Sydney Writer's Festival 2008: Junot Diaz

America is about liking/not liking people and being cool.

History can be cool and interesting when it's presented by someone young, with a contemporary (vs an educated, upper class English) voice.

People/countries create simplistic, iconic historical memories to make things safe.

He gave an example of one man acting as the representative of a group/nation - when something bad happens and you are in another country suddenly you find yourself representing your whole country.