Tag: Books
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From a Journalism Major’s String Book: – Before Jim and Marty, There Was Maria
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, College Life, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Life in South Florida, Miami-Dade Community College, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, Student Journalist, Student NewspaperI was 24 in the spring of ’87—still holding onto the hope that someday, somehow, math would make sense to me. Spoiler: it didn’t. Not then, not now. Even the so-called “remedial” kind felt like trying to read sheet music in the dark. But while numbers left me bewildered, words felt like home. I was…
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The Echo of a Smile: Memory, Maria, and the Garratyverse
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Books, College Life, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Films by Steven Spielberg, Garratyverse, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami (1972-2016), Miami-Dade Community College, Movies, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: Coda, West Side Story (1961 Film), West Side Story (1961), West Side Story (2021)Long before Jim Garraty stood on the curb in Somerville, watching a Corolla disappear into the quiet, there was a boy sitting in a sunlit classroom, speechless at the sound of someone saying “Hi.” I wrote about Maria in Catalyst back in 1987. She was radiant, kind, and achingly real. We shared benches between buildings…
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In Gratitude, Quietly
Earlier this week, Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen stepped softly into the world. No fanfare. Just a quiet release—and a hope that the story might find the people it was meant for. And it has. As of this afternoon: 📘 *8 copies* of *Comings and Goings* and *Coda* have been ordered 📖…
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Comings, Goings, and Waiting
Afternoon, Friday, June 27, 2025, Miami, Florida It’s a hot, humid, and gray-shrouded summer day in South Florida. Thankfully, it’s not one of those thundery “mean season” days, full of lightning bolts and peals of thunder that—according to my mom—were the sound of St. Peter scoring strikes in the Celestial Bowling Alley (and Grill). Folks…
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Running on Fumes, Fueled by Story: A Dispatch from the Garratyverse
Afternoon, Thursday, June 26, 2025 – Miami, Florida Gosh, I’m tired. Yesterday was long, busy, and—at times—frustrating, thanks to my dual role as both author and self-appointed marketing director in the aftermath of publishing Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen. My Wednesday started far earlier than I would’ve liked. I was up at…
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The Art of Being Seen….
“Because for all I didn’t know… I just needed to be here. And I was.” —from Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen Some moments don’t need explanation. Just presence. This is Jim, nineteen years old, learning that staying—really staying—is a kind of bravery all its own. Kelly doesn’t ask for a performance. She…
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How I Came to Write ‘Comings and Goings’
Author’s Note Some stories arrive quietly. Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen wasn’t planned. It emerged from a single memory in Reunion: Coda—a name, a summer night, a girl who slipped through the edges of Jim’s story. But she stayed. Softly. Unmistakably. Kelly wasn’t loud, but she kept showing up—like a song you’d…
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A Note on Graphics, Nostalgia, and the Long, Slow Ache
Confession time: I’m a writer, not a graphics artist. So when I open up Paint and tinker with quotes and covers, I do it with the full knowledge that I’m not Norman Rockwell. I’m not N.C. Wyeth, either—though if you squint, maybe the spirit of their storytelling crept in around the edges. The graphic I…
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Writing and Storytelling: This, Too, Is Part of the Story
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in Alex Diaz-Granados, Amazon, Blogging, Comings and Goings (Short Story), Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen, Creative Writing, Kindle, Kindle Create (Publishing App), Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), Life in Florida, Life in Miami….Again, Personal Thoughts, Reunion Duology, Reunion: A Story, Reunion: CodaThis, Too, Is Part of the Story Late Morning, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, Miami, Florida Hi there. It’s a typical South Florida summer morning, the kind that the tourism industry doesn’t tell non-residents about. It’s hot, yes (82°F/28°C, but the heat index is 93°F/34°C), and sticky, but the skies are veiled by a sheet of…
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‘Comings and Goings’ Comes to Print on July 1
Coming to Print July 1I’m happy to share that Comings and Goings: The Art of Being Seen will be available in paperback starting July 1. This story is a small one—but that was the point. Just two people, one moment, and the quiet current of what it means to be truly seen. It’s set in…
A Certain Point of View, Too 