Junot Diaz Treflection Essay

From what I had previously read and heard from about Junot Diaz, I expected the typical speaker that usually stops by our campus: tall male, dressed in a suite, with a charming personality. Knowing he was a Hispanic author I felt like I would be exposed to nothing new during his readings or presence for that matter ( seeing as how being from Colombia and have had a lot of exposure to Hispanic authors). This immediately changed as a couple classmates and I got together to walk over to Sorenson Hall, and, as I we were walking to the auditorium, found multiple students heading to the same even but not because their curriculum required it but rather because they were so intrigued to hear him speak. Obviously, this triggered my own interest in what this author, that I originally found so predictable, had to say. From the moment he set foot on the stage to when he said goodbye, I was intrigued. Diaz evoked a casual atmosphere; through cursing and joking he made the crowd feel comfortable. What I found most interesting was how he explained the different views between him and his family and how looked negatively it seemed for him to become an artist. He also explained multiple aspects about the cultural differences, and talked about the concepts of â€Å"trading your culture† he explained how crazy it is to realize at our age that everyone’s dreams aren’t your dreams. I agreed with everything he had to say and I found the way he evoked his opinions, through casual conversation and a comical tone, to be very effective. What I found most interesting though, is how he compared writing to an art form which says the stuff people don’t want to hear. As he was talking about this topic, I couldn’t help but compare his style of writing to that of graffiti art. He holds a rebellious attitude towards society that makes his writing appealing. Attending this reading taught me much about the topic of learning by making mistakes. My whole life, I’ve been raised thinking that mistakes shouldn’t occur, and the fact that he mentioned that one should take time out to learn through failure and making mistakes caught my attention immediately. Attending Diaz’s reading has been one of the most interesting things I’ve experience while at Babson and I know that when I type the last sentence of this reflection I am buying logging on to amazon and buying his book.