Of Mothers, Playboys & Knowledge

My mom has always been a woman of letters and a litterateur. She also likes to quiz me as well as other people on all things cultural. On any given day (during our daily phone conversation – yes, I call my mami everyday) she will quiz me with the intensity of a debate team coach.

The other day she asked me if I knew who Porfirio Rubirosa was and the name certainly rung a bell. When she started describing him – I remembered he was a character in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz. I was surprised to learn he was a real person although I shouldn’t have been since I know the book is packed with historical references.
My mom then says “do some research on him, print it out and bring it to me because I want to learn more. That man looked like Marcello Mastroianni. No, he looked like your father.” My father, really? Interesting.
Anyway, I’ve bought my mother La breve y maravillosa vida de Óscar Wao so she can continue her uh, hum “studies.”
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