Queens borough stars in ‘Dogfight: A Love Story’

Drugs, gangs, arrests and neighborhood gossip are all part of Alfredo Batista’s daily life in the Queens borough of New York.

Alfredo’s anxious about his brother’s release from prison. Jose, now known as Tariq, is due home soon and Alfredo’s worried Tariq will blame him for his stint in the pen. Word on the street is that Alfredo ratted on his brother, and Alfredo’s guessing the fact that he has impregnated and is now dating Tariq’s ex-girlfriend, Isabel, won’t help his cause.

What Alfredo needs is a plan — a welcome home plan. He needs a large stash of drugs as a gift for his brother. He also needs a pit bull, because what better way to show how much of a badass he has become than to hold a dogfight in his brother’s honor?

Securing the drugs and the dog brings much trouble to Alfredo, primarily in the form of a Russian gangster, who has pinned a target on Alfredo’s back.

Matt Burgess’ “Dogfight: A Love Story” is both hilarious and moving, and, at times, disturbing as the characters’ acclimation to violence becomes apparent. But what truly sets “Dogfight” apart is the humanization of its characters.

Alfredo’s conflicted. He’s a drug dealer who’s very sensitive to his girlfriend’s needs. He wants atonement and keeps a running tab in his mind of his transgressions. Isabel, a victim of sexual abuse who grew up in poverty, learns to escape through the cinema, forever imagining how great the movie version of her life would be. Tariq attempts to reintegrate into society after two years in prison and a religious conversion, a frustrating prospect. He believes if he can just get himself together Isabel will come back to him. But old habits die hard.

The side characters are equally colorful. There’s Winston, Alfredo’s best friend whose drug addiction has made him a little slow and caused a glandular problem that makes him sweat on only one side. And Max Marshmallow, who dreams of illegal schemes that will bring him quick cash, and is known for being rude and pocketing a marshmallow in each cheek. And then of course there’s Queens itself, of which Burgess writes lovingly, describing its dangers and diversity with acceptance and affection.

With “Dogfight,” Burgess turns in a wonderful debut that honors his native Queens and its people with richly drawn characters. The colorful writing of this nuanced, layered story will no doubt bring attention to a talented new fiction writer from whom readers will want to see more.