Junot Díaz-with Dr. Khoi Le

Dominican-born and Jersey-bred, Junot Díaz has penned two critically acclaimed short story collections. His full-length work, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, garnered numerous awards including the Pulitzer Prize for fiction and top honors in a 2015 BBC poll of American critics’ top 20 novels of the 21st century. Drawing on his own experience, Díaz’s narratives are audacious mashups with language as colorful, vibrant and relevant as street art, yet informed by culture, history and a dizzying array of literary genres. Cofounder of the Voices of Our Nation Foundation, he has championed community change through plurality of expression. Join this MacArthur “Genius Grant” Fellowship winner and Dr. Khoi Le as they explore the diaspora condition, the paradox of assimilation vs. authenticity and the importance of cultural activism.