed that monsters can exist within families and communities, challenging the notion that they are merely fictional. Through her memoir, Tania examines how society often views difference as deviance, damage, or disobedience. As she shares her story, she uncovers the complex, sometimes kind and sometimes monstrous facets of humanity. Additionally, she analyzes the portrayal of women in horror films like *Carrie*, *The Witch*, and *The Ring*, highlighting how women are often depicted as monsters and how real-life monsters defy expectations. Written with lyrical candor and sprinkled with humor and optimism, this collection offers a deeply personal exploration of identity, monsters, and the worlds they inhabit, making it a resonant and thought-provoking read.