Bilingual Storyteller
Q&A: Get to Know the Voice Behind the Book Q: Why did you write Your English Is Great, But…? J: I didn’t set out to write this book. I thought … Continue reading Inside the Book: José Martínez on Grief, Identity, and Your English Is Great, But…
This week, Reading felt smaller.
Not because the city changed, but because the grief was shared. A tragic explosion that could’ve been prevented. A shooting that shook another block. And the death of a merengue legend remembered with candles, flags, and music. In the middle of it all, our community kept showing up—with memory, with presence, with love.
What was meant to be a night of merengue and celebration turned into a national tragedy. Jet Set — a place known for joy, music, and comunidad — became the site of heartbreak. Among those lost was Rubby Pérez, a voice we all grew up with. My heart is with the Dominican people — aquí y allá — as we mourn this unimaginable loss, together.
José Martínez 