Remezcla

Junot Díaz’s Accusers Respond After the Author Denies Misconduct

Remezcla Estaff — Tue, 03 Jul 2018 16:07:25 +0000

Two months after several women accused Junot Díaz of sexual misconduct and misogynistic behavior, the author has come out to deny the allegations. On Monday, the Dominican writer told The Boston Globe that he was shocked about the accusations leveled at him. “I was like, ‘Yo, this doesn’t sound like anything that’s in my life,

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Following Sexual Misconduct Accusations, Female Professors Defend Junot Díaz in Open Letter

Adriana Cataño — Tue, 15 May 2018 15:41:58 +0000

Following author Zinzi Clemmons’s revelation that Dominican-American writer Junot Díaz forcibly kissed her several years ago, others have accused him of sexual misconduct and misogynistic behavior. It’s led to Díaz withdrawing from the Sydney Writers’ Festival and stepping down as chairman of the Pulitzer Prize board, a position he held since April. Now, 26 women academics

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Following Sexual Misconduct Accusations, Junot Díaz Steps Down as Pulitzer Chairman

Adriana Cataño — Fri, 11 May 2018 20:05:32 +0000

Exactly a week ago, author Zinzi Clemmons opened up about the sexual harassment she faced at the hands of Dominican-American writer Junot Díaz. Clemmons explained that as a 26-year-old, she invited Díaz to a workshop, but it eventually turned into an unwanted advance. “He used it as an opportunity to corner and forcibly kiss me,”

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Junot Díaz Faces Accusations of Sexual Misconduct Weeks After Revealing He Was Raped as a Child

Remezcla Estaff — Fri, 04 May 2018 14:19:41 +0000

Update, May 4 at 4:08 p.m. ET: Junot Díaz has responded in a statement to The New York Times: “I take responsibility for my past. That is the reason I made the decision to tell the truth of my rape and its damaging aftermath. This conversation is important and must continue. I am listening to

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In the Heights, Junot Díaz Speaks to an Audience That ‘Islandborn’ Was Written For

Matthew Ismael Ruiz — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 21:05:09 +0000

From the stage at the United Palace in Manhattan, Junot Díaz pondered his fame. He’d just been asked by a young child what it’s like to be famous, and he was trying to explain the relative anonymity afforded to even the most famous writers. “If I was a bachatero, then I’d be famous,” he explained,

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In Heart-Wrenching New Essay, Junot Díaz Opens Up About Being Sexually Abused

Yara Simón — Mon, 09 Apr 2018 15:49:35 +0000

For a few years, Junot Díaz has thought about an interaction at one of his book signings in Amherst. A reader approached Junot and asked him if he’d been the victim of sexual abuse. The topic is one that Díaz alludes to in his body of work, but when the question came, he was taken

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Junot Díaz on Immigrant Communities: “Our Legacy Is That We Overcome Monsters”

Yara Simón — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 21:23:33 +0000

Junot Díaz is one of the literary world’s most important voices. Through his words, he’s documented life for the Dominican diaspora in the United States. It’s certainly not surprising that his latest book, Islandborn – his first foray into children’s literature that follows an Afro-Latina girl – is also rich and nuanced. In a conversation with

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Junot Díaz on Lack of Diversity in Books: ‘Islandborn’ “An Attempt to Do Something About It”

Remezcla Estaff — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 19:11:16 +0000

Through his books, Junot Díaz has given many of us literary figures that capture our experiences. With his latest and first children’s book, Islandborn, he’s not only fulfilling a promise he made to his goddaughters two decades ago, he’s also helping to fill a void that has long existed. When Junot arrived to the United

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This Is What Junot Diaz’s Childhood in New Jersey Was Like

Manuel Betancourt — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 17:30:07 +0000

What does it mean to be American? The question seems more timely than ever and with American Creed, PBS has reached out to a number of citizen-activists to help offer potential answers to that inquiry. Sam Ball’s documentary is framed by a spirited conversation between former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David M. Kennedy.

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Junot Díaz: “Bodies Like Mine Were Raped Into Existence”

Adriana Cataño — Thu, 08 Feb 2018 20:54:31 +0000

During a discussion at the University of Missouri for a Martin Luther King Jr. event, acclaimed Dominican-American author Junot Díaz spoke about white supremacy, the dialogue around immigration, the importance of solidarity, and the long-lasting effects of slavery on the African Diaspora. “I was born in the Dominican Republic,” he said. “My work, among many

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