Dominoes: And Other Stories from the Puerto Rican

In this debut collection of eight stories, poet, playwright and television writer Agueros creates intimate portraits of New York City's Puerto Rican community, revealing the complexities of people whose indigenous culture often conflicts with their new urban life. Though his prose is spare, the tales brim with telling details that define the time and place with indelibly vivid images. The title story describes a routine game of dominoes that erupts in violence because machismo rules the behavior of the players. ``Men who are real men can live their lives anyway they like . . . To be macho is the destiny,'' one of the players tells one teenage onlooker before her uncle is murdered. ``Malig; Malig & Sal; Sal'' shows the problems of being on the distaff side of machismo--especially when a woman tries to step out of a man's shadow. These violent dramas notwithstanding, Agueros's focus is on the simpler joys and pains of ordinary life, all expressed in a clear, colloquial voice. A small boy delights in ritual visits to his devoted godmother in ``One Sunday Morning''; another teenager rebels against his stingy stepfather in ``Johnny United''; and in ``Horologist'', a clock restorer chooses to concentrate on the inner workings of antique timepieces rather than on material gain, speed and narcissism. Ultimately, this book celebrates the nurturing spirit of the human heart. (Sept.)