Junot Diaz...

4*4*4

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May 4, 2015
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We just saw Juno Diaz speak. He is brilliant and on the right side of the issue. His books are wonderfully entertaining.
 

rfp

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We just saw Juno Diaz speak. He is brilliant and on the right side of the issue. His books are wonderfully entertaining.

I have yet to see any brilliance from him. He has an engaging writing style but his life perspective is seriously misguided
 

4*4*4

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May 4, 2015
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I have yet to see any brilliance from him. He has an engaging writing style but his life perspective is seriously misguided

The literary world is filled with brilliant writers that you may find eccentric and outside the mainstream.
 

NALs

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Jan 20, 2003
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A couple of weeks ago I discovered this interview (in Spanish) of a very young Junot D?az. That he can hardly speak Spanish says a lot about the perspective from which he evaluates many DR-related issues, and probably explains why he's often off the mark. Needless to say that I think most Dominican criticisms of him are warranted.

[video=youtube;2IHUsjhSz2c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IHUsjhSz2c[/video]
 

DRob

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Aug 15, 2007
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I have yet to see any brilliance from him. He has an engaging writing style but his life perspective is seriously misguided

In what way? I like his work, even though he can occasionally overdo the references to popular culture. It's engaging, and a lot more approachable than Morrison or others who take their work way too seriously. It is, after all, just a story.
 

mofongoloco

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Feb 7, 2013
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that was an interesting video. I couldn't watch the whole thing due to the sound quality. To me his accent sounds more new yorkey than it does dominacaney. The fact that I could understand him easily indicated to me that his primary language is English. Surprise! Since he is a professor of creative writing in English. Criticism of him should be taken in context. Sure, I think he is a know-it-all blow hard. I get a chip on the shoulder vibe from him always daring someone to knock it off. His stories are different. He touched me with his understanding of human frailties and shortcomings.
 

AlterEgo

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http://
artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/25/junot-diaz-criticized-by-dominican-republic-consul/?nlid=44946860&_r=0

Junot D?az Criticized by Dominican Republic Consul
By ANDREW R. CHOW OCTOBER 25, 2015 3:20 PM

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot D?az has come under fire from the Dominican Republic’s consul in New York for criticizing the government’s immigration policies. Eduardo Selman, the Consul general, called Mr. D?az “anti-Dominican” and stripped him of an Order of Merit medal.

Mr. D?az, who was born in the Dominican Republic, has had a long history of protesting that country’s removal of undocumented Haitian migrants. “The expulsions are violations of the workers’ human rights and of the country’s own laws,” he wrote in a joint opinion article with the Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat in The Times in 1999.

In June of this year, Mr. D?az and Ms. Danticat led an event in Miami protesting the Dominican Republic’s efforts to deport hundreds of thousands of Haitian migrant workers. Mr. D?az called the situation a “state of terror.” Last week, Mr. D?az and Ms. Danticat reportedly met with Congress to push for a resolution condemning the Dominican Republic’s policies.

Mr. Selman revoked the Order of Merit award given to Mr. D?az in 2009. “We declare emphatically that the Dominican Republic has acted with transparency to the world in the implementation of the migratory measures and there has been no case of violation of human rights,” Mr. Selman said in a statement in Spanish late last week.

Mr. D?az did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publishing.
 

AlterEgo

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How do you know he's on the right side of the issue?

If he agrees with me, how far off can he be?

I have yet to see any brilliance from him. He has an engaging writing style but his life perspective is seriously misguided

The literary world is filled with brilliant writers that you may find eccentric and outside the mainstream.

I follow Junot Diaz on FB, and it's obvious that he diligently reads many news sources and posts about the most interesting ones. That being said.... and this is just me..... I tend to shy away from anyone who is fanatically left wing liberal or fanatically right wing conservative. He's definitely the first, but he touches on subjects that make me keep following his posts.

I personally believe he's out of touch with the Haitian issue in DR, but again, that's just me.
 

bob saunders

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Jan 1, 2002
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You say that as if it's a bad thing!

IMHO he writes like a gift from G*d. He also has the reputation for being an excellent teacher. Not a lot of writers can do both.

So he should stick to what he is good at, and stay away from the political discourse as he sounds ill-informed about Haitian/Dominican issues.
 

NALs

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Jan 20, 2003
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Junot D?az Criticized by Dominican Republic Consul
By ANDREW R. CHOW OCTOBER 25, 2015 3:20 PM

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot D?az has come under fire from the Dominican Republic’s consul in New York for criticizing the government’s immigration policies. Eduardo Selman, the Consul general, called Mr. D?az “anti-Dominican” and stripped him of an Order of Merit medal.

Mr. D?az, who was born in the Dominican Republic, has had a long history of protesting that country’s removal of undocumented Haitian migrants. “The expulsions are violations of the workers’ human rights and of the country’s own laws,” he wrote in a joint opinion article with the Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat in The Times in 1999.

In June of this year, Mr. D?az and Ms. Danticat led an event in Miami protesting the Dominican Republic’s efforts to deport hundreds of thousands of Haitian migrant workers. Mr. D?az called the situation a “state of terror.” Last week, Mr. D?az and Ms. Danticat reportedly met with Congress to push for a resolution condemning the Dominican Republic’s policies.

Mr. Selman revoked the Order of Merit award given to Mr. D?az in 2009. “We declare emphatically that the Dominican Republic has acted with transparency to the world in the implementation of the migratory measures and there has been no case of violation of human rights,” Mr. Selman said in a statement in Spanish late last week.

Mr. D?az did not respond to requests for comment at the time of publishing.
That's very appropriate, but I'm sure Junot will hardly feel anything that the highest level of distinction the DR gives no longer applies to him. Maybe Haiti can make it up by giving him the highest distinction from over there, he would probably fight with himself to hold the tears of joy in such a case.
 

4*4*4

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May 4, 2015
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So he should stick to what he is good at, and stay away from the political discourse as he sounds ill-informed about Haitian/Dominican issues.

Spot on! Matters of humanity should only be discussed among career politicians and businessmen!!
 

Africaida

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Jun 19, 2009
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let s not forget

Spot on! Matters of humanity should only be discussed among career politicians and businessmen!!

.....And Bob.

.....And people in Jaracoaba on the first Friday of every month.

:cheeky:
 

Lucifer

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Jun 26, 2012
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When Diaz was awarded the 'pullet surpise', Dominicans all over jumped with joy. Now that he has spoken against the treatment of Haitians, lo quieren crucificar.
 

4*4*4

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May 4, 2015
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Hardly but one should at least use facts to support their stand.

In actuality, that is the core difference between running a business and running a country. A government needs to help the little guy and treat them with respect and dignity, regardless of their ability to pay or whatever constitutes the "facts". If our brother is hungry, give him food. Simple.