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Quote by Junot Diaz

“In my mind what novels do best is that they immerse us deeply into our character's world - they truly transport us deep into these spaces - but the same way you know a Hollywood movie won't end after thirty minutes, you carry in yourself the implicit contract that the novel won't throw you out of itself 'til the very end. That bulk of pages is a form of consolation, of security.”

Quote by Junot Diaz

Author

Junot Díaz is a renowned American writer known for his magical realism style and profound social commentary. His works often focus on the lives of Dominican and Puerto Rican immigrants in the United States, particularly the roles of women in these communities. Díaz's debut novel, 'Drown,' won the National Book Award, and his second novel, 'The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,' earned the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. more

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“Of course we all know that's not how life works. The novel that is our life can end at any time. Sometimes even on page one.”

Knows Ends Sometimes Courses Novel Our Lives Pages

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“We know story collections end when they end, as well - the pages serving as a countdown - but nevertheless the standard story anthology hews closer to what makes being human so hard: it reminds you with each story how quickly everything we are, everything we call our lives can change, can be upended, can disappear. Never to return.”

Knows Humans Wells Ends Hard Stories Our Lives Return Pages Standards Disappear Collections Serving Nevertheless Being Human Anthology Countdown

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“Usually at the end of each story we're thrown clear out of the story's world and then we're given a new world to enter. What's unique about a linked collection is that it can deliver both sets of narrative pleasures - the novel's long immersion into character-world and the story anthology's energetic (and mortal) brevity - the linked collection is unique in its ability to be both abrupt and longitudinal simultaneously.”

World Long Ends Character Stories Given Ability Pleasure Novel Clear Unique Mortals Narrative Collections Thrown New World Linked Energetic Brevity Anthology Immersion

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“I think a lot of the most interesting immigrant writing involves stepping outside of that old, dreary binary. Chang-rae Lee's Native Speaker is a great example. Same goes for Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior.”

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“As for my slowness as a writer - that's been a struggle, no question. We live in a culture that values and rewards machine-speed productivity. Even the arts are expected to conform to the Taylor model of productivity.”

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Author:Junot Diaz

“Used to be in the old days, only the pulp writers wrote like machines. Now everybody is expected to be literary John Henrys. So in that context someone like me is an anomaly.”

Used Machines Expected Like Me Used To Be Old Days Pulp Anomalies

Author:Junot Diaz

“As an artist you're on a journey of discovery and sometimes that journey takes a long time, doesn't subscribe to [a] train schedule, to the punch-clock. And I need to read a lot to make my pages happen.”

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“But it's clear to me that us slow-poke writers are a dying breed. It's amazing how thoroughly my young writing students have internalized the new machine rhythm, the rush many of my young writers are in to publish. The majority don't want to sit on a book for four, five years. The majority don't want to listen to the silence inside and outside for their artistic imprimatur. The majority want to publish fast, publish now.”

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“When you're not doing fiction, there's a limit to how much illustrating you can do with your work. I mean, you can do fine. There are great non-fiction writers, but people aren't necessarily going to say anything that reveals them as much as a picture might. Even their surroundings, in lot of cases, the things that meant the most to me were the things I noticed in their houses. I was always looking, as much as I was listening to them. I was looking around for clues as to why I was there.”

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“I mean obviously we're all dealing with a lot more strangers due to the web. I'd say it has more to do with the quality of interactions. When you're physically interacting with someone, it forces you to be more present and probably a little more uncomfortable. You have to tolerate being outside the comfort of your own home.”

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Author:Miranda July