A Pulitzer Laurate/MIT Professor Gave a Spellbinding Talk

GSIA students in Prof. Endoh's Presentation clsss meet Prof. Junot Diaz, an MIT professor of creative writing and a Pulitzer Prize laurate

The first class of the course Presentation in the year 2023 started with a fascinating talk by Prof. Junot Diaz, an MIT professor of creative writing and a Pulitzer Prize laurate. In the talk, Prof. Diaz focused on the importance and power of self-understanding.  “Attachment, regulation, and self-critique” are keys to understand ourselves, and improve and enrich the life of immigrants like us. His presentation style—no PowerPoint slide but full of captivating words and heartening interaction with the audience—spell bounded the class. Here are comments from the students:

“His lecture was very interesting. Prof. Diaz used many examples that are close to our lives. The talk was a very rare experience for me in that it made me think how we as immigrants can understand ourselves through critical reflection and how we can improve our situation. Also impressive was his explanation about some abstract concepts in an intimate and engaged style. Prof. Diaz is truly a master of language. A very invaluable experience!”

“I would like to thank Prof. Diaz forgiving a talk in our Presentation class. The manner in which he discussed self-discovery was so impressive. I learned how a professional presentation style can be by means of a wonderful combination of body language, body movements, eye-contact, and varying tone of voice. The professor's words helped me realize that in order to develop ourselves we need to understand ourselves first.”

“I think Professor Junot's presentation gave me an invaluable example. I was also impressed by his natural body movements and a powerful gaze.”

"Attending a special lecture by Professor Junot Díaz was a special opportunity not to be missed. His insights on organized attachment and self-criticism are valuable for anyone striving for a success in life, particularly for immigrants who can relate to his experiences. His approach to weave personal anecdotes from his own family into his explanations makes the concepts and theories easy to grasp. Furthermore, Professor Diaz's presentation skills are truly impressive, effortlessly using voice modulation, gestures, facial expressions, and maintaining eye contact to keep the audience engaged. It was a lecture that promises to leave a lasting impact on all attendees."

“Professor Junot Diaz is a magician of words and stories. I love very much the way he talked and led the presentation class. It was a very complicated topic about discovering ourselves and made me think "How can he make it sounds so interesting?!". It was an exciting experience, and personally, I was inspired so much about making an effort and changing ourselves for future success. Thank you very much Prof. Diaz!”

His presentation style—no PowerPoint slide but full of captivating words and heartening interaction with the audience—spell bounded the class.