Perdomo Nominated for Literary Award

Every January, five entries in six categories—fiction, general non-fiction, poetry, autobiography, biography and criticism—are chosen as the finalists for the prestigious National Book Critics Circle Award. In the past, famed authors such as E.L. Doctorow and Junot Diaz have achieved this feat; however, among this year’s finalists is one of our own: English instructor William Perdomo. Perdomo’s poetry collection, The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon, is nominated as a finalist in the poetry category.

National Book Critics Circle, founded in 1974 by John Leonard, encompasses 600 voluntary professional book reviewers.

In The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon, Perdomo journeys through the lives of the members of a descarga band in the 1970s, especially that of his uncle.

Perdomo’s collection of poems was strongly influenced by his passion for Latino and salsa music, which he grew up listening to. “I grew up in East Harlem in the ‘70s and the ‘80s, and salsa was always in the background,” Perdomo said. “It took me a while to appreciate it. But I got most of the culture and the stories from my mom. And then I started to wonder about the role that my uncle played in the movement.”

Despite the immense amount of research required for his poetry collection, Perdomo enjoyed the process from beginning to end. “I want to say that writing the book was fun. First and foremost, I think there should be some part of writing that is fun, even throughout the revision process,” he said.

"He goes out of his way to make sure we are in the best possible learning environment to really set up these meditations and to write them well. If his writing is as good as his teaching, then I could see why he would be nominated for this award."

Perdomo also used this opportunity to learn the ins and outs of the ‘70s music culture. “What made it fun was the research. I read poems about music, poems about musicians, interviews with musicians, listened to albums, particularly the two albums my uncle played on, and tried to insert myself in an imaginative way into that experience. It was a total immersion into that movement.”

Perdomo’s research and passion about music served as a motivating factor to his recreation of the vibrant Latino and salsa music scene in his poems. “Every poem has a different beginning. I think this particular set of poems had a beginning in my imagination. It was fun to imagine what it was like for my uncle to be part of the recordings, and what it might have felt like to be a musician.” Perdomo said. “And in many ways what it feels like to be a poet too. As much as the book is about music, it is also about writing.”

At the beginning of the process, Perdomo said that he struggled in formatting the book. “I don’t think I could have carried the book with Shorty’s voice alone. I needed the other two voices—the voice of the Poet and the voice that belonged to Rose—to serve as counterpoints to Shorty’s voice. And once I discovered the additional voices, I found a structure for the book.”

After incorporating the different perspectives of the participants of a descarga band, Perdomo worked on painting the musicians’ worlds for the readers. He described the theme of collection of poems as a “jam session,” in order to include multiple voices of the members of the scene.

His familial ties to these musicians helped him recreate the lively descarga scene. “And most of the music I was listening to, especially the two records, were large jam sessions, they were called descargas. Big 10 minute tracks, where every musician had a chance to play. So this particular book is kind of like a descarga,” Perdomo said.

While Perdomo was able to educate the public about the energetic music scene of the ‘70s, he grew as a writer and music connoisseur from this experience. “I think the biggest thing I learned was patience. You can’t force a poem to do what it doesn't want to do,” Perdomo said.

Perdomo is also grateful for the support he has received from those around him over this arduous task of writing a book. “You can’t write a book alone; it is helpful to have the support of your colleagues and community at large, from Dan at Water Street Bookstore to my colleagues in the department.”

Perdomo’s students and colleagues are proud and thankful for his work and his efforts to make them feel welcomed around the table. “Mr. Perdomo really put emphasis on the entire process. He has always gone out of his way to help us improve as students,” senior Kenny Berger said.

Berger continued as he expressed his appreciation for Perdomo’s desire to help create a suitable environment for growth as writers. “He goes out of his way to make sure we are in the best possible learning environment to really set up these meditations and to write them well. If his writing is as good as his teaching, then I could see why he would be nominated for this award.”

Perdomo’s colleague Matt Miller, an English instructor, shared similar sentiments. “I think the first person who heard about it was Mr. Moriarty. He sent the whole department a link to “The New York Times.” And after that it was just a flood of love to Mr. Perdomo. It was so well deserved and everyone was so thrilled. We all love the work and the work he does here. It is so hard and such a rare thing to happen,” Miller said.

“To finally see the work get the broader validation was great for all of us. As a department we were just pumped. It is a huge award. Just to be a finalist. There are people teaching in graduate programs who will never see that award and now he is teaching here,” Miller said. “I just hope we can hold onto him. He is such a talented and good guy.”

Miller also stated it has been an amazing experience working with a talented writer as one of his friends and colleague. “I love teaching English from the point of a view from a writer and he [Perdomo] has a very similar background. We have a skills based background, and he is not only a writer, but also a teacher and a storyteller. It is great to have him,” Miller said.

Perdomo’s colleague and English instructor Mercedes Carbonell echoed Miller’s sentiments. “Working with Mr. Perdomo has been nothing short of a spectacular and lifting blessing for me. Sometimes the jazz coming from his room seeps out into the hallway and I feel us all loosen our minds. Sometimes, Willie and I will hunker into a long talk about teaching—the balance of Harkness, the breath of new forms of writing, the beauty of a poem or a song or a lyric we both love.”

Carbonell added that Perdomo’s writings have changed the way readers might approach a collection of poems. “Mr. Perdomo's new collection on The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon has that effect on me as a reader. It is alive with the spirit of invention, of rhythms and grooves and perspectives that shake us up, disorient, ask us to consider if we want the balance we have always sought, nudge us to tilt towards love in unexpected ways,” Carbonell said.

English Department head Lundy Smith was also inspired by Perdomo’s ability to bring out each students’ voices.

“Willie has been a fantastic addition to our department. He has many strengths as a teacher, but I'm most impressed how he gets his students to recognize and develop their writing voices. He has so many great insights into the writer's craft that our whole department has learned from the way he teaches writing,” Smith said. “Another way of saying this is we steal his ideas all the time.”