Junot Díaz

About the Author

Junot Díaz is a Dominican American novelist and professor of creative writing. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in New Jersey, Díaz completed his BA at Rutgers University where he was involved in Demerest Hall, a residential house dedicated to creative writing. After graduating from Rutgers, Díaz applied to various MFA programs. For his applications, he created an autobiographical character, “Yunior,” whom he intended to write several novels about. Yunior became the protagonist in much of Díaz’s published work including his first published anthology of short stories, Drown and his 2008 Pulizer Prize-winning-novel The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Díaz currently lives in Massachusetts, serving as a professor of creative writing at MIT and the fiction editor of the Boston Review.

LitCharts guides for works by Junot Díaz

Explore LitCharts literature guides for works by Junot Díaz. Each guide includes a full summary, detailed analysis, and helpful resources for studying Junot Díaz's writing.

Drown

When Yunior’s mother tells Yunior that his childhood best friend Beto is home from college for a visit, Yunior keeps watching television and pretends not to hear her. While he and Beto used to be ... view guide

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

The book shares the story of Oscar Wao (whose real name is Oscar de León), a Dominican American who never fits in with his communities, as he tries to assert his own identity and find love in the ... view guide