Author J.L. Torres stopped by the Bunker to talk about his latest book, Migrations, that takes a deep dive into the inbetween-ness many Puerto Ricans experience living in America.
He and Brad had a long, wonderful conversation about their love of writing, baseball (obviously), and the struggle to write and tell stories about people who exist in two worlds.
Maybe most importantly, they talked about the importance of boys reading and developing empathy for the stories of other people. And, did we mention: baseball?
About J.L. Torres
J.L. Torres is the author of a novel, The Accidental Native; The Family Terrorist and Other Stories; the collection of poetry, Boricua Passport, and Migrations, the winner of the inaugural Tomás Rivera Book Prize. He has published stories and poems in numerous journals and magazines including The North American Review, Denver Quarterly, Hayden’s Ferry Review, Eckleburg Review, Puerto del Sol, Las Americas Review, and the anthology Growing Up Latino.
Born in Puerto Rico, raised in the South Bronx, he lives in Plattsburgh, New York, where he teaches American Literature, U.S. ethnic literatures and creative writing at the SUNY campus there. Besides the PhD, he holds an M.F.A. in creative writing from Columbia University. He co-founded the Saranac Review and served as its Editor for many years. He has no known hobbies, has never been in prison or any gangs, has never had quirky and funky jobs, and is notoriously inept with tools.
His work focuses on the diasporican experience—living in the inbetweeness that forms and informs the Puerto Rican experience in the US and the island. “Through my writing,” says Torres, “I am exploring what it means to live a life yearning for ‘belongingness’ at a time when you’re told nation and home are empty concepts, and you have no historical memory of what they ever meant.” He wants to explore what all of this means in relationships, in everyday moments and transactions, in the workplace, in a world increasingly becoming smaller and where geography cannot ground anything.
Books
- Migrations
- The Accidental Native
- The Family Terrorist and Other Stories
- Boricua Passport
