Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez Wants You To Know She Slept With Pulitzer Prize-Winning Junot Diaz, But Not That She Hates His Book
11 April 2008, 4:00 PM. By Guanabee Staff
It never fails to astound us how much Dirty Girls Social Club author Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez is willing to share with the world via her blog. Yesterday, in a fit of ecstasy over Junot Diaz’s Pulitzer Prize win, she posted the following:
[N]ow might be a good time to brag about having slept with Junot once or twice, back in the mid-90s. I’ve always had a thing for geeky boys.
I remember waking up at his place in Brooklyn, and finding Junot standing in the kitchen amid a litter of hundreds, literally hundreds, of Arizona Green Tea bottles, his fuel of choice. The big, fat bottles were on the counters, floor, everywhere. He seemed sad that morning, shaky, brilliant, like a young Ben Kinglsey in boxer shorts, [Ed: Whoops. There goes lunch.] utterly lost in his vivid imagination. Turned out he was not quite right as a boyfriend, seeing as he already had a girlfriend I knew nothing about, but he was so utterly right as a writer and mentor. It was Junot who first encouraged me to write novels, and I will never forget it. Never.
Dream date!
Felicidades, m’ijo. Well-deserved, and fun to watch you soaring around up there, green tea and all.
She’s so brave and genuine in her writing. Except! For an interesting blog post she published back in December agreeing vehemently with Guanabee Editor Cindy Casares’ not-so-glowing review of the award-winning book in question, The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao. That’s something she apparently doesn’t want anyone to see. Because she took it down.
In it, Alisa confessed to her readers (and we paraphrase) that she could finally breathe a sigh of relief because Guanabee had the courage to call out the enormous elephant in the room–that the book is not as good as its hype. We were particularly impressed by the chutzpah it took for her to call Diaz, “My friend, Junot,” in the same breath. It was something to the effect of, the truth is I don’t think my friend Junot’s book is very good. (Once again, we paraphrase.) Within about 12 hours of its publishing, the post was gone. Too soon for Google to even cache it. But we do still have the email back-and-forth from that night in our inbox. (Pictured here.) You see, she emailed Cindy to let her know. Like she wanted us to link to it or something. A screengrab of the email is here. In it, Alisa thanks Cindy for, “being honest, and brave.” And swears, “I am going to lose all six of my faithful readers from this. Just wait.” “This” being her public admission that, not only does she not like The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao, but she lied to her readers initially about her opinion because she was afraid to go against the grain. That initial positive review of the book, by the way, is also mysteriously absent from the internet. We do recall that some of her readers commented (angrily) about the admission post on December 12th. If any of them are reading this, we’d love an amen.
Apparently temporary sanity, or her publicist, grabbed hold of Alisa that night and throttled her. Now she’s singing the praises of his lovemaking from the rooftops. Henry Kissinger was right. Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac. Saddest of all, though, is the fact that, even amongst Valdes’ “six” readers, about two of them claim to have slept with Diaz, too.
Junot Diaz Wins Pulitzer Prize [Pencil Shavings]
(74) 
Post Your Comment
Did you know you can now share a link, image or video?
Click to submit your own notas.
That is so rich.
I told you that Alisa’s admission was great… but yours made me laugh out loud. Thanks for that.
It truly amazes me that this chick has any real fans. She continually does this crap to get more publicity and since it works, why not? After slamming me on her blog twice last July for some bs I had never said about her, she actually emailed me out of the blue a few weeks ago to apologize. But I guess it doesn’t benefit her to apologize publicly. It’s not negative enough.
Her words:
I hope we can be at peace?
PMS is a bitch. Especially mine.
Friends?
avr
We just praise crazy, don’t we? I guess it gives us all something to blog about.
Isn’t she running for office or something?
Now THAT’S rich…
Vote for me, I tagged Junot Diaz and my readers did too!
So, um, where are the generous and flavaful descriptions of their lovemaking and/or his body parts? I’ve seen J in person and he has a weird looking mouth, the kind of mouth that makes sloppy kisses filled with strings of saliva. What about his ass? Is his ass soft? Cuz he’s a nerd and nerds don’t have hard asses from running. Is he cut? Is his paltano peeled? WTF? Details, mujer, details…
Thanks for the image of those two doing the nasty, Guanabee.
I love Junot Diaz’ writing but, man, is homeboy ugly. How does he get so much ass? I mean, he might be a pulitzer prize winning writer now, but you still have to look at him, and it’s not pretty. Anyway, you know what they say about Dominicans and their platanos…
@ramon: Ugh good lord, as if the image of those two people knocking boots was not bad enough…
My sister used to date j and we soon found out that he always has two or three different girls going at once. No, I’ve never seen anything like it. Maybe it’s the charm? Or the talent? Or the smarts?
Mis dos centavos:
http://alisavaldesrodriguez.blogspot.com/2008/04/linda-nieves-powell-attacks-me-again.html
From looking at AV-R’s pict, I deduct that maybe his charm consists of him fucking chics as fugly and frumpy looking as he is.
@Cindy: Thanks for posting this. Alisa is a liar. You should expose more of her lies. And I agree with Linda–Alisa is an attention whore.
Also, what the hell is Alisa talking about with her most recent post titled Psyche!?
Anyhoo … now my rant (it’s gonna be long):
Not only is Alisa an attention whore (and liar), but she’s also a hypocrite. I used to respect her, but then, after reading some of her very negative comments about Florida Latinos (especially certain Latinos from South Florida), I began scrutinized some of her comments more carefully.
I’ve noticed the following: Alisa constantly bashes White Americans (including well intentioned democrats and feminists) on her blog all the time for various things–mostly, she seems to hate the average American for not understanding Latinos. She hates Lou Dobbs (and all anti-immigrants). She hates the main stream media, which, according to Alisa, does a terrible job of covering issues of interest (and importance) to the average Hispanic in this country. And she really, really HATES the NY Times. On the surface, she seems like a wonderful voice for the Latino community and a great role model for young (Brown) Latinas (and Latinos). But she’s a fake. She’s only pandering to her mostly Brown Latino readership.
She says harsh things about Hispanic Republicans and most Whites who don’t share her values (have you read her comments about Mel Martinez?). The funny thing is, deep down, Alisa probably considers herself a White Latina, too (just like Mel and some Hispanics — and that makes Alisa a hypocrite). She’s just pissed that White Americans (and others) can’t seem to appreciate her whiteness. She complains about people calling her a Mexican (or a Messican, as she puts it). Seriously, if you want to offend Alisa, just call her a Mexican.
Alisa has made it very clear that she’s white. Her mother, Maxine Contant, is Irish American (which isn’t completely consistent with some of her earlier claims) and here’s what Alisa says about growing up in New Mexico:
Not only did Alisa inherit her mother’s white genes, she claims to be “White” at the cellular level (wow … we get it … Alisa is pretty freakin’ white). I also recall that she referred to her family in Miami as White Cubans. So, she keeps reinforcing the idea that she’s White. But then … she changes her tune when it suits her needs. She has also claimed West African ancestry. Oh, but it gets better! In the above quote, she talks about being raised among her Anglo New Mexican family. But … her website states that
Now isn’t that interesting? Alisa left out this bit of information from the previous quote. Also, I find it strange that she gets offended when people call her a Mexican. I mean, if her website is correct, some of her maternal ancestors were mestizos who happened who lived in New Mexico. And … New Mexico used to be part of Mexico. Oh Lawdy! Could it be? Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez may in fact have some Mexican genes. How devastating would that for Alisa to find out that she may be Messican at the cellular level? Gasp!
So … before Alisa criticizes Val Prieto and Mel Martinez, she should be honest to her readers about her real beliefs. Val may be a lot of things, but at least he says what he means, and means what he says. Alisa may not agree with his values, but she can’t deny that the man is expressing his true feelings. Alisa, on the other hand, seems to consider herself a White Hispanic woman who is defending those poor, non-White Latinos in the this country. However, we must never forget that she’s not like her (mostly) Brown readers. Never! She’s Spanish! Irish! Anglo! White! She’s just a progressive White Latina who “gets it.” Awww … Brown people are so lucky to have Alisa on their side. WHATEVER!!!!!
People need to stop buying her books. She has no respect for her readers (it’s all about the money). The woman is a hypocrite.
End of rant!
I was a little surprised to read Alisa’s praise of Junot Diaz because I did catch that blog post where she criticized his book for being a “downer” before it was taken down.
I haven’t read any of this guy’s work, so I can’t judge his writing on the merits.
That being said, I think that Alisa changes her mind a lot about many things. And I am going to speculate that she enjoys the emotional roller coaster ride and bantering back and forth with her audience. All of this could very well be political or just another way for her to experience something that might come out in a character some day.
As for her identity, she even says herself that it is “multiplicative.” Having some experience with “Spanish” people from New Mexico (who have Jew, Native American, Mexican and Moor ancestry), I could see how her Irish mom could very well have “Spanish” ranching ancestral ties. It is a small state with a small population, and there aren’t many degrees of separation among old time New Mexico families.
Here is what the psyche is about:
Last night, I received this google alert but apparently she deleted the post:
Linda Nieves-Powell attacks me again and so does Guanabee which …By Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez(Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez)
Remember Linda? She’s the playwright from NYC who attacks me in her free time. First, she thought I stole the idea for “The Dirty Girls Social Club” from her play “Soy Latina,” which I never saw. Then, she ranted on a meetup.com group …
Pencil Shavings - http://alisavaldesrodriguez.blogspot.com/
Alisa, I read the post you deleted before you pulled it. Why did you delete it? It’s also amazing that while you said I attacked you once again (when I was merely telling the truth once again) that you actually gave me a thumbs up for my book. LOL No…now THAT is hee-larious.
I’m not going back and forth on blogs or hiding behind my computer. Let’s make a date and hash this out face to face. Seriously. I guarantee you won’t be able to twist the truth without your pen or keyboard. I want to know why my name is the first name on that post you deleted. What is your “real” beef with me? It’s amazing that I’m the one Latina you come after. Why? It’s so interesting to me. It makes me wonder, once again.
Alisa seems Bi Polar to me.
I kinda feel bad for her. I really feel bad for her son. And her boyfriend. Or maybe he’s her husband again. She can’t seem to decide.
Linda,
I would like very much to meet you face to face.
Nut-bust: Gee, let me guess. You are a Miami Cuban Republican? Just a hunch. For the record: My mom’s family is a mix of many things, and we are lucky to have had a great-aunt who researched the family tree very well. My mom’s mom is 100 percent Irish American. My mom’s dad, now deceased, was a massive mix of things that is very much in keeping with the history of New Mexico, where he was a 5th generation postmaster and owner of a trading post. It is his line that can be traced to Marquez family who got a land grant from the King of Spain to settle in NM; Barbarita Marquez, herself the product of a Spanish-Pueblo marriage, married John Whitmore, a rebel Englishman from New England who counted Ethan Allen among his ancestors. Jenny Whitmore, their daughter Gladys married John Conant, related to Roger Conant, founder of Harvard U. and Salem Mass., who begat my grandfather, Clifton Conant, who married Kathleen McGrath, whose father came to NM with Chinese labor forces to build the railroad. Kat McGrath was born in LA and grew up dirt-poor. She and my grandfather were very poor at the start of their marriage, and lived in a “dugout,” which is a hole in the ground; they had my mom and two other daughters. I laugh to see blog posts where people assume my mom is from a wealthy family. Far from it. Mom grew up in a tiny house in the middle of nowhere. She was the first to go to college, a poet and an outcast. She met my dad, a Cuban exile, at UNM. By then her parents had decided they were completely “white” and they did not approve of the marriage. My parents had me. Dad was an orphan when he came to the US. We have since learned more about his family in Cuba. My grandfather Clifton Conant was fluent in Spanish, and his brother was a spy for the US in Mexico. They were dark-skinned. My grandmother and mom are both fair. Mom’s sisters are dark like their dad. None of this matters.
Anyway, point being, I am all of the things I say I am. And yet none of it matters. I do not believe, as Nut-buster says here, that I am “white” or anything such drivel. I think race is a social construct that serves no good purpose; I prefer to leave talk of race to the racists. Some of you seem to interpret this as “wanting to be white”. That is silly.
As for being “offended” at being called Mexican - also untrue. I’m not sure where that comes from. I often say the culture I feel most connected to is that of my home state, New Mexico. My “anglo” and Irish relatives lived there when it was Mexico, when it was Spain. We have customs at holiday related to that. New Mexico is a Latin American nation posing as a US state. I am married to a Mexican-American, and our son is very aware and proud of that heritage. What I HAVE said is there is no single “Mexican” culture; there are dozens, hundreds.
As for “bashing white people” - utter nonsense. I bash people, yes. But not because of their “race,” which is irrelevant to me. I have little tolerance for cruel people, racists, those who don’t care about the poor. I have little patience for people who prey upon the weak. For that reason I despise Lou Dobbs, and other xenophobes. I study history, I recognize the current immigrant-bashing for what it is: Scapegoating of the most underneath of the underclass. I wish people would pay more attention to the real reasons our economy is a shambles, and I believe that reason to be a lying, corrupt, greedy and dangerous neo-con administration. I am not afraid to say so. Do I “hate” all Republicans? No. I hate most Republican policies, but not the people, like grandma Kat, who feel safe and coddled by the lies and choose to vote for the scoundrels who rob them.
There is a lot said about me here that is slanderous, but with the exception of LInda, it has been said by cowards who are unwilling to reveal their true identity. I want the record set straight here on these issues, though I know that attacking me is a sport for some of you and no matter what I say you will choose to despise me in order to feel better about yourselves.
I want you to know I like Linda. I like her writing. I think the work she does is important. I also think we’ve butted heads a few times because we’re somewhat alike. I think her book is excellent. I think everyone should buy it. I’m happy for her success.
I want you to know that I am a woman born of many histories, that my family tree is complex and I take great pleasure in tracing it and figuring out where the lines intersected, who the people were. I think that the particular mix that led to me has made it hard for me to view the labels placed upon people in our society in simplistic terms. The “white” people in my family were poor; the “minorities” were well-off (my dad’s dad was a wealthy man in Santa Clara who impregnated his poor mulatta maid; the product was my father). I am brown, black, white, and everything in between; but I am a woman who understands that these labels are most often used to separate and marginalize us all. My novels explore identity. The silliness of the labels when they are used incorrectly, the empowering capacity of them when they are understood. I do not traffic in simple answers, nor do I believe in them. This makes me hard for lots of people to understand. By claiming my mother’s side, I’m accused by small-minded people of “wanting to be white” - an accusation that is insulting on so many levels. Insulting that I would buy into the concept of whiteness, first and foremost, insulting that I would long to be something that those who accuse me of it interpret as elitist and discriminatory. By insisting there is no monolithic Latino identity (a view shared by most Latin Americans, though by few US Latinos) I am accused of denying my “Latin-ness” - also insulting.
I remember one irate Chicano studies professor yelling at me: “Are you or are you NOT a member of the Latino community?” My answer confused her. I said, “If you mean the Latino community of Agosto Pinoche, the answer is no. If you mean the Latino community of Carlota, the first African slave to lead a slave rebellion, at the Triumvarate Mill in Matanzas, Cuba, then yes. I am.”
This was no a satisfactory answer for a woman who had swallowed the racist paradigm of the United States, and believed the only solution to it was to take the category placed upon her and wear it with pride. I want us to go a step beyond that, to understand the origins of the categories, to understand our shared history, our diversity, our complexity, our humanity. This is confusing to some. I understand that. But it does not change the way I see the world - in shades of gray. Black and white, brown and yellow, red, whatever, none of these boxes capture the truth of human experience. We are all related within 2000 generations. There are people. Some of them are good; many of them are not. There are amazing white people, horrible white people; amazing Latinos, horrible Latinos. Fascists come in all shades, with every sort of last name. To claim allegiance to any one group because you are a member of that group, to blindly accept in the name of ethnic pride or racial pride, etc, is, to me, every bit as racist as accepting all “whites” because you are white. Racist is racist, and it all tastes like garbage to me. This confuses people. I cannot help them.
Politically, yes, I am a progressive. I am liberal. Everyone I respect throughout history has been thus as well. This angers some people. I cannot help them, either. I believe in compassion, in caring for the poor, in helping those who have less. I do not believe in Reaganomics. Nor do I like Fidel Castro. That I could dislike both George W. Bush and Fidel Castro confuses many people in Miami. I cannot help them, either. The name of Val Prieto is invoked here. I cannot help him, either. He’s a lovely writer, and an angry man. His followers enjoy attacking me. I find it fascinating that I am attacked here by a right-wing fan of Val’s, and by Linda Nieves-Powell. I would imagine that these two people, seated together over a bottle of wine, would shortly come to blows over politics. And yet they are unified here in their shared disdain for me. At least I’ve served a purpose, in uniting two Latinos who share nothing other than a misperception of me.
I realize our culture makes a passtime of attacking those we think have more than we do. I suppose I’m viewed that way. I’m an easy target. But you don’t know me. The comments here make that patently clear. You attack a ghost you have created for your own recreation. You attack because you don’t understand. You assume. And, from what I can see, most of your assumptions are wrong. I wasn’t “bragging” about sleeping with Junot. I was laughing about it. But you’d have to know me to understand that. I don’t recall knowing anyone on this board.
Linda? Maybe if you stop saying things like “I don’t understand how this chick has any fans” I will stop thinking you’re attacking me. I like your work, I like you. There is room for both of us in publishing. There is room for ALL of us in this world, and we don’t have to be alike to fit.
What is wrong with all of you? Stop acting like three year olds, there’s a fucking war going on out there! THEY ARE PUTTING OUR PEOPLE IN JAILS, OUR CHILDREN! And all of you careerists throw hissy-fits and blather on about personal histories and explanations of who is what color and who did what where and who is poorer than who and throwing pity-parties because you grew up near a garbage dump in sadfaced New Jersey. THEY ARE BUILDING FENCES ALONG THE BORDER! THEY ARE CIRCUMSCRIBING OUR BROTHERS AND OUR SISTERS! AND I’M NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT LATINOS OR HISPANICS!
What is wrong with all of you? What do you really care about, besides yourselves? I’m ashamed, I tell you, embarrassed, chagrined, disappointed, heart-broken, horrified, despairing, raging, and angry above all else. PEOPLE ARE LOSING THEIR HOMES EVERY DAY! PEOPLE WHO BREAK THEIR BACKS FOR A LIVING ARE BEING PUSHED ASIDE!
And since when did craft and creativity become the least-important thing about an artist? Ghetto, not-ghetto, middle class, working class, upper class, dirt-poor, living on the streets, growing up in the projects, slinging on the corner, robbing the cut-rate . . . Since when is the color of your skin and your personal miseries a ticket to fame? (Look at Margaret Seltzer’s egregious lies, James Frey’s fabrications of his macho past, J.T. Leroy’s invention of self, Ismael Beah’s exaggerations, etc.) Why is the ghetto a cliche when everyday people still have to live there? Why do so many people happily attend the pity parties of people of color?
The work one does should stand on its own merits, and loom or fall, this depends upon the mastery implicit. Anyone who read OSCAR WAO, that is, anyone who truly cares about literature that read the novel, could clearly see that is an awful mess. This is not hating on a brother, this is just reality. Compared to a writer like Daniel Alarcon, who I hope will become a superstar of literature in the not-too-distant future, Junot Diaz just doesn’t pass muster. Come to think of it, Junot Diaz should be ashamed himself, for pandering to white America, for being the dancing monkey who hotfoots on the concrete while the fat man cranks the barrel organ. I don’t know Ms. Rodriguez, but her airing out of personal history is actually quite disgusting –can people maintain any respect for her when she shares this kind of personal information–imagine Julia Alvarez copping to giving Oscar Hijuelos a handjob one rainy New York night after a steamy book reading, or Zadie Smith sharing the juicy details of a one-night stand during her student days, when she happened to run into Salman Rushdie in an elevator in a London hotel, and one thing kinda led to another, and, you know . . . These strong, intellectual, and insanely talented women have too much self-respect and decorum to involve themselves in such cheeky, denigrating nonsense. They write strong books and let the chips fall where they may.
What is wrong with all of you? Wake the fuck up, grow the fuck up, and stop embarrassing brownkind.
Exactly! There is room for you, me and everyone else, so then why are we constantly here? Alisa, when you are in NYC, I want to sit with you face to face because in my heart I cannot believe that you are this wicked and confused. And if you are, girl, all I can say is that I want no part of it. I’ve said it before, I want to feel like we’re on the same team. However, from the way you operate, at least from what I see on your blog, there’s no way we can be. I don’t trust your intention.
And yes, we do not have to be alike. I completely agree. So then, why do you go nuts when someone says something you don’t agree with? You can disagree with someone without being an a@@ about it.
Just keep in mind that the response you’re getting from everyone is not random. You are manifesting all this hate yourself. (Yeah, I had to throw Dr. Phil out there.)
Seriously, when you’re ready to get “real” (and not in an email or a blog) you know where to find me.
As a Latina, it is very sad to see two intelligent women who have so much to offer the world battle each other via blogs. You gals both need a “chancletazo” so you can see that your feud causes more harm to the literary community than good. In the case of this post, I feel it is Linda that’s out of line. I’m not thrilled with Alisa’s response either, but this particular article had absolutely nothing to do with the Free Style author. This article was about Alisa’s blog with Junot, which left me just as speechless as anybody else. I prefer my authors to keep a bit of mystery and intrigue, though the gossip bit was juicy.
As a reader, I enjoy both of these authors and would rather not be exposed to this dark side. I hope they can work out their differences (in private), resist the urge to blog against each other, and collaborate instead of hurt one another.
LaOptimista,
I would have to agree with you.
Since I blog more about Latino politics, I sometimes get discouraged in how we trash each other. I have engaged in it too, but there is a fine line between constructive criticism and “he said-she said” chisme.
These blog spats are a sign of the times in a sense that our literary community in America is only now gaining more recognition, and it is happening during the internet age.
It is most definitely easier to be inflammatory or angry behind your keyboard and screen instead of over a cafe con leche in the coffee shop. I do think that it would be helpful if Alisa and Linda were able to have a discussion over coffee or tea. I think that the tone and possibly the outcome might be different.
@LaOptimista & Adriana: You should look closely at what these women are saying before you rush to judgment. I think Alisa has shown that she is vindictive and conniving. Remember how she *tried* to use her position as a successful writer to tarnish the reputations of Jennifer Lopez and a young Hispanic reporter from Miami. Linda is the better person. Trust me!
Has anyone on here even skimmed through what urban latino had to say or is my impression right—that no one reads? The lack of any intelligence throughout these comments is astounding. Should we all bow down to all our ethnic stereotypes and show the brown smear on our teeth through our shit eating grins? Should I make myself up as a curly red-headed simian looking man, get drunk, eat potatoes, and become a crooked cop along the way (yes, I’m Irish—and what does that even mean?). Please someone tell me why a Dominican nerd is an oxymoron? (my cousin is Dominican and pretty much nerdy, but does that in any way make him less than who he is?) It’s sad and obvious that there is no actual reading being done and the culprits latch on the the first book they grab and hail it’s author as a light through a dim world of their own narrowness. Come on, get it together guys. It’s so obvious when so many better writers are ignored or not sought after enough—such as Daniel Alarcon, which urban latino so thoughfully pointed out for all of you. This whole mess of blogging about sleeping with Junot Diaz? Are you kidding me? Have some self-respect. Look at yourselves in the mirror and ask, “What is wrong with me?” Stop attacking each other—it only makes it easier for others to bring you down.
I bet Junot is pissed! Does he read Guanabee?
E-Rock: Lay down the law, brother. Damn!
I hope Junot feels like the pinata-man in the Skittles commercial.
Linda et al,
I wanted to direct your attention to an article I did during my first month as editor of Latino Perspectives magazine here in Phoenix. I viewed it as a bit of the “public apology” Linda rightly states she was owed by me. It ran in this month’s issue of the magazine, which reaches 90,000 homes in the greater Phoenix area.
http://latinopm.com/Latino-Perspectives-Magazine/April-2005/Chica-Lit-in-the-air-like-springtime/
It was one of the first moves I made as managing editor there. I did it because I sincerely like Linda and her writing and wanted to do what I could to get the word out on “Free Style,” which you should all read.
To the person on here who keeps calling me conniving, etc.: Just because I do not agree with your worldview does not make me conniving. It makes us disagree with each other. Last time I checked, that was still legal.
Have a great rest of the weekend, people! Get off the Internet and play outside!!!
:-)
Un abrazo sincero,
Alisa, la peor de to’as
To Urban Latino,
You make some valid points. But to get upset with a creative writer for divulging her personal life is like getting angry at an actor for being dramatic, or a musician for humming in public.
It’s what we do. Ask Isabel Allende, who once said it was the duty of the writer to betray everyone they have ever known, and who has a new memoir out in which she talks about her son’s wife coming to her at three in the morning to confess she is a lesbian. Ask Esmeralda Santiago, who has written several moving, wonderful books about her sexual and other personal exploits, one called “The Turkish Lover”. Writers write. Sometimes, we write about ourselves.
It’s called memoir.
Peace out, and loosen up.
Alisa
Ok … I just got back from “playing outside” and now I have more to say about this issue. Here it is:
@Linda: Don’t waste your time meeting with Alisa. She’ll probably base one of her future characters on you and try to tarnish your reputation (like she *tried* to do to Jennifer Lopez and a Hispanic reporter from Miami). She is unscrupulous. Be careful, Linda.
Also, for those who don’t know, Linda once questioned why any writer of Hispanic descent would hate being called a “Latina writer.” Linda said that she is “proud to be called a Latina writer.” Alisa just assumed that Linda was talking about her (because, as well all know, the world revolves around Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez). Here’s what I think: Alisa may say that she doesn’t like the label of Latina because it marginalizes her. But I think there’s more to the story—when those evil, ignorant “White” Americans (I’m speaking from Alisa’s perspective) call her a Latina writer, they’re probably assuming that she’s a Brown Latina. Oh no! Alisa will have none of that! Despite what she says, the croux of the issue seems to be that Alisa doesn’t want others to associate her with the many Latinos of color who live in the United States (of course, she doesn’t have any problems pandering to these Brown Latinos, as long as they buy her books). And Linda Nieves-Powell, being the astute woman that she is, has noticed this trend among successful Latinas. I’ll bet you anything that if the media started calling Alisa a Spanish American writer from New Mexico, she’d be thrilled with that label.
We’re not retarded, Alisa, we can read between the lines.
@Alisa: I’ll give you, Cindy Casares, and Linda Nieves-Powell credit for expressing your views in a public forum and not hiding behind a fake name, but please don’t act holier than thou—I’m sure you’ve expressed your views on other blogs as an anonymous commenter. Also, I find it interesting that you never addressed the issue at hand—that you’re lying to your readers about your thoughts on Junot Diaz’s book. Cindy exposed your lie. So … in typical Alisa fashion, you change the subject, suggesting that Cindy is attacking you “in order to feel better about herself.” Pura mierda, I say! Cindy rarely attacks people just for recreational purposes (I should know – she’s never been as hostile to me as I’ve been to her). It’s clear from Cindy’s writing that she’s intelligent and confident—you are not the center of her universe. She simply stated a fact and exposed one of your lies. Now, let me address some of your points below.
Alisa said: “I believe in compassion … I want us to go a step beyond that, to understand the origins of the categories, to understand our shared history, our diversity, our complexity, our humanity. This is confusing to some. I understand that. But it does not change the way I see the world - in shades of gray. Black and white, brown and yellow, red, whatever, none of these boxes capture the truth of human experience. We are all related within 2000 generations.”
My response: OMG, Linda is right … Alisa has a talent for twisting the truth with her pen or keyboard. Alisa, there’s no question that you’re an effective, intelligent writer. But there’s no need to lecture us about diversity. HELLO!!!! This is Guanabee!!!! You’re preaching to the choir. Oh wait! Silly me, most of us probably aren’t as intellectually sophisticated as you are. Maybe you should publish a book or series of essays about your you and your beliefs. You can call it “The World According to Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez.” I mean, it’s very clear that you think we’re wrong and we misunderstand you. All of us are misguided: Cindy Casares attacks you to feel better about herself. Linda attacks you because she misinterpreted one of your comments. I’m a right-wing nut who attacks you to feel better about myself (and just for fun). Of course! You’re right. And everyone else who disagrees with you is wrong. Please enlighten us, Alisa. We’re ignorant Latinos who need someone like you to help us see the error of our ways.
Alisa said: “As for “bashing white people” - utter nonsense. I bash people, yes. But not because of their “race,” which is irrelevant to me … Do I “hate” all Republicans? No. I hate most Republican policies, but not the people … ”
My response: Hm, lovely rhetoric. But are you going to deny that you said that Miami Cubans “despise Mexican and other Latino immigrants for the simple fact that they tend to be nonwhite.” Are you also going to deny that you said, “I was thinking it might be wise to open a Home for Deranged and Thin-Lipped Embittered Old White Feminist Icon Ladies. Palm Beach? Laguna Woods? Somewhere with a steady supply of Geritol, and maybe a cattle prod.” And there are other examples. You know, for someone who talks about seeing the world in shades of gray, she spends a lot of time focusing her anger on GROUPS of people who don’t share her values. She repeatedly spreads lies about Hispanic Republicans. Sure, some may be xenophobic, but NOT all of them. Alisa is being divisive. She is telling her readers that Hispanic Republicans essentially hate all other (Brown) Latinos. She’s doing exactly what she speaks against (pushing stereotypes – about the media, “white” feminists, and republicans—and pandering to her Brown readership). I also love how she referred to me as a “right-wing fan” (of Val Prieto). Again, she’s relying on stereotypes and assumptions (I’m actually a Hillary supporter). She should stop generalizing and start practicing what she preaches.
I’m sorry Alisa, but your argument just isn’t logically valid. I don’t believe you can air other people’s dirty laundry and compare that to an actor being dramatic—or a musician humming? Really? Lewis Carroll would love that. As for the memoir “genre” which so much lately has been deemed false and hopefully soon to be self-defeated and doomed (wow, looked at that, a sly alliteration), much of it is poorly written. I guess it works for the sharp-toothed, back-climber, arrogantly passive-aggressive, young professional who cares nothing for the boundaries of family’s personal lives, or that of friends. I’m not talking of anyone on here though.
More slander. More lies. More anonymity. I wish I had the energy to defend myself, but, as Patrick rightly pointed out to me this afternoon as I stressed out about the nonsense on this site regarding me, it is best to ignore the haters. They will hate regardless. They take joy in lobbing steaming bags of dog crap from behind their hunting blinds.
“There’s a reason they’re writing about you, that you are using your name, that they don’t say who they are,” he said. “You are the pack leader. They are the simpering wolves on the outside, who can’t write well enough to get in.”
By “they” he meant only Guana Bust a Nut, who often posts comments to my blog that I do not publish because they say stupid things like “she repeatedly spreads lies about Hispanic Republicans.” Prove that. You can’t. It’s nonsense, like everything else leaking from your envious arsehole.
The ONLY thing I do repeatedly that I shouldn’t is return to this board. Of that, I shall wean myself promptly. By “prompty” I mean…now.
Talk amongst yourselves. Lie about me some more. Then spread the ooze of your spooky behavior on the wounds you nurse, and tell yourself it’s all my fault. Whatever it is you’re mad about? Yeah. That. It’s my fault.
Feel betta now?
Alisa–
You seemed to have missed my point entirely, and your skewed logic does nothing to essay the problems at hand. A voice pitched to emulate reason cannot fool those of us who are attuned to disingenuousness. To wit: there is an immense difference between the airing out of one’s dirty laundry on the Internet, and seeking to crystallize one’s personal experiences and transmute them into art, whether it be memoir (which, in today’s world, is a genre increasingly becoming the butt of many jokes), or the novel. Even Anais Nin waited until her husband passed away before she published her diaries–such was the extent of her decorum.
As for your concept of the writer as betrayer of trusts, malicious traitor, vampire and tremendous asshole: this may be the way you see yourself, but this is not the way I view myself or my friends who also happen to be writers. The very notion, after all, speaks volumes about your character. Rest assured, I and anyone I know will steer clear of your works, for a writer without a moral compass is a writer best avoided. And please do not think that you speak for the Latino people, as Mr. Junot Diaz apparently does. Neither of you possesses the passionate fire, fierce creativity, and lightning wit that make up the real-deal artists. I hope that one day someone will gather up all the flotsam from his mind, set adrift in the form of interviews (I can’t forget the classic interview in Bomb magazine, conducted by Edwidge Danticat, which immediately springs to mind–throughout their conversation, they are both so in love with each other’s works and minds that one could practically hear the spurt of seminal fluid, the gushing from orifices, and the spry-minded reader, immediately wishing to strike the image from his/her skull, would be able to envision them engaging in the Kama-Sutra-sanctioned act of sixty-nine–so shocking, then, to think that they were able to blather on with their mouths so full). Someday soon that individual will piece together the weftwork of lies he had so carelessly fabricated, all of his false claims and wild boasts, his poor-me meekness,his aw-shucks shuffling of the toes.
All that said, I truly hated saying it. I had very high hopes for Mr. Diaz and his ouvre, I was rooting for him, but when I cracked open the spine of his novel and encountered his ramshackle prose, peppered with laziness, spiced with embarrassing amounts of hyperbole and slang, all of my hopes fell away, and what was left before me was the ashes of literature.I am not exaggerating; impure dreaming ruins the fabric of civilization, to quote Lawrence Durrell. Artists of all color have a responsibility to tell the truth. In the end, this is not about culture; this is about art, and how it is becoming bastardized and bought-off, picked up by hacks and passed off as masterworks. I’m a writer; I care strongly about quality; I am always searching for inspiration, to push me to endeavor to create my own masterwork.
I am not being querulous. Anyone who cares about literature as an art form may not agree with everything I have said, but I know that in the slightest chamber, in the smallest ventricle, if beats the blood of the artist, there is a shade of assent.
wow. that is the single most overwritten, thesaurus-soaked bullcrap i’ve read since i wrote just like that in the 7th grade. good luck on that publishing deal, genius.
What happened to that sweet, wanna-be-ingratiating girl from a few comments ago? I struck a nerve, no doubt. Let me just slip into my raincoat, so as to shield myself from the gouts of arterial fluid.
But wait a sec. Didn’t you say you were abandoning ship because the rollicking wave of attacks was making your tummy hurt? Your ego won’t allow it, I gather.
And please, keep wowing us with your prize-winning fiction.
See you at the next round of Pulitzers.
no anonymity here, i am elenamary, find me at elenamary.com…that said
yes Alisa is nuts…i wrote a blog entry about her nuttiness back circa 2003 when she spoke to my latino studies class…
thanks for this post it was full of lulz
Does anyone else get the impression that AVR might possibly be mentally ill? I don’t mean that in a sarcastic, ugly way, either. Seriously, I have a friend who’s Bi Polar, and she reminds me of her sooo much.
ah, yes, elenamary. the chicano studies teacher i referred to earlier who did not understand the pinochet/carlota thing. the one who thinks latinos are all alike, a monolithic community; of course she thinks that. she has to. she would lose her job otherwise.
elenamary, you still don’t get it, eh? that i believe my “community” to be among humanists, some latino, some not. this terrifies you. it’s scary to you that I do no buy your racist worldview, so you say “you are crazy”. crazy is a good, stereotypical label. that you would use it does not disappoint or surprise.
it’s funny how you’ve all come here. the val prieto lover, the chicano studies person. i have exactly six people who regularly hate on me, and you are all here. waiting, cruising the ‘net, hoping someone somewhere will waste as much time in hating me for not being like you as you yourself have. i think you must have a mailing list: “Psst! Someone is dissing Alisa! Let’s go call her cray-zay!!” It’s like the shadowy ghosts in harry potter, the dementers. vultures waiting for a death that never comes.
keep waiting. i’m smiling.
Ms. Valdes-Rodriguez, did you or did you not say that you would not return to this site? You couldn’t resist, could you? I bet you lay in bed waiting for your man to fall asleep, tossing, turning, your limbs quaking, eyeballing the LED screen of your clock, the shimmering eye of your sleeping Mac pulsing in the darkness, and you with bated breath, utterly still, struck dumb, waiting for your man to fall to sleep so that you could sneak your Mac into the bathroom where you could huddle up on the chill floor in the space between toilet and bath like a smoker who’d promised she’d quit,
just squeezed in there hoping that your man would fall asleep, window open a crack to attenuate the foetid air and give you a glint of moonlight, flipping open your Mac, but quietly, in the darkness, your fingers gliding over the keys so they wouldn’t make a chitter, not a peep, and your manic eyes happen upon the comments, and you’re dying to post, but you hesitate because you want to make sure that your man is asleep,
and when you hear the bursts of snoring coming from the bedroom you think that you’re in the clear, so you type away madly, hunt-and-peck, fingers gliding because your man is asleep, not one chitter to accompany the bursts of snoring, and your darting eyes drink in the comments and the sweat streams from your brow and stings your eyes, your mind races and your greasy fingers slide over the keys and you worry that they are out there now, outside of the window, all those anonymous faces gunning for you, and it’s hard to think now because of the faces pressing against the window and your man’s insistent snoring and that is why you offer up such paltry words, ill sounds from an ill skull.
Pathetic.
Uhm…don’t you know that rich people don’t have toilets and bathtubs in the same room? And certainly never close enough together to sit between them all mashed up like Keith Richards in a Motel Six. And we have more than one computer in the house. We got it like that. In our case it’s something like five. This minimizes the sneaking them out of one room to the other when we have paranoid delusions we don’t want “our man” to know about, except that he might very well be the one writing this. He writes better than I do. You’ll all figure that out eventually. We also do not “lay” in bed - well, not in the resting sense; if we’re writers, we lie. In bed. English 101. You, however, lie: on this site, about me; to yourself about your literary skills. I also think you just made Edgar Allen Poe throw up in his mouth. A little. Okay, a lot. This is fun. Go take another hour or two to come up with a pedantic paragraph or two. I’m waiting. Hopefully this time you’ll find the period key once. in. a. while. There. You can borrow some from me.
Wow. After the smoke clears, I wonder if Junot will ever speak to Alisa again? One little post of hers brought on so much drama…
One last thing, I just want to address something that @LaOptimista said. “As a Latina, it is very sad to see two intelligent women who have so much to offer the world battle each other via blogs. You gals both need a “chancletazo” so you can see that your feud causes more harm to the literary community than good.”
I so disagree with you. Since when are we supposed to all get along? Who came up with that retarded rule? I am so tired of hearing Latinos say, (especially those who choose not to use their real names) that speaking out against each other makes us look bad. That’s so stupid. That is the very thing not allowing this community to grow. Do you get along with every single member of your own family? Granted some of the stuff here is juvenile. But the truth is, we should be allowed to express our opposing opinions with people of the same ethnicity. Don’t white people do this all the time? On national television? No one tells them to chill out because it’s going to make them look bad.
.
As far as speaking out is concerned, we shouldn’t be afraid and we should do it more often. Guaranteed if we did that, more shit would change!
Alisa, I appreciate the apology.
Thank you, Alisa for proving my point. Twofold. First, that you could not avoid hopping back onto this site–your fragile ego would not allow it. Secondly, that everything all boils down to issues of class, not race. You proved that beyond price and count. Thank you for participating in this little experiment.
This is the last you’ll hear from me, because I have to get on with the real work.
Imagine that, a “rich” (your words) author giving a poor old Latino boy a dressing down. It’s like we’re back in the stables again–I’m the horse boy with the muddy face passing the currycomb over the horse’s flanks, and you the high-falutin rider in jodhpurs, haughty chin thrust upward as the stable boy helps you to mount, bouncing gently in the saddle as you trot down the scrubland of your family’s hacienda.
Enjoy your career. And hey, keep inventing those marvelous miracles in prose.
@Alisa: Please read Urban Latino’s comments carefully, and try to be more sensitive to other Hispanics who aren’t you like you. Some of us are Brown Mexican Americans, Black Dominicans, Asian Latinos, Conservatives, Centrists, Libertarians, and the list goes on. Collectively, when I consider your comments here, on your blog, and elsewhere, I get the impression that in your world, there’s a subgroup (of Latinos) that is miles ahead of the rest. And I’m not talking about me or my fellow Cuban Americans (like Mel Martinez). I’m talking about people like you, Alisa, Liberal White Latinos. You are superior at the cellular level, my friend. Yeah, yeah! We know that you’re a mix of many ethnicities—mostly SPANISH, Anlgo, and Irish … but you also have a small (teeny, tiny) dash of Brown and Black goodness (wasn’t your grandfather’s best friend’s sister’s neighbor a West African slave and wasn’t your great-grandmother’s aunt’s electrician a Native American). Most people just don’t “get” you, mi’ja. And it’s not your fault. Everyone else is to blame—right? Will you do us all a favor, Alisa. When you’re hanging out with your “White” liberal friends at Starbucks, talking about your noble SPANISH ancestors and your Anglo/Irish roots, please tell them that Latinos vote for Hillary Clinton because they’re misguided. But, you know what? I’m optimistic that someday … maybe tomorrow? … the average Hispanic in this country will be as cultured and sophisticated as you … Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez.
Now please excuse me while I go toss my cookies.
@Guanabee readers: Wow … talking to Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez is like talking to a brick wall. Nothing sinks in. But you know what’s even more interesting? I’ll tell ya—she seems to think that world revolves around her. Seriously, this woman is more narcissistic than Donald Trump (god, I hate that man). Diane may be on to something. Alisa probably has some sort of psychiatric disorder— Narcissistic Personality Disorder or maybe Histrionic Personality disorder (or maybe it’s just a severe case of PMS). Alisa seriously believes that she’s a victim (check out one of her recent blog posts).
It’s very clear that Alisa seems to think that we’re wrong, and she’s right. She’s irrational. More than five people have criticized her for different reasons (and no one has rushed to her defense). You’d assume, based on basic statistical laws, that at least one of these individuals may be right. But NO! Alisa can’t seem to comprehend the notion of being wrong. So, in typical Alisa fashion, she changes the subject, calls us all haters, and reminds us that she’s a successful (and rich) writer who is an easy target (it must be hard being her – the poor thing). The sad thing is, she’s quick to insult the readers of this blog (as well as the bloggers). She insults our intelligence (hang in there, Urban Latino) and her words are full of condescension. Her belief that we’re all just “cruising the ‘net,” looking for any opportunity to attack her, is just misguided, to say that least. She fails to realize one thing—people who read Guanabee tend to be EDUCATED Hispanics (or Latinos, if you prefer that label). She can fool a lot of people, but she can’t fool us! I’ve had my share of heated discussions with people on this blog, but I’d be a moron not to concede that most of the people who comment here are highly intelligent (graduate students, business men (and women), academics, writers, and so on). Alisa insulted Urban Latino and Elenamary, belittling their intelligence. HELLO! Elenamary teaches Latino studies at an academic institution. What is wrong with Alisa? She prefers to insult people instead of actually addressing (their) substantive questions and concerns.
It’s also interesting that Alisa never addressed the initial allegation of this blog post (re: Junot Diaz and his book). Cindy exposed her as a liar and a hypocrite. But Alisa never addressed THAT issue. She changed the subject, and suggested that Cindy attacked her just to feel better about herself. WTF?
For the record: my beef with Alisa started when she made the following comment: [Miami Cubans] despise Mexican and other Latino immigrants for the simple fact that they tend to be nonwhite.” That’s a direct quote from her blog. She’s also made other hateful comments about other groups. For example, she said this about feminists who don’t agree with her views: “I was thinking it might be wise to open a Home for Deranged and Thin-Lipped Embittered Old White Feminist Icon Ladies. Palm Beach? Laguna Woods? Somewhere with a steady supply of Geritol, and maybe a cattle prod.” Again, these are her words from her blog. Her blog is full of these little gems. She’s a hateful person, and she’s proven that here as well (just ask Urban Latino and Elenamary). I’ve been accused of being an elitist asshole, but this woman takes the cake. And, yes, I’m part Cuban. So when Alisa made those comments about Cuban Americans, I lost respect for her, because she’s a hypocrite. She calls Cuban Americans (and Chicanos) racists, and that bothers me—she offended me with her comments. Cuban Americans may be more conservative than the average Hispanic in this country, but that doesn’t give her the right to reinforce negative stereotypes of Cubans Americans (she should practice what she preaches!). She panders to her mostly Brown readers on her blog. It’s sad that they have no clue that Alisa has a lot in common with Val Prieto. But … the big difference between Alisa and Val Prieto is that he is being truthful and upfront about his feelings, while she lies to her readers on her blog and elsewhere. She should just come out and say it … Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez is the great White savior of the poor, ignorant Brown Latino.
Wow, I’m tired from reading all this…hmm…I need some press…I wonder who I can have an affair with? and have that writer talk about our most intimate moments, my gentle touch and tight booty…I’m Chicano, we don’t have booty’s…I’m funny though, maybe I can tell a memorable joke in our post-sex talk, I’m a Macho, so I really don’t talk after sex, just groan and turn my back to sleep. So ? any takers?…any cute Latina writers out there? I’ll give ya something to write about! :)
Paul
zzzzz…Oh, excuse me sorry, wow just woke up. This whole thing has become exhausting…
You know, you guys should leave her alone. Some of the most brilliant people throughout history have been a little…..off. That’s what makes them so compelling. I’ll keep reading her books. urban latino-I think you’re a little off, too. But not in a good way.
Alisa:
Just ignore Guana Bust A Nut. That commenter always shows up here spewing the most egregious kinds of anti-Latino racist rhetoric. He once posted that he was proud that as a white Venezuelan child living in Texas, his parents made sure he didn’t associate with the local poor brown folks. You know, because being “poor” and “brown” must be contagious. He’s the most hateful, racist person I have ever encountered in my life. I’m glad he’s only an anonymous commenter in some poorly read (sorry Guanabee!!) blog. I wonder how the Dominicans and the Marielitos are treating him down there in South Florida…
Consider Nut-buster ignored. This “person” lurks around my blog, too. They are very confused by my inability to draw simple conclusions. I like the HL Menken quote: “For every complex problem, there is an easy solution - and it’s wrong.”
Anyone who clings to simplistic racialist views of the world will never understand me, and that lack of understanding will lead them naturally to despise me. I can’t think of a better person to be despised by, can you?
For the record, the “bitter old white feminist” quote is real, and refers specifically to Geraldine Ferraro, who, last I checked, fit that description. She needs a cattle prod. Yes she does. I wrote it in response to her idiot comments about Obama having it easier because he’s a black man than Hillary has it. If you read the whole post, it says anyone who says “my discimination is more discrimination-y than yers” is a fucking moron. It was written in what we humans call “snarking humor” directed at what we writerly types call “one character”. Not a group. One. One bitter old white feminst. One. Geraldine Ferraro. Yes, sir. Er, ma’am. (Whoopsies!)
To understand my obnoxious comments you must accept that I am a smartass writer who has more in common with Kathy Griffin than Anais Nin. To wish me more Anais-ish is folly.
Talk amongst yaselves. If y’all be awake still, that is.
I spent some of my weekend downloading gay latino thug porn. Whatchu guys do?
i can’t believe what i’ve just read (the postings above). if that really is AV-R, i’m very sad and disapointed. i never really was interested in the authors of the books i read for fun (i.e. chick-lit) and this is probably why. AV-R sounds a little off her rocker especially for taking a feud to the “internet” and blog world. Grow up and get a life everyone!
junot is too busy gettng all the ass he missed out on in high school to give a fuck what anyone on this site thinks…
i promise you that.
@ dutchtwista: Keep up! Junot is supposed to be “engaged.”
Maybe its because I am Dominican by injection, but I don’t think Junot is an ugly weasel trying to get all the poon he missed out on while growing up a nerd in Jersey. And he’s a good writer too. Granted I’m judging him with a hard-on and bright lights reviews and that his first collection. In interviews I’ve heard, and the sections I’ve heard, I think he did an awesome job mixing 1980’s comics angst with Dominican craziness. Anyone who can wax poetic about The Beyonder, gets props in my crotch.
Alisa Valdes: Diaz writes a book about dictatorship, about the new world, about masculinity, about Dominican nerdiness and AV’s reaction: I slept with him. (Or if you read your earlier blog post: I HATE IT!) Now there’s a way to further a literary discussion. Way to heighten the discourse for young Latinos! As for GUANABIYOTCH they seem to have it out for Diaz but I wonder if they would even mention his name if he was just a mid-list writer toiling away on his novels. Part of this smacks of bizare crab envy if you ask me. Can I bet you when you all publish YOUR novels you will calm the fuck down and then you’ll have your own set of haters to deal with. And Cindy please dont put people down for their looks; you ain’t a real looker yourself (http://abigfatwasteoftime.blogs.com/photos/saigon_2007/p1000841.html)
Urban Latino takes the prize, though, your ‘hate’ of Diaz seems to have made you bonkers–it certainly hasn’t helped your prose. Really urbanlatino: Diaz thinks he speaks for Latinos? Find me a quote anywhere where Diaz says anything like that. I don’t know where you’re from or who you are (usually anti-writer comments like yours tend to come from wanna-be writers) but Diaz is a fraud? Who is the judge of this? YOU? Now there’s someone I want passing these king of judgements, you sound so REASONABLE and so UNBIASED. Here’s my favorite line “”"”"”Neither of you (he’s talking about AV and Diaz, like they’re in the same league) possesses the passionate fire, fierce creativity, and lightning wit that make up the real-deal artists”"”"”" Really? They don’t? Whose the judge for these things? Oh wait, you’re the judge? Can you please publish one of YOUR pieces so we can judge whether you’re someone whose judgement on these issues we should trust? Actually from reading your posts I can see that the Diaz’s and Cisneros and Nelly Rosario’s of the world can sleep easy. I’m with you RAMON. Read the novel. Make up your own mind.
Ysabel –a.k.a. Junot Diaz– glad you finally weighed in on this.
If you hadn’t constantly referred to AVR as Alisa Valdes– her maiden name when you two were doin the do– I might have even believed you were an anonymous blogger and Diaz’s number 1 fan.
just to set something straight, both Alisa and Mr. BustANut
either stated or implied that i taught latino studies.
i have NEVER taught latino studies, chicano studies, ethnic studies etc.
So Ysabel you’re the author incarnate…hmm…interesting, because you sure do show up whenever someone has a negative opinion about that horrid book. I’d love to know where you’re from—Parlin, NJ maybe? Some small little place that’s not even a real town, village, or city? Have you ever actually visited Paterson? Do you know the shit that goes on there, the drugs, the dirt, the prostitution…I won’t get specific because I don’t want to give you ideas about how to write the next story, novel, etc. I think you have no idea. Really, hang out there. If you want, contact me and I’ll give you another tour sometime, show you some real shit.
Check out openlettersmonthly.com. September issue, the article on Diaz. Scroll down. Read the commentary by Edwin Rivera. Ya, la cosa ta puesto.
@ Gabe: Considering the fact that random people often take to the internet to defend others as if they were defending themselves, I have no problem thinking this Ysabel person is not Diaz at all. I hope not anyway. THat would really destroy my impression of Junot. Yes, I went to openlettersmonthly.com as urban latino suggested and read the commenters’ hissy fits there. I hope Junot is not in the habit of showing up on random blogs and attacking anonymous commenters that have negative things to say about his book. That would be extremely immature and unprofessional. Not everyone is going to like your work, not everyone is going to like you, that’s part of life. It is only the enterprise of a deeply immature child to go about attacking anyone whose view of your writing isn’t as laudatory and rosy and you wish it would be. Tragic, really. But again, I’ve read a lot of Junot’s stories and interviews, and I am convinced it’s not him but rather some crazy obsessed fan. I studied Drown and Junot Diaz in college and we covered a lot of the personal details that the commenter mentions, they are public knowledge. They are things Junot has spoken about in interviews. They are things any devoted fan would know, like him working at some steel mill and delivering pool tables in college. They do not necessarily mean the author is talking about himself. I hope not anyway.
Your writing style seems to have altered, Ms. Mars. Not augmented, just altered. Doesn’t take a detective to deduce that a new ghost is in the machine. Do we have the pleasure of being addressed by Mr. Diaz?
Thanks for the vote of confidence, Urban Latino, but really no one seems to be listening. Tis the way of the world to bloom and to flower and to die (any of you geniuses know where I lifted that one? . . . Hey Alisa, I’ll give you a hint: it’s not Dean Koontz). The blogosphere is one tremendously democratic yatter-yammer. Pretty absurd, actually.
The question I have is this: Why isn’t anyone discussing the Diaz novel with any sense and intelligence? It is all just yatter-yammer, cheap shots, spits and snarls, gnashing and smashing, and the initial topic becomes further frayed until it is nothing but wires twisting in the wind, unrecognizable, junk. We’ve managed to turn this discussion, or whatever it was, into a junkatorium.
Guana Have Some Drama:
What the hell are you talking about? With your final two sentences, you eradicate all sense. “They do not necessarily mean the author is talking about himself.” Then who is HE talking about when HE says that HE worked in a steel mill? Is he extemporaneously performing a monologue about someone else? Is that what you are telling us? That Diaz is a master monologuist, one who hails back to the days of The Theater of the Absurd?
And what’s all this bullshit about working in a steel mill? What did he do in the steel mill? Or should I say, what does he remember people doing in a steel mill in one of the many novels he claims to devour on a daily basis (Yes, Mr. Diaz says that he reads a book every day, and apparently he is flabbergasted when other writers do not follow suit; how a person could polish off seven novels a week and take eleven years to write an awful novel is beyond my ken–was he reading the Comics Illustrated version of the classics? The super-expurgated and hyper-abridged version of Moby Dick? The mind boggles).
This is interesting… in the interview junot comments on being from the hood and even gives folks a taste of the new novel he’s been working on.
http://www.omnivoracious.com/2008/04/junot-diaz-youv.html
Wow, that’s was really awesome!
Now if you can notice the blatant mistake in my post, how come no one can see through the crap?
Interesting how Diaz’s tone altered in the new interview with Amazon. And what’s up with the head gear in the author photo? Is he trying to look like the Latino George Washington? Or is he auditioning for a new version of Lamb Chop, one for the kiddies in the new millennium?
And my God was that excerpt from his new novel, well, execrable. How did he get such bad writing past his editors and agent? I think the Hugo will skip past the Diaz household in the next decade (you know, when he finally finishes the new work).
What’s with the link to the Swiss Miss advertisement? I thought Amazon was going to ask questions about hot chocolate.
Dude, that wasn’t an advertisement. That was a pic of Diaz!!
(Ohmygod how funny is dat?)
I don’t get this Diaz guy. Why is he always talking about how poor he was? I’d be embarrassed to share with the rest of the world that my family was on welfare for a number of years. I just don’t understand this at all. Why can’t he just the shut the fuck up and let what he did speak for itself?
Diaz is a shallow and gimmicky writer. Just try to read his book. It is unreadable. Pure garbage.
Read Roberto Bolano instead.
Wow. And, um, wow.
I won’t comment on the pleitos and risk becoming a target (I’m way out of my league in this crowd,) but I will share some good books I often recommend:
The Heartbreak Pill by Anjanette Delgado
Borrowed Finery by Paula Fox
Brownsville: Stories by Oscar Casares
The Diary of Frida Kahlo by Frida Kahlo
La Perdida by Jessica Abel
Under the Feet of Jesus by Helena Maria Viramontes
Crafty Chica’s Art De La Soul by Kathy Cano-Murillo
Coachella by Sheila Ortis Taylor
And that’s just off the top of my head.
¿Agosto Pinoche?
Para que conste, el [muy hijo de puta] ex dictador de Chile se llamaba Augusto Pinochet.
check her blog. Alisa’s now claiming she’s Chicana.
Adios, Aztlan.
How sad…she’s a Chicana…I might have to switch to something else now…
She reminds me of all these gringos that come to Nuevo Mexico/Indian Country looking for their roots because they’re 1/16th or 32nd Cherokee. If they were really Cherokee, they’d know they were in the wrong region entirely…
There’s a big difference between being raised in the culture and having the bloodline, she should know that if she grew up here but she WAS raised by anglos. If you’re not raised in THIS culture the bloodline, for the most part, doesn’t mean shit. I don’t care how brown or white you are, straight up. Just because her great-grandfather ate a biscochito and spoke Spanish - whaaa?!
She just likes to hear herself talk, she doesn’t even know what she’s saying.
I hear she gives bad head. Because she’s talking too much.
She’s the Jerry Springer of New Mexico, at best.
PS She just claimed to have fucked another famous writer in December’s issue of New Mexico magazine. Just because her husband’s gay doesn’t mean she has to take it out on everyone else!
Ladies, quit putting out for this dude on tour!
http://guanabee.com/2008/10/junot-diaz-had-to-put-aside-hi.php