Testimonials for Michele Carlo
"When teenagers refuse to put a book down, you know one of two things: they've been forbidden from reading it...or they see themselves in its pages. Fish Out Of Agua is definitely the second. It has been a huge hit on our high school campus and has started many important conversations about identity amongst not only our students but our staff as well."
—Kelli Dunham, Brooklyn Generation School, NYC
Photo by Gordon Balkcom
"After Michele Carlo's animated reading from her book Fish Out Of Agua, she answered questions and spoke with students about her career path as a writer/performer and experiences growing up in New York City. We were extremely pleased with this event and the comfortable, informal way she interacted with our students."
—Nava Renek, Women's Center Program Coordinator, Brooklyn College, NYC
Photo: Giancarlo Osaben
Michele would be a welcome, entertaining and informative presenter for any youth program. She co-presented a workshop on "Collaboration and the Arts" for our youth (15-22) program called JUST Arts Lab at Columbia University, eloquently—and relateably—conveying her own experiences as a collaborative artist and provided spot-on feedback, advice and encouragement that helped inspire, motivate and move our students and their projects forward.
- Tammy Arnstein, Center for Institutional & Social Change
Photo: Kevin Joseph Horn
It was so great to meet you and experience your immense talent at the Easton Book Festival. I'm going to buy “Fish Out of Agua;” I will use it with my sopho-more and senior students. Thanks so much!
—Kevin Joseph Horn, Educator, Easton Book Festival, Easton, PA.
Photo: David Dyte
"There Goes the Neighborhood," Michele's solo show about the history of gentrification in her Brooklyn neighborhood, has an original and unique take, using a bear in the old Prospect Park Zoo as a powerful metaphor for the changes ravaging and revamping New York in her lifetime. A one-of-kind-Nuyorican, she breaks open performance boundaries with an empathetic eye towards artists and communities.
—Steve Zeitlin, Founding Director, City Lore Museum, NYC
Photo: Jack Abgott
"I have been using Fish Out of Agua for several years now as a part of my curriculum on contemporary Latina writers and to see students argue about who gets to read it (based solely on my description) is inspiring. Michele's powerful storytelling talent, humor and perspective connects with young readers in a way that is truly authentic and is definitely a bicultural jonrón."
—William Brown, Language Department, Institute of Notre Dame, Baltimore, MD
"When Michele worked with us at Title 1 High Schools, students responded to her as an artist, as an inspiration and above all—as a real human being. Her compassion, insight and humor resulted in deep and transformative connections with students.”
—Norah Dooley, Co-Founder/former Director, MassMouth Inc., Boston, MA
List of Selected Performances
