ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’d like to give thanks to : the pueblo dominicano. And to Those Who Watch Over Us. Mi querido abuelo Osterman Sanchez. Mi madre, Virtudes Diaz, and mis tías Irma and Mercedes. Mr. and Mrs. EI Hamaway (who bought me my first dictionary and signed me up for the Science Fiction Book Club). Santo Domingo, Villa Juana, Azua, Parlin, Old Bridge, Perth Amboy, Ithaca, Syracuse, Brooklyn, Hunts Point, Harlem, el Distrito Federal de Mexico, Washington Heights, Shimokitazawa, Boston, Cambridge, Roxbury. Every teacher who gave me kindness, every librarian who gave me books. My students. Anita Desai (who helped land me the MIT gig: I never thanked you enough, Anita); Julie Grau (whose faith and perseverance brought forth this book); and Nicole Aragi (who in eleven years never once gave up on me, even when I did).
The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, the Lila Wallace-Reader’s Digest Fund, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.
Jaime Manrique (for being the first writer to take me serious), David Mura (the jedi master who showed me the way), Francisco Goldman, the Infamous Frankie G (for bringing me to Mexico and being there when it started), Edwidge Danticat, (for being mi querida hermana).
Deb Chasman, Eric Gansworth, Juleyka Lantigua, Dr. Janet Lindgren, Ana María Menendez, Sandra Shagat, and Leonie Zapata (for reading it).
Alejandra Frausto, Xanita, Alicia Gonzalez (for Mexico).
Oliver Bidel, Harold del Pino, Victor Diaz, Victoria Lola, Chris ABaní, Juana Barrios, Tony Capellan, Coco Fusco, Silvio Torres-Saillant, Michele Oshima, Soledad Vera, Fabiana Wallis, Ellis Cose, Lee LlamBelis, Elisa Cose, Patricia Engel (for Miami), Shreerekha Pillai (for spinning dark girls beautiful), Lily Oei (for kicking ass), Sean McDonald (for finishing it).
Manny Perez, Alfredo de Villa, Alexis Pella, Farhad Ashgar, Ani Ashgar, Marisol Alcantara, Andrea Greene, Andrew Simpson, Diem Jones, Denise Bell, Francisco Espinosa, Chad Milner, Tony Davis, and AnYbóny (for building me shelter).
MIT. Riverhead Books. The New Yorker. All the schools and institutions that supported me.
The Family: Dana, Maritza, Clifton, and Daniel.
The Hernandez Clan: Rada, Soleil, Debbie, and Reebee.
The Moyer Clan: Peter and Gricel. And Manuel del Villa (Rest in Peace, Son of the Bronx, Son of Brookline, True Hero).
The Benzan Clan: Milagros, Jason, Javier, Tanya, and the twins Mateo y India.
The Sanchez Clan: Ana (for always being there for Eli) and Michael and Kiara (for having her back).
The Pilla Clan: Nivia Pifia y mi ahijado Sebastian Pifia. And for Merengue.
The Ohno Clan: Doctor Tsuneya Ohno, Mrs. Makiko Ohno, Shinya Ohno, and of course Peichen.
Amelia Burns (Brookline and Vineyard Haven), Nefertiti Jaquez (Providence), Fabiano Maisonnave (Campo Grande and Sao Paulo), and Homero del Pino (who first brought me to Paterson).
The Rodriguez Clan: Luis, Sandra, and my goddaughters Camila and Dalia (I love you both).
The Batista Clan: Pedro, Cesarina, Junior, Elijah y mi ahijada Alondra.
The Bernard-de León Clan: Dona Rosa (mi otra madre), Celines de León (true friend), Rosemary, Kelvin and Kayla, Marvin, Rafael (a.k.a. Rafy), Ariel, and my boy Ramon.
Bertrand Wang, Michiyuki Ohno, Shuya Ohno, Brian O’Halloran, Hisham El Hamaway, for being my brothers at the beginning.
Dennis Benzan, Benny Benzan, Peter Moyer, Hector Pina: for being my brothers at the end.
And Elizabeth de León: for leading me out of great darkness, and giving me the gift of light.
THE END
Table of Contents
PART I
ONE
THE GOLDEN AGE
THE MORONIC INFERNO
OSCAR IS BRAVE
OSCAR COMES CLOSE
AMOR DE PENDEJO
OSCAR IN LOVE
TWO
THREE
LOOK AT THE PRINCESS
UNDER THE SEA
LA CHICA DE MI ESCUELA
KIMOTA!
NÚMERO UNO
HUNT THE LIGHT KNIGHT
AMOR!
EL HOLLYWOOD
THE GANGSTER WE’RE ALL LOOKING FOR
REVELATION
UPON FURTHER REFLECTION
NAME GAME
TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES 1
TRUTH AND CONSEQUENCES 2
IN THE SHADOW OF THE JACARANDA
HESITATION
LA INCA, THE DIVINE
CHOICE AND CONSEQUENCES
FUKÚ VS. ZAFA
BACK AMONG THE LIVING
LA INCA, IN DECLINE
THE LAST DAYS OF THE REPUBLIC
FOUR
PART II
FIVE
THE FAMOUS DOCTOR
AND SO?
SANTO DOMINGO CONFIDENTIAL
THE BAD THING
CHISTE APOCALYPTUS
IN MY HUMBLE OPINION
THE FALL
ABELARD IN CHAINS
THE SENTENCE
FALLOUT
THE THIRD AND FINAL DAUGHTER
THE BURNING
FORGET ME NAUT
SANCTUARY
SIX
THE DARK AGE
OSCAR TAKES A VACATION
THE CONDENSED NOTEBOOK OF A RETURN TO A NATIVELAND
EVIDENCE OF A BROTHER’S PAST
OSCAR GOES NATIVE
LA BEBA
A NOTE FROM YOUR AUTHOR
THE GIRL FROM SABANA IGLESIA
LA INCA SPEAKS
YBÓN, AS RECORDED BY OSCAR
WHAT NEVER CHANGES
OSCAR AT THE RUBICON
LAST CHANCE
OSCAR GETS BEAT
CLIVES TO THE RESCUE
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE CARIBBEAN KIND
DEAD OR ALIVE
BRIEFING FOR A DESCENT INTO HELL
ALIVE
SOME ADVICE
PATERSON, AGAIN
PART III
SEVEN
CURSE OF THE CARIBBEAN
THE LAST DAYS OF OSCAR WAO
EIGHT
AS FOR US
ON A SUPER FINAL NOTE
THE DREAMS
AS FOR ME
AS FOR US
THE FINAL LETTER
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
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