Bronx native celebrates release of debut memoir on book tour

On Oct. 13, Devon Rodriguez, a Bronx native and renowned artist, discussed his debut memoir, Work in Progress (2026, One World, an imprint of Penguin Random House), during a hybrid conversation at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL), part of the New York Public Library (NYPL). Rodriguez spoke with his editor at One World, Elizabeth Méndez Berry. At age 14, Rodriguez knew he wanted to publish a book, though he never expected it to land on The New York Times bestseller list. When asked what made him certain he wanted to write the book, Rodriguez described his childhood with his brother, growing up with an abusive mother and an absent father. The brothers grew up on welfare and food stamps and were beaten every day. But Rodriguez always believed art would save him. His life began to change when he was accepted into the high school he would attend and started going viral for his art. Soon after, he found himself hanging out with Joe Biden and Oprah, an experience that didn't make sense to him at all. That's when he knew he had to put his story in a book. “I got to show people that no matter where you come from, you know, you can make your dreams come true. So it's just a story that's bigger than me,” he said. Rodriguez is known for his realistic portraits of commuters on the New York City subway system. During the event, Berry read a brief excerpt from the memoir in which Rodriguez explained how the trains captivated him. He was particularly drawn to the work of graffiti artists on trains that traveled above ground. In the Bronx at the time, the walls along those routes served as canvases for graffiti artists. “During the years I commuted to school, they became my heroes. When the train climbed out of the dark tunnel into the daylight, I would press my face against the clear glass doors and take in the show. I would get lost in the codes and the colors. My favorites were the letters stretched and bent. I loved seeing how far someone could push the alphabet, making it strange and beautiful, but keeping it legible, at least to me,” he explained in the excerpt read by Berry. Although Rodriguez never visited art galleries such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art as a child, he had the tags, fills and murals that decorated the walls of his borough. “It was evidence of artists who needed to leave their mark so much that they would climb buildings and even risk their lives to get their work seen. Those walls were my museums. They taught me there was creativity everywhere. You just had to tap in,” he continued in the excerpt read by Berry. Those interested in purchasing Work in Progress can find a list of retailers on the publisher's website. Readers can also explore Rodriguez's art gallery, follow his social media accounts, purchase prints and learn more about his original artwork at devonrodriguezart.com/paintings-gallery. For information about upcoming programs and NYPL's social media accounts, visit nypl.org.