Julio C Arroyo

The author is an infectious disease physician who previously published two poetry collections (Envejeciendo Lejos, 1996; La Muerte En Detalle, 2018) and various scientific articles in peer reviewed journals.

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, soon after the conclusion of WW2, he traveled with his parents to New York City in the early 1950’s, as part of the “great migration” of Puerto Ricans to the Big Apple in search of employment and better living conditions. He witnessed the clashing and rapidly shifting socioeconomic and ethnocultural landscapes in a major metropolitan center.

Several years later he returned to Puerto Rico and completed formal education including medical school. As a clinician he experienced firsthand the ravaging effects of the AIDS and narcotic epidemics. Dr. Arroyo currently lives in West Columbia, South Carolina, USA. Besides writing, he enjoys pulling weeds and dancing salsa.