"... decisively establishes (Díaz) as one of contemporary fiction's most distinctive and irresistible contemporary voices." Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

The 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winning author Junot Díaz will appear at Fairfield University's Open VISIONS Forum on Monday, Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. in the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts. The event is co-sponsored by the Latin American & Caribbean Studies Program and the College of Arts & Sciences' Humanities Institute and is one of the highlights of the 2009-10 area of focus entitled "Latin America: Images, Dialogue, and Action." Edrik Lopez, assistant professor of English and Sheila Candelario, assistant professor of Modern Languages and Literatures join OVF Director Philip Eliasoph onstage for a conversation with Díaz following the lecture. Tickets are $45 and are available online at fairfield.edu/arts/openvisions or by calling the Quick Center Box Office at (203) 254-4010. The toll free number is 877-ARTS-396.

Díaz's prize-winning novel, "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao," captures some of the realities of Latin American immigrants and Latino culture in the U.S. and the originality and brilliance of his narrative work makes Díaz an important reference regarding Latino contributions to contemporary U.S. literature.

Dr. Gisela Gil-Egui, assistant professor in the Department of Communication and co-director of the Latin American & Caribbean Studies Program, is "convinced that his insights in these subjects will prove eye-opening for many Fairfield University students" who may have had limited personal exposure to different ethnic groups and different cultural perspectives. Díaz's proven ability to artfully articulate the successful synthesis of plural identities makes tangible a circumstance that constitutes part of the daily experience of the Hispanic population in this country. In this sense, Díaz embodies cultural diversity at its best.

While visiting the Fairfield campus, Díaz will hold a mini-workshop with graduate students from Fairfield University's Master's Program in Creative Writing, undergraduate students from the English Department's Gateway courses (focused on bridging cultures through literature) and a selected group of students from public high schools in Bridgeport.

The "Latin America: Images, Dialogue, and Action" focus continues throughout the year and will include a wide range of activities, from student-led panels, to musical and visual performances, guest speakers discussing specific topics in the context of the present and future of the region, seminars, and advocacy initiatives.

Posted On: 10-16-2009 10:10 AM

Volume: 42 Number: 90