Handbook for an Unpredictable Life: How I Survived Sister Renata and My Crazy Mother, and Still Came Out Smiling (with Great Hair)
Rosie Perez
Language: English
Pages: 336
ISBN: 0307952398
Format: PDF / Kindle (mobi) / ePub
Oscar-nominated actress Rosie Perez’s never-before-told story of surviving a harrowing childhood and of how she found success—both in and out of the Hollywood limelight.
Rosie Perez first caught our attention with her fierce dance in the title sequence of Do the Right Thing and has since defined herself as a funny and talented actress who broke boundaries for Latinas in the film industry. What most people would be surprised to learn is that the woman with the big, effervescent personality has a secret straight out of a Dickens novel. At the age of three, Rosie’s life was turned upside down when her mentally ill mother tore her away from the only family she knew and placed her in a Catholic children’s home in New York’s Westchester County. Thus began her crazily discombobulated childhood of being shuttled between “the Home,” where she and other kids suffered all manners of cruelty from nuns, and various relatives’ apartments in Brooklyn.
Many in her circumstances would have been defined by these harrowing experiences, but with the intense determination that became her trademark, Rosie overcame the odds and made an incredible life for herself. She brings her journey vividly to life on each page of this memoir—from the vibrant streets of Brooklyn to her turbulent years in the Catholic home, and finally to film and TV sets and the LA and New York City hip-hop scenes of the 1980s and ‘90s.
More than a page-turning read, Handbook for an Unpredictable Life is a story of survival. By turns heartbreaking and funny, it is ultimately the inspirational story of a woman who has found a hard-won place of strength and peace.
Faith of My Fathers: A Family Memoir
You! Funny girl.” “Thanks, sir.” “Don’t mention it, kid. And stop calling me ‘sir.’ Someone might ask me for money. Good luck tonight.” I didn’t get the Golden Globe. Was it because of my asshole behavior, or was it that the better actor won? Who knows? But I got to meet Rodney Dangerfield—yay! And I took the loss like a champ. Seriously. It really surprised me how I was able to shake it off and enjoy the whole event. • • • So I call up my father. “Hello, baby! I’m playing this song by.
Couldn’t stop looking. This was the first time I had seen a male’s genitals. I tugged at the older girl’s hospital gown and pointed. “What are those three things hanging there?” “Don’t do that! God! That’s his dick and his two balls.” “Oh … what’s a dick?” “It’s a guy’s private part. So, don’t be looking or it will make him hard.” Huh? “Okay … why does he have balls inside his skin?” She laughed. I laughed back. It was more of an anxiety-ridden laugh. I wasn’t clear on everything but.
Because it took a while, but she eventually said yes, as long as I promised to visit her house at least for a night and that she’d retain her parental rights over me. That whole process angered me. Giving so much power to someone they all knew was mentally ill and had suspected of physical abuse seemed crazy to me. Yes, they knew she was crazy but never told us. And they did in fact suspect the physical abuse. How? I really don’t know, but speaking for myself, I think it could be from the.
Single day. He was involved in the tiniest of details but still listened to your ideas, challenged them, pushing you to do better. I loved it! He even made the dancers, three girls and one guy, step up their look. They were representing him, and he wasn’t having anyone looking busted, especially the chicks. “Rosie. We gotta get these girls to the OTB salon.” “Off-track betting?” “No, off-track bitches. Girls need some hair on their heads, and some makeup tips too.” “I can’t tell them that!”.
Me! I did so. “Thank you, Rosie. Where are you from, what background are you?” Oh shit, here we go. I told him I was from Brooklyn, spent some years in upstate New York in a Group Home—I couldn’t believe that slipped out! Then I said, “I’m Puerto Rican.” “Ahh. I see. Well, thank you for coming in. You did very well.” I didn’t believe him. I mean, I did think I read well, but I didn’t believe that he liked me, because he asked about my nationality and background. A few days passed. In Living.