A transgender Mexican gets involved in a complicated relationship with a young man caught between pandilla life and a gringo offering the American dream. A clown struggles between a life of entertaining children and a punk lifestyle. These are just some of the tales that Charlie Vazquez brings together in his book, Business as Usual, published by Fireking Press.

This Bronx boy weaves some fantastic tales that reveal the influence the punk subculture of the 80’s had on him. The two novellas and three short stories (written in New York City, California, Baja Mexico and Oregon), reveal underground queer Latino cultures that function parallel to what is known as mainstream and what happens when they intersect. The stories in the book draw you into these worlds and when you’re done, you’re left with a sort of hangover, with flashes of what you’ve just read coming back at you.

Charlie Vazquez’s Business as Usual can be purchased through his website, or if you’re in NYC, you can pick it up at St. Mark’s Books, which is an amazing bookstore. Support independent Latino artists!!