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Junot Díaz wins MacArthur Genius Grant: “It’s like finding the fucking golden ticket.”

October 2, 2012

Junot Díaz Rudge and Nancy Allen Professor of Writing

You know what’s a good deal? $100,000 a year for five years, to do with as you please. That’s what Junot Díaz just found out via a phone call from the MacArthur Foundation, informing him he’d just won a coveted MacArthur Fellowship, better known as a “genius grant”.

You know what’s a good deal? $100,000 a year for five years, to do with as you please.
That’s what Junot Díaz just found out via a phone call from the MacArthur Foundation, informing him he’d just won a coveted MacArthur Fellowship, better known as a “genius grant”.

But what’s better…that, or the Atlantic letting you know you’re actually just 31 years old instead of 43?

Depends on what was going on at 31. Either way, congratulations, Junot.

The genius grant follows Díaz’s 2008 Pulitzer Prize for The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao.

Written by

Andrew Whitacre

Andrew directs the communications efforts for CMS/W and Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education. A native of Washington, D.C., he holds a degree in communication from Wake Forest University, with a minor in humanities, as well as an M.F.A. in creative writing from Emerson College.

This work includes drawing up and executing strategic communications plans, with projects including website design, social media management and training, press outreach, product launches, fundraising campaign support, and event promotions.