Same County/Parallel Universe

The setting of Drown, Juno Diaz's collection of short stories about Dominican immigrants making their way in America in the 1980's and 90's, is the same county I grew up in and now live-- Middlesex County, New Jersey; there are references to Old Bridge, Sayreville, Perth Amboy, New Brunswick, South River, Spotswood, etc. -- but I was able to experience the grittiness of 80's New Jersey from a position of stability, while the world Diaz writes about is one of lost jobs, fractured relationships, transitory and multiple families, and the constant pull of the Island, of the Dominican Republic homeland . . . it's a side of New Jersey worth exploring, but be forewarned, the book doesn't have the anthemic and triumphant tone of a Bruce Springsteen song.
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4 comments:

  1. zmanJune 19, 2018 at 4:16 PM

    "the book doesn't have the anthemic and triumphant of a Bruce Springsteen song"

    Am I supposed to guess what "anthemic and triumphant" modify, or is this Mad Libs of Dave and I get to insert whatever noun I want?

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  2. WhitneyJune 19, 2018 at 7:57 PM

    "the book doesn't have the anthemic and triumphant Danny Federici keyboard solo of a Bruce Springsteen song"

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  3. robJune 19, 2018 at 8:05 PM

    "the book doesn't have the anthemic and triumphant celebratory vibe of a fountains of wayne tune, nor the required jersey worship implied in a bruce springsteen song"

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  4. CatpellJune 20, 2018 at 4:03 PM

    i thought the word "tone" but didn't write it, which is the same way i speak to my wife. i think i said words but i didn't actually say them-- i thought them. anyone else do this?

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