Michele Carlo, a redheaded, freckle-faced Puerto Rican raised in the Polish section of the Bronx, grew up as a permanent outsider. Too white for her proud, Spanish-speaking relatives and a mystery to her schoolmates, Michele braved a search for identity that was a long, rough and tumble ride. . . By turns heartbreaking and humorous, she recalls the family calamities, fumblings of first love, and all the people and events that shaped her. From her "playground battlefield" in the not-so-wholesome summer of '69 to many adrenaline-fueled, graffiti-filled afternoons and her emergence as an artist with a unique and alluring voice, Michele's story is an homage to a New York City gone by. . .and an iconically American, unforgettable portrait of growing up. "Warm and insightful. . .Michele's take on life as a Latina is the most original I have ever seen." --Linda Nieves Powell, author of "Michele's humor, heart--and every sweet and razor-sharp note of her writing--reach far beyond the edges of this island." --Dan Kennedy, author of "Poignant, funny, and authentic." --Janice Erlbaum, author of is a writer, performer and comedic storyteller who has lived in four of the five boroughs of New York City and remembers when a slice of pizza cost fifty cents. Her stories have been published in and She has often appeared with The Moth and other NYC storytelling communities. Like almost every other writer in NYC, Michele is a Brooklynite (since 1988) with no plans of leaving anytime soon.