Tolkien and Race: Yes, We Have to Talk about Orcs

*The Lord of the Rings* Challenge bonus, week four

In Junot Díaz's brilliant novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, the title character is a precocious and unpopular boy growing up in New Jersey, who wants to be the "Dominican Tolkien." Those of us of who were introverted and bookish teenagers may see a lot of ourselves in Oscar. There is, however, this heartbreaking moment to consider:

He read The…