Fish Out of Agua: My Life on Neither Side of the (Subway) Tracks

337 Pages·2010·1.07 MB·English

by  Michele Carlo

Praise for
FISH OUT OF AGUA
“Poignant, funny and authentic. Michele Carlo writes about a lost
New York with a cinematic eye, a keen ear, and a huge heart.”
—Janice Erlbaum, author of
Girlbomb and Have You Found Her
“If you’ve sadly suspected that the last decades have somehow left
us with a New York far too polished and antiseptic clean, way too
fashionably heeled, sexually savvy, snarky and glib, then you have
every reason to celebrate Michele Carlo’s writing for reassuring us
that this is clearly not the case.
The humor, heart—and every alternately sweet and razor-sharp
note of her writing—reach far past the edges of this island. Her
houses, her boroughs, and every crack in every sidewalk weave a
strangely beautiful and universal map of that thing doomed and
damned, charmed and graced: the human condition.”
—Dan Kennedy, author of Rock On and Loser Goes First
“Michele Carlo is a force to be reckoned with. I have worked with her
at the Moth for six years, and she has a unique talent for bringing to
life, onstage and in her writing, the many wonderful characters from
her life. Her stories are extremely original, and yet she tells them in a
way that makes them completely relatable to anyone. I am a fan, and
if you read her work, you soon will be too.”
—Catherine Burns, artistic director of the Moth
“I have known and worked with Michele Carlo since 1995, and each
and every time I have seen her perform she has delivered funny,
warm, insightful and touching stories. Her take on life as a Latina
is the most original I have ever seen. She is an important voice who
makes a huge impact.”
—Linda Nieves Powell, author of Free Style
and director of Latino-Flavored Productions
“Michele Carlo’s writing captures the electricity and insanity of a
moment in time that always seems equally capable of either blos-
soming into utopia or spiraling into apocalypse. It has a sweetness
and danger that never feels forced and a crackling sense of humor
with its own brand of seriousness.”
—Patrick William Gallagher, editor, Animal Farm, former
managing editor of Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood
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My Life on Neither Side of
the (Subway) Tracks
Michele Carlo
Kensington Publishing
www.kensingtonbooks.com
For all who knew I could do this.
And for those who thought I couldn’t.
Both know who they are.
But most of all . . . for Lucy and Rudy.

Certain identifying names, characteristics,
dates and places have been changed to protect anonymity.
Some characters and events are composites;
some timelines have been expanded or compressed; some dialogue
has been reconstructed.

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION: Spanish on Sunday (part 1) 1
1 A Tale of Two Abuelas 5
2 The Illumination of St. Lucy 10
3 Turkeys (or, The Brief, Wondrous Life of Señor Pavo) 16
4 Jackie O and the Boy from East 106th Street 23
5 La Muñeca 27
6 La Vergüenza y las Sinvergüenzas
(The Shame and the Shameless) 29
7 Iglesia con Pollo 35
8 Pioneers (Little Enough to Ride for Free, Little
Enough to Ride Your Knee) 40
9 Kittenworld 45
10 Bloodsisters 50
11 Titi Dulce’s Revolution 57
12 Spanish on Sunday (part 2) 59
13 Just Another Day in the Park 66