{"id":22621,"date":"2025-10-06T12:49:07","date_gmt":"2025-10-06T16:49:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom2\/2025\/10\/06\/dominican-american-author-julia-alvarez-visits-lawrence-community\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T13:34:36","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T17:34:36","slug":"dominican-american-author-julia-alvarez-visits-lawrence-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/10\/06\/dominican-american-author-julia-alvarez-visits-lawrence-community\/","title":{"rendered":"Dominican-American Author Julia Alvarez Visits Lawrence Community"},"content":{"rendered":"

Lawrence, MA (October 2, 2025) \u2014 The atrium of the Dimitry Building on Northern Essex\u2019s Lawrence Campus was filled with warmth, wisdom, and literary legacy on Thursday evening, as celebrated Dominican-American author Julia Alvarez took center stage for a powerful and intimate conversation. The event was part of NECC\u2019s White Fund Enlightenment Series, a program designed to bring thought-provoking cultural and intellectual programming to the community.<\/p>\n

The evening opened with remarks from James Dowd, trustee of the White Fund, who spoke to the mission of the series and the significance of hosting a literary figure of Alvarez\u2019s stature. Dr. Naydeen Gonzalez De Jesus, NECC\u2019s Vice President of the Lawrence Campus, followed with a heartfelt introduction that set the tone for the night\u2019s discussion, emphasizing the power of story to connect generations and cultures.<\/p>\n

Community members filled the space, joined by special guests including State Senator Pavel Payano, White Fund Trustees Amita Kiley and David Abdoo, and veteran journalist Yadira Betances Muldoon. Lala Books of Lowell was on site selling Alvarez\u2019s works in both English and Spanish.<\/p>\n

In a touching moment, Senator Payano presented Alvarez with a special citation from the Massachusetts State Senate, honoring her lifelong commitment to community through her writing. In his remarks, Senator Payano spoke about his own upbringing, the value of education, and how Alvarez\u2019s stories shaped his childhood and identity.<\/p>\n

\"Author<\/a>

Author Julia Alvarez receives a special citation from the State of Massachusetts through State Senator Pavel Payano<\/p><\/div>\n

Dr. Gonzalez De Jesus moderated the Q&A, starting off strong with questions about Dominican history and shifting identities among immigrant communities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m always transgressive when I\u2019m shown a border,\u201d Alvarez shared. \u201cI want to cross over. I want to bridge it.\u201d<\/p>\n

That spirit of boundary-crossing\u2014be it cultural, generational, or stylistic\u2014threaded through Alvarez\u2019s reflections. She spoke of centering older women in her stories, not just as background figures but as protagonists with depth and agency. \u201cI wanted the old lady to be the main character. Not the abuelita or t\u00eda,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n

Alvarez emphasized the oral storytelling traditions of her Dominican roots. \u201cAs Dominicans, we have an oral culture. Some people who I grew up learning from didn\u2019t know how to write or read, but they could tell a story,\u201d she said. \u201cI was a reader and listener before I was a writer. I always tell people the best thing you can be is a listener.\u201d<\/p>\n

The author\u2019s insights struck a chord with many in attendance, particularly when she connected reading with activism and empathy:<\/p>\n

\u201cReading is the most activist thing you can do. The muscles you use when reading are the muscles in which you imagine being someone else. The muscles of compassion.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a lively audience Q&A, the audience applauded the author with a two-minute standing ovation, a moving tribute to a writer whose stories have long been a beacon for many across generations and cultures. Alvarez signed books and met with attendees to close the evening.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone walks around with a lot of stories in their heads,\u201d Alvarez said. \u201cWhen I read a good book, I want to talk back. I talk back by writing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The White Fund Enlightenment Series continues to provide opportunities for the community to engage with influential voices and ideas. For more information, visit NECC’s White Fund page<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Lawrence, MA (October 2, 2025) \u2014 The atrium of the Dimitry Building on Northern Essex\u2019s Lawrence Campus was filled with warmth, wisdom, and literary legacy on Thursday evening, as celebrated […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":126,"featured_media":22622,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[76,687,166,203,307,369,554,647,688],"class_list":["post-22621","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-events","tag-author","tag-author-event","tag-community","tag-dominican-diaspora","tag-hispanic-serving-institution-hsi","tag-lawrence-campus","tag-speaker","tag-white-fund","tag-white-fund-enlightenment-series"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nDominican-American Author Julia Alvarez Visits Lawrence Community - NECC News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/necc.edu\/newsroom\/2025\/10\/06\/dominican-american-author-julia-alvarez-visits-lawrence-community\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dominican-American Author Julia Alvarez Visits Lawrence Community - 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