Just caught wind of this off the DR Newswire:Top US literary prize for Junot Diaz
Dominican-born author Junot Diaz has won the US National Book Critic Circle Award for Fiction for his most recent work "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao." Oscar Wao tells the tragic story of a young Dominican-American man's search for love.
The story switches back and forth between urban slang, Dominicanisms and references to Dominican historical events, while recounting Oscar Wao's life story. Diaz was on a visit to Caracas, Venezuela during the ceremony, so Sean McDonald of Riverhead Books accepted the award on his behalf.
Diaz, author of acclaimed short story collection Drown, has become one the DR's most popular and successful contemporary authors.
Congratulations, Junot!
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He beat out the likes of Joyce Carol Oates and Vikram Chandra to take the top prize.
I've read the book, bought it when it first came out, and let me tell you I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a little unconventional at times, with footnotes that would take up to three pages sometimes, but the storytelling more than made up for it. Plus the footnotes contained a bit of Dominican and US history that I did not know so it was informative as well as entertaining!
Oscar's character is so pathetic, but not a gross pathetic. More like an endearing pathetic, the kind of guy you want to punch in the face and let cry on your shoulder at the same time. He was the embodiment of the phrase, "Hope Springs Eternal" always hoping things would go his way.
And folks, I actually shed a tear while reading this book- no lie. ME. The Jaded NYer. CRIED!
Felicidades, Hermano!
And watch out 'cause I'm right on your heels...
*smooches...loving it when we make the news for good reasons*
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okay, so, I guess I have to hurry up and finish my book, then, huh?
Also- check out his short story collection, Drown. It is a really great read. Junot is da bomb!
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