2016 Smith Fellow: Von Diaz
Von Diaz is a food writer, and radio producer at StoryCorps. Born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico and raised in Atlanta, GA, she is also a self-taught cook who explores food, culture, and identity through memoir and multimedia. Her forthcoming cookbook, Gordita: Craving Puerto Rico, uses storytelling and recipes to explore the colonial and contemporary history of the island, the legacy of African slavery in the Caribbean, and the ongoing cultural exchange between Puerto Rico and the mainland.
Von’s work has been featured on NPR, The Splendid Table, StoryCorps, WNYC, PRI’s The World, BuzzFeed, SFA’s Gravy Podcast and Quarterly, Feet in 2 Worlds, and Colorlines. She studied Journalism and Latin American and Caribbean Studies at New York University, and Women’s Studies at Agnes Scott College.