I want to thank the 25 or so people who attended my reading last night at The Harvard Coop, 1400 Massachusetts Ave. It was a great crowd who tossed me engaging questions about the writing process and the challenges of being an openly gay Hispanic. I read from Miami Manhunt's chapter 10 which takes place at Versailles Restaurant on Calle Ocho in Miami. I had to use multiple voices (which included a gay Cuban movie critic, his straight macho twin brother, his fiance and plus, a dorky gay character who whines) to pull this reading off which was a lot harder than I had anticipated but I heard several giggles, chuckles, guffaws and laughs throughout the reading, which was a good thing. It was an honor for me to read at this bookstore, which was my hangout when I lived up the street on Concord Avenue on the outskirts of Harvard Square. In my first two years in Cambridge, I attended several readings here by other authors and I never imagined that I would be the guy at the podium reading from his own book.
A big thank you to The Harvard Coop's Richard, who gave me a witty and thoughtful introduction about my work in The Globe and my fiction writing and how I migrated north to Boston from Miami while most people do the opposite and flock south to Florida.
I will take a break from readings for about a year and save my promotional muscle for Beantown Cubans , my third novel, which brings the setting back to Boston and Cambridge. This novel will be published in early fall 2009. If you have a gay or Hispanic book club or a general reading group in greater Boston or New England and would like me to attend as a speaker, please send me a note.
Again, mil gracias Cambridge!
For those of you who have missed any of my readings, here is a reading for Boston Boys Club I had last fall at the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association conference in San Diego. To watch the video, now on Youtube, click here.
Hi there and welcome to my tiny corner of the web. I'm a Cuban-American author of 6 novels. I'm also a breaking news reporter at The New York Times. I am a former features and viral news journalist @SunSentinel in Fort Lauderale. I'm a former Features and Business reporter @BostonGlobe. I got into journalism as a 16-year-old high school intern @Miami Herald in my hometown of Miami. This is my personal blog/site and not affiliated with any of the above news sites although I link some of my news articles on occasion as well as book-related news and my car insights. My email: JohnnyDiaz225@gmail.com
Now that gays are getting married, it seems that everyone is saying I Do. Except for Tommy Perez. He's always the best man or groomsman for his friends' nuptials. And with each occasion, Tommy goes home alone with another necktie. He's already on number four. But things seem to improve for the Maine magazine writer when he suddenly meets Danny...
Looking for Providence (my 5th novel, click on the image)
Ronnie thought he had everything he wanted, a guy he adored and job he loved. Then the economy tanked and he lost both. Newly single his adopted home of Providence, he learns to start over as a Business reporter. And his life makes a dramatic turn when he meets a handsome local executive who shows him his native Providence and maybe just the way to his heart....
Boston Boys Club (my debut)
Click on the book cover for more details.
Miami Manhunt (my second novel)
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Beantown Cubans (My third novel)
A witty, warmhearted novel of friendship, familia, and finding a place to call home--even in Boston where it's almost impossible to get an authentic Cuban sandwich (click on the image to order)
Take the Lead (my fourth novel)
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CBS Boston interview where I talk about Parkinson's, dating, Miami and Boston
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