John Diaz Has “Mojo.” Do You?

(co-written with Laura Waxman)
The more I explore blogging and opinion-writing, the more I am puzzled. In these two styles of writing, you are “allowed” to break all of the rules of conventional news writing while saying whatever the hell you want. Sounds easy, but it’s actually rather tricky. Anybody can voice their opinion about something—the trick is to write in a way in which you connect to your readers. This means going beyond “writing well.” As a successful blogger or opinion writer, you have a little something called “mojo”—a style of writing that draws the reader in, but cannot be pinpointed. That “mojo” is your voice, and good luck finding it.
John Diaz is one of those people who make it look so darn easy. As the opinion editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, Diaz knows what it takes to write a snappy opinion piece that is both fiercely accurate and thought-provoking. I admire his opinion column for its subtle eloquence and thorough research. I have noticed that in his column, Diaz often falls back on personal experiences to form an opinion about a contemporary issue—a technique that is both interesting to read and makes him all the more credible. Although I’ve received advice from professional journalists before, John Diaz took time out to give us SFSU students some damn good tips.
In twenty-five minutes to an hour of sorting and writing opinion infused information, the end result portrays intelligence, skill, and naturally, is a pleasure to read. Over twenty years of experience in the field has done Diaz well, and it shows. He advocates the use of both “humor” and “humility” in writing. He stresses the search and establishment of a writer’s “voice.” He also advises the reading of so-called finished pieces out loud. If it reads fluidly, as in conversation, the writer has accomplished something meaningful.
He advises the writer to always pose the question “is this the right piece for me to be doing?” He says true written accomplishment comes when “you’ve done your research and you provide a perspective that not everybody has.” He says writer’s must use “evocative personal experience” to supplement stories but also not to “forget to report.”
Lastly he advised us on five steps to potential success. To get published: focus on the timeliness factor, maintain drive (amid disappointment), study desirable publications in depth, stay open to edit, and be aware of length constraints. According to Diaz, “the tighter you write your piece, the better chance you have for publication.”

Street Drumming in Washington Square Park

The Children of Sihanoukville

"Can I have a dollar?" the little girl insisted in impeccable English as she hopped in my lap, wrapping a brightly colored macrame bracelet around my exposed wrist. "Fifty cents for a bracelet!" another girl said as she finished the tie off on my other wrist, sealing the deal before I was even aware of her presence.
Prior to embarking on my southeast Asian journey, I paid little thought to the complex social and political realities I would be encountering. As an eighteen year old woman travelling alone I prided myself on being both independent and self sufficient. My hard earned American dollars would carry me as far as my adventurous feet. My obvious privilege somehow alluded me.
Many of these dollars had come from middle to upper class parents in trade for the occasional hours I spent entertaining their seldom neglected offspring.
Entering into Cambodia in the middle of the night proved to shake up my perceptions of familial life once and for all.
Children flooded our buses, eager to sell anything, eager for cash to take home to their parents.
Weeks later I received a massage on the beach. The four sets of fingers I felt as I lay face down in a pillow belonged to a young woman, her seven-year old daughter (whom I had previously befriended), an older woman (possibly a grandmother), and lastly I realized I was also feeling the tiny, innocent fingers of a small child, probably around four years of age.
My massage felt relaxing physically, but mentally I was troubled. Children deserve to have a childhood.
As tourists continue to flood Cambodia and her sister countries, are the dollars going to affect child labor? Will the kids be more or less likely to get an education? Or will they just have ample opportunities to become more efficient salespeople?
As Cambodia transitions from being war-torn and poverty stricken to an up and coming tourist destination, the children are clear indicators of it's slow and steady progression.