He Inspires Stories From the City, Stories From the Barrios
By Johnny Diaz, Boston Globe - May 15, 2005
At first, Junot Diaz seemed out of place, sitting by the lip of a stage before a crowd of mostly teen Dominicans and Hispanics. But the more he spoke about growing up biculturally as a Dominican Jersey boy and how race plays a role in dating, the more he seemed like the kids in the audience.
If you don't know Junot Diaz, he is an MIT writing professor and award-winning author best known for his 1996 debut book of short stories, ''Drown," inspired by his New Jersey/Dominican upbringing.
The dozens of students who listened to him at the Connolly branch of the Public Library last Monday night know the writer now. Indeed, many of them read his book before inviting him to speak.
''Our corps of youth literacy tutors have been reading his [book], and it has inspired them to write poems and act out some scenes," said Ken Tangvik, director of program development at the Hyde Square Task Force. ''With all the MCAS stress that kids have, they are learning that they can enjoy reading and have fun with reading."
It showed. Vanessa Snow, a senior at Boston Latin Academy, read aloud a poem titled ''It's not easy being Unseen." Two other students read from Diaz's ''Drown" chapter titled ''How to Date a Browngirl, Blackgirl, Whitegirl or Halfie," an urban guide book on dating in the projects.
Diaz talked about why the students should write their own stories.
''You all have a new world we are desperate to hear from. We are so desperate for the stories you have to tell. That is the basic fundamental history of your community," he said. ''Whether it's in song, rhyme or poetry, that's like the history of who we are now."