Urban Folk Tales

Urban Stories, Urban Lives come together in Urban Folk Tales, a collection of stories infused with elements of magical and spiritual realism.

Urban Folk Tales is a work of fiction based upon the true life experiences of the people who live in the working poor and working class neighborhoods of New York City.

In "Laura and the Kick Boxer," a chance encounter on the N Train changes the destiny of two people lucky enough to find each other. "The Manicurist" takes us to the most sacred of all spaces, the neighborhood nail salon, and its manicurist who struggles with her gift of clairvoyance and the people she wants to help. Each story explores moments of love, tragedy, joy, and survival - the miraculous and the mundane scenes that play up and down the avenues of the city, giving meaning to our lives.

Y. Rodriguez's gift of finding a story in the unexpected is on display with striking and memorable characters. Based on real people, places, and incidents, these stories have entered the realm of fiction to become part of the beating heart that is New York City's vibrant folklore.