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Host Dr. Barbara Tucker welcomes Dr. Forrest Blackbourn for a lively exploration of one of his favorite novels, Junot Díaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Their conversation traces the novel’s layered narrative, from the shadow of Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorship to the Dominican diaspora in New Jersey. Blackbourn examines themes of fukú and zafa, hypermasculinity, race, and the reclamation of Blackness, while highlighting Díaz’s inventive footnotes and genre-bending style. Together, they consider why Oscar’s tragic story is also “wondrous,” and how literature helps students confront history, identity, and belonging across cultures and generations.

Barbara Tucker’s website:

The show’s GoFundMe page:

https://www.gofundme.com/manage/keep-our-nonprofit-podcast-alive