Ernesto Quiñonez: Dog Days of Spanish Harlem

Summary

The Moth Podcast Summary: Ernesto Quiñonez’s "Dog Days of Spanish Harlem"

Podcast Information:

• Title: The Moth
• Host/Author: The Moth
• Episode: Ernesto Quiñonez: Dog Days of Spanish Harlem
• Release Date: December 3, 2012

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Introduction

In this heartfelt and gripping episode of The Moth, storyteller Ernesto Quiñonez shares his poignant journey from the gritty streets of Spanish Harlem to becoming an accomplished writer and Ivy League professor. Recorded live at El Museo del Barrio in New York City in 2010, Ernesto’s story intertwines themes of poverty, desperation, youthful rebellion, and ultimate redemption under the overarching theme of "saints and sinners."

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Early Life and Struggles in Spanish Harlem (03:12 - 05:30)

Ernesto begins by painting a vivid picture of his upbringing in Spanish Harlem, emphasizing the challenges faced by his large family. He recounts:

"I come from a family of seven. Here, it's neighbor, El barrio, Spanish Harlem. I'm its native son."

Ernesto’s father worked in a factory, enduring a serious accident where a steel drum fell on his back, breaking his ribs. This incident strained the family's finances, instilling in Ernesto and his siblings a sense of self-reliance and determination to avoid welfare dependency. His mother’s steadfast mantra was:

"We might never be rich, but we will always be clean and we will never go on welfare." (04:15)

Despite the scarcity of money, Ernesto longed for the luxuries his peers enjoyed, such as designer shoes and frequent movie outings. The absence of financial resources led him down a path of petty theft.

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The Dog-Stealing Scheme (05:31 - 08:45)

Ernesto details the tedium and thrill of his scheme to steal dogs, a desperate measure to obtain the things he coveted. He explains the logistics:

"We would walk 20 minutes downtown, and you were in the richest place on earth. You walk 20 minutes down, and you were one of the poorest, which was el barrio." (06:10)

Partnering with his best friend, Ernesto targeted small dogs from affluent neighborhoods' salons, post offices, and cafes. The process involved cutting the leash and discreetly placing the dog in a laundry bag. The dogs were then kept hidden at home until Ernesto could locate and contact the owners via reward flyers. He innovatively used the term "aimlessly" to describe the dogs' whereabouts when returning them:

"Lady, I think we found your dog. He was walking aimlessly in Central Park." (07:05)

To bolster their chances, Ernesto enlisted his little cousin Ralphie to cry convincingly upon returning the dogs, increasing the likelihood of receiving the reward.

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The Tipping Point: Facing Consequences (08:46 - 10:36)

After nearly a year of successful dog thefts yielding substantial rewards—ranging from $50 to $170—Ernesto's clandestine activities came to an abrupt halt. One evening, as he and his sisters watched Three's Company, two white men with badges arrived at the door. Initially expecting to face repercussions for his thefts, Ernesto’s anxiety peaked:

"I knew something was wrong, but I played it off. I just kept looking at the television with my sisters." (09:20)

In a twist of fate, the authorities were not there to arrest him for stealing dogs but to retrieve overdue library books. Ernesto had borrowed expensive art books—Van Goghs, Matisse, and others—believing inpainting his dreams, despite lacking the skills. This revelation was his unexpected second chance:

"I took the dog back and I brought the books. And I was so happy. That was my second chance." (10:00)

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Redemption and Reflection (10:37 - End)

Years later, Ernesto reflects on his transformation from a young man involved in petty crime to a respected writer and professor. He emphasizes the power of second chances and the importance of making the most of them. He shares his commitment to mentoring juveniles, imparting the lessons he learned:

"I could easily be behind those bars like you are. But I got a second chance. And each of you, each of you will get a second chance. And when you get that second chance, you take it." (10:15)

Ernesto's narrative underscores the significance of seizing opportunities for change, highlighting that one's past does not irrevocably dictate their future. His journey illustrates resilience, the impact of familial guidance, and the transformative power of education and self-belief.

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Conclusion

Ernesto Quiñonez’s "Dog Days of Spanish Harlem" is a compelling tale of youthful missteps, the harsh realities of poverty, and the profound impact of a second chance. Through his eloquent storytelling, Ernesto not only recounts his past but also imparts invaluable wisdom on redemption and the human capacity for change. This episode serves as an inspiring reminder that regardless of one's circumstances, the opportunity for transformation is always within reach.

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Notable Quotes:

• "My mom will always say, we might never be rich, but we will always be clean and we will never go on welfare." – Ernesto Quiñonez (04:15)
• "Lady, I think we found your dog. He was walking aimlessly in Central Park." – Ernesto Quiñonez (07:05)
• "I could easily be behind those bars like you are. But I got a second chance. And each of you, each of you will get a second chance. And when you get that second chance, you take it." – Ernesto Quiñonez (10:15)

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Speaker Attribution: All quotes are directly attributed to Ernesto Quiñonez and are time-stamped based on the provided transcript for accurate referencing.

Transcript

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[Dan Kennedy]

Welcome to the Moth Podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy. This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com, the Internet's latest leading provider of audiobooks with more than 100,000 downloadable titles across all types of literature. For the Moth listeners, Audible is offering a free audiobook to give you a chance to try out their service. You might like to consider listening to Joan Rivers newest book with her uninhibited style and totally uncensored rants. It's called I Hate Everyone Starting with Me written and read by Joan Rivers and it's available from Audible. To try Audible free today and Get a free audiobook of your choice. Go to audible.comthemost that's audible.comthemost this week's story by Ernesto Quinones was told live during the Moth at El Museo del Barrio in New York City in 2010. The theme of the night was saints and sinners.

[Ernesto Quinones]

My story starts a few years ago, about five, six years ago, and I was in love with this girl. And I had moved in with her, and I was watching television, and she was doing something else. I forgot what she was doing, but she wasn't watching television with me. And then she noticed that tears were coming down my cheeks. She noticed that I was crying, crying. So she stopped doing what she was doing. And she sat next to me and she looked at the television because she knew that that's what was making me cry. And then she noticed that the images were of a cop movie, a cop movie of the 70s, and she didn't get it. And she said, why is Serpico making you cry? And I told her that that's my New York. It's the New York of my youth. That's the New York that I was raised in. This is the New York, the gritty New York, the urban blight, the benign neglect, the New York before gentrification. And I was telling her that this is what's making me cry. What did I do during that time? Well, I took care of myself. I come from a family of seven. Here, it's neighbor, El barrio, Spanish Harlem. I'm its native son. And we. We took care of ourselves. My dad used to work in a factory, and one day a steel drum fell on his back and it broke his ribs. So my mom would always say. My mom will always say, we might never be rich, but we will always be clean and we will never go on welfare. So there was absolutely no money. There was no money. And I wanted the things that other teenagers had. You know, I wanted pumas, I wanted jeans. I wanted to go to the movies every now and then, but there was just no money. So what did I do? I started stealing dogs. It was a trick. It was a trick that I had learned from a junkie called Eddie. And basically, I would go with my best friend to the Upper east side. And if you notice the Upper east side in Spanish Harlem are right there, back to back. You walk 20 minutes downtown, and you're in the richest place on earth. You walk 20 minutes down, and you were one of the poorest, which was el barrio. So we would walk 20 minutes downtown, we would take a laundry Bag and a knife. And we would. We look for small dog, because you're not going to steal a German shepherd because he'll kill you. So we would look for small dogs. And salons were good because that's where most of the ladies were. Post offices, cafes. And then we would cut the leash and stuff the dog in the laundry bag. And then we would just walk, casually walk away. And I would keep the dog in the house. I would keep him in the bathroom, leash to the radiator, for like three, four days. And then I would go back around the block, the radius where I stole it, and look for the reward flyer. And in those days, there was no desktop publishing. There was no photo, Photoshop, nothing. So you actually either have a Polaroid of the dog or a very good description of the dog. So once we found the reward flyer, I would call up the number. And I remember that even back then, even though I did not know it, even though I did not know it, something told me that words had power. Words can save you. And the word that I learned was aimlessly. The word was aimlessly. Because I would call and say, lady, I think we found your dog. He was walking aimlessly in Central Park. And then I would take the dog. But now, this time, you don't take the dog with your friend. You take the dog with a little kid. And his job was to cry. So I would take my little cousin Ralphie, who was very cute, and I would say, ralphie, if you cry, I give you. I'll buy you 100 penny candies, which is a dollar, a whole dollar of penny candies, 100 candies. And all he would have to do is cry. So when we would go, and it was almost all the time, it was a doorman building buildings you never had been in. And the lady will open the door and say, oh, my God, thank you for bringing my dog. But my little cousin would hold the dog and start crying, and I would say, it's the lady's dog, okay? I know you like them, but it's a lady's dog. I'll get you one just like it. And the lady would say, oh, no. Here's the reward. I said, no. All right. And what made me stop? I'll tell you what made me stop. It was one night, and we had done this a few times. We had done this for almost a year, if not over a year. And the Rewards weren't bad. $50, $170. This is 1980, 1979. $70. Okay, so that one. Nice. That went a Long way. So what made me stop is one night I was watching Three's Company reruns with my sisters, and my dad was at the table. He was still hurting. And my mom answered the door because two men knocked. It was these two white men with badges. And I knew something was wrong. I knew something was wrong, but I played it off. And I just kept looking at the television with my sisters. And then my mom took a peek at me, and I knew that she was angry, and I knew that I had been caught. And then she called my father to come over. And then my father came over. Then my father looked at me and he was angry. And I started bargaining with God. I said, God, if you give me a second chance, I swear I will stop. I will never do this again. And I respected my parents. I did. And I knew I was going to get it. I was going to get it big. So then my dad called me over, and I went over, and my dad said, didn't we teach you not to take things that are not yours? I said, yes. And one of the white men who was there said, well, you know, if he has one of them here, we're here to take him back. So my dad just looked at me and I said, yeah, I have one. So I had this dog in the bathroom. And I had told my parents that this was my job. I was a dog sitter because they saw me with money. So. And sometimes I actually pay my mom, like, five bucks for the phone. So I was actually helping out, too. So not just always going to the movies and buying Jordache and Pumas. Anyway, so I brought the dog. I brought the dog. And I was this close to crying, and everybody was just standing still. Everybody was just. My mom, my dad, the two white men. And I knew something was wrong, too. I was like, okay, what's happening here? And the white men were actually there for library books. Way overdue library books. And in those days, I wanted to be a painter. That was my first love. My first love was painting. Like many first loves, it did not love me back. I sucked. I love Lee. Lee's a good painter, did not love me. And I had borrowed all of these expensive books. Van Goghs, the Matisse, those big fat ones. I had borrowed them and I had not returned them. And they were there to get them. So I took the dog back and I brought the books. And I was so happy. That was my second chance. Now, years later, I'm a writer. I'm an Ivy League professor. And I still. And I visit. I make it a point to visit juvenile detentions. And I go there and I tell them the same story that I told you I tell those juveniles. And I said, I could easily be behind those bars like you are. But I got a second chance. And each of you, each of you will get a second chance. And when you get that second chance, you take it. You take it or you will never fall in love. And that's my story.

[Dan Kennedy]

Ernesto Quinone's debut novel, Bodega Dreams, was chosen by the New York Times as a new Immigrant classic and by the New York Public Library as one of 25 Books to Remember. He's currently an assistant professor at Cornell University. This podcast is brought to you by Audible.com, the Internet's leading provider of audiobooks with more than 100,000 downloadable titles across across all types of literature and featuring audio versions of many New York Times best sellers. To try Audible Free today and get a free audiobook of your choice, go to audible.com themoth also the moth main stage is coming to Austin, Texas on Friday, December 14th and that'll be presented by the Paramount Theater. For ticketing information and for a list of all of our upcoming tour stops building, Visit our site themoth.org Dan Kennedy.

[Sponsor Voice]

Is a writer and performer living in New York. He's been a part of the moth community since 1999. Follow him on Twitter ankennedynyc.

[Dan Kennedy]

Thanks to all of you for listening and we hope you have a story worthy week. Podcast Audio production by Paul Ruest at the Argo Studios in New York. The Moth Podcast and the Radio Hour are presented by prx, the Public Radio Exchange helping make public radio more [e-mail].