By: Natalie Tulloch
On Monday, Sept. 16, Justin Torres visited the Humanities Theater to read excerpts from his book and engage in conversation. Attendees had the opportunity to hear Torres discuss his writing process and explore the themes of his work in a Q&A session.
Justin Torres reading a vignette from his book, “We the Animals.” (Photo by Natalie Tulloch)
Torres is a Puerto Rican-American author known for his debut novel, “We the Animals,” which has received praise for its exploration of identity and family dynamics. Published in 2011, the novel is a coming-of-age story about three brothers struggling to maintain their sense of self in an unstable family environment.
In 2023, Torres released “Blackouts,” a collection of vignettes that explores themes like the intersections of identity across race, gender, and sexuality.
Torres opened the evening by reading passages from his books, accompanied by a selection of images from his works projected for the audience to see. The visuals provided additional context and depth to his readings, enhancing the experience by illustrating themes and moments described in the texts.
A page from Torres’ book, “Blackouts,” projected on the screen. (Photo by Natalie Tulloch)
The origins of “Blackouts” trace back to a series of historical influences that shaped its narrative. The book's development was rooted in the author's research in queer history, which provided a foundation for its exploration of identity, oppression, and violence toward the LGBTQ+ community.
During the lecture, Torres devoted a significant portion of his time to discussing a book that influenced the creation of “Blackouts.” When Torres was working in a bookstore, he came across some donated books and became captivated by one called “Sex Variants: A Study of Homosexual Patterns.” This book, which follows 40 men and 40 women who volunteer to be examined and discuss their sex lives, played a crucial role in shaping his work.
Torres elaborated on the book’s impact, explaining, “Some of them were coming because they wanted to be cured of their homosexuality. Some of them were coming because they thought there's actually nothing wrong with them, and they wanted to change style attitudes. Others came for different reasons.”
Torres described how the first-person testimonies, meticulously documented, were both captivating and disturbing. He noted, “They did all this, like messed up stuff, like measuring their genitals, trying to get at the cause of homosexuality.”
This exploration of historical methods and attitudes, which Torres had previously only encountered in archival documents, left a significant impression on him. He concluded, “The book just grabbed me, and I knew I wanted to write about it. It took me many years to figure out how, but 'Blackouts' is a book about a book in many ways.”
A line of attendees waiting to get their book signed by Justin Torres. (Photo by Natalie Tulloch)
Following the lecture, attendees got the opportunity to get their book signed. Attendance featured a notable presence of freshman students who were assigned to read Torres’ “We the Animals” for their Freshman Seminar class.
Their reactions highlight the impact of Torres' work on a younger audience. Cionna Carmon, a theater and performance major, remarked, “I thought it was great. There were parts that were really dark and deep, but I feel like that’s what made it more memorable.”
Carmon further reflected on her takeaway from the lecture, noting, “I learned that there are different portrayals of love in life and that sometimes there are different ways of loving." She continued, "Not everyone experiences love in the same way, but we learn and grow from that.”
Another theater and performance major, Lux Moroney, found Torres' passion evident in his discussion, stating, “I found it very insightful. I could feel his passion about the books and who he is as a person too. It gave a lot of insight into his writing.”
The lecture followed a workshop led by Torres earlier that day at 4 p.m. Kaiser Kelly, a freshman creative writing major, attended the workshop, which focused on vignettes, a style of writing that Torres uses.
During the session, students received packets with vignettes to read and discuss with Torres. However, Kelly felt the workshop was somewhat lacking. “It was kind of underwhelming, just because I thought it was gonna be more like a workshop where we actually do stuff and write,” said Kelly.
Despite this, Kelly had another opportunity to engage with Torres during the lecture, where they asked him if writing was cathartic for him. Torres responded, “Writing about [my life] and thinking about how they’ve affected the character is a useful thing to do with all of that pain and all that intensity, but it doesn’t go away. I’ve got all this shit on my hands, I might as well make it into art.”
A signed autograph by Torres to Kelly. (Photo by Natalie Tulloch)
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