Author Junot Diaz visits NEIU

As part of its Reading and Lecture Series, the Apocalypse Literary Arts Coalition hosted Junot Diaz. The celebrated Dominican-born writer is the author of Drown, a short-story collection about growing up in the Dominican Republic and New Jersey during the '70s and '80s. It is mostly semi-autobiographical and became a national bestseller.

He thanked the persistence of members of the Apocalypse in bringing him to NEIU. "People that plan stuff like this always seem to be the same ones that work two or three jobs and have five majors," joked Diaz. He also remarked on the unique student body of NEIU, as well as it being a commuter school, and welcomed those who had come out to hear him that evening.

The author read from his newly released novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which has already received widespread critical acclaim. It tells the story of a "sweet but disastrously overweight, lovesick Dominican ghetto nerd" named Oscar de Leon who moves with his family to New Jersey. The brutal 30-year dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo hangs over the head of the main characters, as they believe they are the victims of a "fuku," otherwise known as the Curse and Doom of the New World.

"I'm not here as an academic, I'm here as an artist," said Diaz, who also teaches creative writing at MIT. He engaged the audience in a warm and friendly manner while fielding some of their questions. The author and his family moved to the United States when he was six and he grew up in New Jersey.

Diaz's stories have appeared several times in The New Yorker, the Paris Review, and Story. His work has also been featured in Best American Short Stories and Best American Fiction. Copies of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao were available for purchase and signing. The event was held Monday, Nov. in the Golden Eagles.