Annotated Bibliography
Andres, Kaitlin. “The F-Word in The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao.” First Class: A Journal of First-Year Composition 2016.1 (2016): 7. https://dsc.duq.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1010&context=first-class.
This journal article examines feminism in The Brief Wonderous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz. The author, Kaitlin Andres, describes the purpose of feminism in literature very well, as well as the difference between true feminism and what feminism is perceived as in our current world today. She also describes how Díaz uses feminism in his writing.
Austin, Emma Jane. “A Strange Body of Work : The Cinematic Zombie.” British Library EThOS – Search and Order Theses Online, University of Portsmouth, 1 Jan. 1970, https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.580529.
Emma Jane Austin’s thesis paper is a look into the zombie’s place in cinema and how it has evolved over time. By going into the history of the zombie, not only through cinema, but through culture and history. Austin gives special focus to specifically the American cinematic zombie and how it compares to other historical depictions both from the US and across the world. Points such as these work in support of her initial criticism of the supposed canon of zombie films, arguing that choosing the canon through popular critiques by both fans and academics has created a fractured genre. Through her in-depth study Austin presents a thorough look into the cinematic zombie’s place in history and how it has changed over time in response to its intended audience evolving.
Chakraborty, Chandrima. “Disrupting the Dominant Discourse: Junot Diaz’s ‘Monstro’ as a Critique of Masculinity, Race, and Power.” MELUS: Multi-Ethnic Literature of the United States 42.1 (2017): 61-77
This article is a critical analysis of Junot Diaz’s short story “Monstro.” In this article, Chakraborty argues that the story provides a critique of the dominant discourse surrounding masculinity, race, and power. Specifically she focuses on the use of English and Spanglish throughout the short story. She explores how Diaz challenges the traditional stereotypes associated with race and language in American society. Chakaborty’s analysis is well-researched and provides valuable insight into the ways in which Diaz’s work challenges dominant narratives and stereotypes. Overall, this article is a valuable resource in exploring intersections of race, gender, language, and power in American literature.
Champion, Giulia. “Imperialism Is a Plague, Too: Transatlantic Pandemic Imaginaries in César Mba Abogo’s ‘El Sueño De Dayo’ (2007) and Junot Díaz’s ‘Monstro’ (2012).” SFRA Review, 3 May 2021, https://sfrareview.org/2021/04/22/imperialism-is-a-plague-too-transatlantic-pandemic-imaginaries-in-cesar-mba-abogos-el-sueno-de-dayo-2007-and-junot-Díazs-monstro-2012/.
Giulia Champion writes a post-colonial analysis of science fiction short stories about viral pandemics within the third world of Africa and Dominican Republic. She explains the pandemic within each story to expose colonialism as a widespread disease of its own.
Díaz, Junot. “Junot Díaz: The Legacy of Childhood Trauma.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 9 Apr. 2018, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/04/16/the-silence-the-legacy-of-childhood-trauma.
In this article, Junot Díaz shares his experience of childhood sexual abuse and the impact it’s had on his life and writing. He discusses the difficulties he’s had with acknowledging and coping with trauma, predominantly within the lens of masculinity in our society. He also explores the connection between trauma and power, with references to the challenges men face when seeking help. Overall, the article is a powerful exploration of the lasting legacy of childhood trauma, and the ways it can shape our lives and our writing. The article has been praised for its honesty and vulnerability.
Edwardes, Martin P. J. “What Is a Self?” The Origins of Self: An Anthropological Perspective, UCL Press, 2019, pp. 1–28. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv13xprvd.6. Accessed 1 May 2023.
The first chapter of “The Origins of Self” introduces the concept of self from an anthropological perspective. Edwardes examines the various approaches to studying the self, including Freud’s approach. He also outlines key theoretical frameworks and concepts that are important to studying the self such as culture, social construction of reality, and the relationship between the individual and the collective.
Flaherty, Colleen. “Rift among Scholars over Treatment of Junot Díaz as He Faces Harassment and Misconduct Allegations.” Inside Higher Ed | Higher Education News, Events and Jobs, Inside Higher Ed, 5 May 2018, https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2018/05/29/rift-among-scholars-over-treatment-junot-d%C3%ADaz-he-faces-harassment-and-misconduct.
This article discusses the controversy surrounding Junot Díaz’s behavior toward women, and his New Yorker article chronicling his own sexual assault. Flaherty explores the ways in which Díaz’s identity and trauma intersects with his treatment of women. Flaherty makes the claim that Díaz’s brand of masculinity is grounded in experiences of race and ethnicity, and contributes to his disregard of women. The article also explores sexual harassment in the broader context of academia, and the challenges faced by women who speak out against it. Flaherty argues that Díaz is a great example of why nuanced conversations are necessary about these subjects.
Gates, Henry Louis. “The Dominican Republic: ‘Black behind the Ears.’” Black in Latin America, NYU Press, 2011, pp. 119–45, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt9qfpnh.8.
Henry Louis Gates reports on his sociological study of the Dominican Republic and how they view race. The country was a former colony of Spain alongside Haiti until Haiti had gained independence. Soon after, the DR broke free and created a rift between the two countries. The DR’s citizens thus see themselves as “indio” rather than black or African. They take ownership of their first peoples heritage over their more-prominent African roots.
Hale, T., Angrist, N., Goldszmidt, R. et al. A global panel database of pandemic policies (Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker). Nat Hum Behav 5, 529–538 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-021-01079-.
This article written by Thomas Hale and his peers provides a quantified look at the policies enacted by global powers. This article provides empirical evidence to support the claim that governmental responses to the COVID-19 pandemic have been inconsistent at best. It shows the ebb and flow of policy changes over time via the measurement of a factor called the Containment and Health Index, abbreviated CHI. These policies include school closings, contact tracing efforts, and economic support. This article effectively attaches concrete numbers to the perceived lack of commitment to virus containment that some countries have had since as early as march 2020.
Hale T, Angrist N, Hale AJ, Kira B, Majumdar S, et al. (2021) Government responses and COVID-19 deaths: Global evidence across multiple pandemic waves. PLOS ONE 16(7): e0253116. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0253116.
Another article written by Thomas Hale and his peers, this piece concerns the relationship between government responses and deaths to COVID-19. This article shows that there is a substantive, palpable relationship between these two factors, and that increased policy responses to COVID-19 decrease deaths to it. This is a particularly useful article when paired to the previously cited report on wavering government response, showing that consistent and robust action is needed to save lives. The data in the article holds true for multiple waves of disease, and that civil adherence to these policies is integral to their success.
Hallbäck, Geert (1993) How to read an apocalypse. Deconstruction and reconstruction, Studia Theologica – Nordic Journal of Theology, 47:1, 91-100, DOI: 10.1080/00393389308600134.
In his paper, Geert Hallbäck explains how apocalypse fiction as a genre does not follow normal literary rules. Referring to John J. Collins’ analysis on the apocalypse genre, Hallbäck says there are two fundamental levels to the genre. Referring to them as ‘the level of the recipient’ and ‘the level of the revealed’, he says that “when reading an apocalypse, it is essential to distinguish between these two levels at first, because the basic, significative structure of an apocalypse is the connection between the levels, but that connection presupposes their distinctiveness.” The apocalypse genre to Hallbäck is defined by gaining knowledge, having revelations, and involvement in the narrative process. There is also “the relationship of the Creator to his creation, and, in particular, it is about the change from one – present – state of things to another, quite different – future – situation.” While Hallbäck’s examples are all religious in nature, his insight into the genre can be applied to modern apocalypse stories as well even if his writing was intended to be on religious apocalypse.
Kirsch, Thomas D, et al. “(PDF) Analysis of the International and US Response to the Haiti Earthquake: Recommendations for Change.” ResearchGate, Oct. 2012, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232281517_Analysis_of_the_International_and_US_Response_to_the_Haiti_Earthquake_Recommendations_for_Change.
This report recounts the international response to the Haiti earthquake in 2010 and reveals where the response could be improved. The UN provided care above the country’s healthcare standard without the Haitian government. Without the proper supplies and an influx of other agencies, their response was crippled. The massive military presence of the US had gone beyond their supply task when they were untrained to aid humanitarian efforts.
Leyshon, Cressida. “This Week in Fiction: Junot Díaz.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 27 May 2012, https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/this-week-in-fiction-junot-daz-2.
In an interview with “Monstro” author Junot Díaz, Cressida Leyshon looks into his inspirations behind the story and what he plans to do next. Through it, Leyshon learns about Díaz’s creative process and why the short story is the way it is. Themes such as blind spots in the world, ecological collapse, and genre expectations all influenced his work. At the time of the interview, Díaz had noticed the short story was beginning to grow into a full novel, saying that “at the moment, I’m seeing how far I can take that elaboration [on world building] without turning the story into one long data dump.” Since the interview’s publication in 2012, “Monstro” has not been published as a novel.
Hallbäck, Geert (1993) How to read an apocalypse. Deconstruction and reconstruction, Studia Theologica – Nordic Journal of Theology, 47:1, 91-100, DOI: 10.1080/00393389308600134.
In his paper, Geert Hallbäck explains how apocalypse fiction as a genre does not follow normal literary rules. Referring to John J. Collins’ analysis on the apocalypse genre, Hallbäck says there are two fundamental levels to the genre. Referring to them as ‘the level of the recipient’ and ‘the level of the revealed’, he says that “when reading an apocalypse, it is essential to distinguish between these two levels at first, because the basic, significative structure of an apocalypse is the connection between the levels, but that connection presupposes their distinctiveness.” The apocalypse genre to Hallbäck is defined by gaining knowledge, having revelations, and involvement in the narrative process. There is also “the relationship of the Creator to his creation, and, in particular, it is about the change from one – present – state of things to another, quite different – future – situation.” While Hallbäck’s examples are all religious in nature, his insight into the genre can be applied to modern apocalypse stories as well even if his writing was intended to be on religious apocalypse.
Porter, Tom. “To Teach or Not to Teach? Nadia Celis on #MeToo and Junot Díaz.” Bowdoin, 14 Oct. 2019, https://www.bowdoin.edu/news/2019/10/to-teach-or-not-to-teach-nadia-celis-on-metoo-and-junot-d%C3%ADaz.html.
This is an article written by Tom Porter, where he talks to Nadia Celis about the Junot Díaz controversy and her internal debeate whether to teach his writing or not because of the sexual misconduct allegations.
Romo, Vanessa. “MIT Clears Junot Díaz of Sexual Misconduct Allegations.” NPR, NPR, 21 June 2018, https://www.npr.org/2018/06/20/622094905/mit-clears-junot-Díaz-of-sexual-misconduct-allegations.
This article, written by Vanessa Romo, describes the facts surrounding Junot Díaz’s controversy with sexual misconduc allegationst. This article describes what happened and who was involved. It does not share any opinions, just facts and statements about the situation.
Rosenthal, Debra J Climate-Change Fiction and Poverty Studies: Kingsolver’s Flight Behavior, Díaz’s “Monstro,” and Bacigalupi’s “The Tamarisk Hunter”, ISLE: Interdisciplinary Studies in Literature and Environment, Volume 27, Issue 2, Spring 2020, Pages 268–286, https://doi.org/10.1093/isle/isz105.
Debra Rosenthal’s article is a multi-pronged analysis on climate change fiction, or “cli-fi” as the term is coined, specifically in relation to poverty. For my purposes, the exploration of the story Monstro is especially relevant. The article delves into Monstro and it’s author, Junot Díaz, whose fascination with outbreak stories influenced his work. The article explains Monstro’s themes of inequality, climate change, and the prominent effect that disease has on the impoverished. Rosenthal’s work provides a solid foundation for my own analysis, helping me parse out and organize the tightly woven themes and critiques of wealth inequality during the climate disaster.
Serrano, Joshua. “Specters of Diaspora: Trauma and Identity in Junot Diaz’s ‘Monstro’. “MELUS, vol. 41, no. 3, 2016, pp. 81-102
This scholarly article explores the theme of diasporic trauma in “Monstro” and how it affects the characters’ sense of identity. The author argues that the characters are caught in a state of liminality, unable to fully assimilate into either American or Dominican culture. This supports the thesis about the struggle of self-identity and the struggles of trying to find your own identity. This source is useful for understanding the theme of identity and the impact of diaspora in the story. Serrano also offers personal experiences of his own battle with identity. The article offers insight as to what struggles people can go through when trying to assimilate into a new country or culture.
