Sheila Martin

  Marilyn, Jim, and I arrived at the B&B Carrousell (their spelling)—which was Marilyn and my childhood carousel, then on Surf Avenue. It is now restored and reassembled in a prettier setting on the boardwalk. See my blog post of October 1, A Circle of Horses Reborn. The hundred year old carved horses and other … Continue reading →

  Marilyn, Jim, and I departed Luna Park for the boardwalk.     And headed toward the carousel, but just before we got there, on West 15th Street we saw an alarming structure. It looked like a spiky orange snake made out of giant Legos. It featured backward loops, corkscrew turns, and 150 foot right angle drops. … Continue reading →

  As Marilyn, Jim, and I headed back to Jones Walk I was still wondering if Jim would get on the Wonder Wheel with me.     To me the Wonder Wheel feels as if it’s always been here, part of my childhood, like the Parachute Jump, the Cyclone, and the Statue of Liberty.   It … Continue reading →

  After Spook-A-Rama Jim still wasn’t ready to face the Wonder Wheel, so he, Marilyn, and I headed down Jones Walk then turned left on Surf Avenue, drawn to another legendary attraction.             We walked until we hit Nathan’s Famous between Stillwell Avenue and Schweikerts Walk.       Nathan’s … Continue reading →

  The following is an excerpt from my novel, which takes place in 1957. Once upon a time Coney Island was home to three huge amusement parks—Dreamland, Luna Park, and Steeplechase—but now only Steeplechase, at the other end of the neighborhood, was still open.   We three adventurers exited the aquarium onto the boardwalk—hot dog … Continue reading →

Dramatis Personæ:   The following is an excerpt from my novel. The year is 1957 and it’s from Brooklyn, my eleven-year-old-girl narrator’s point of view as she walks down Surf Avenue.   The names in the neighborhood had a ghostly presence, as if the past never wholly went away—the Half Moon Hotel, Club 21, Gravesend … Continue reading →

    In this deleted excerpt my child narrator, Brooklyn and the Boarder try to find out if Lenny, the singer, is really the Angel of Death (a.k.a. the Molech). Picture an especially sleazy Dean Martin look-alike. The Boarder is the only one who can tell if it’s him. Uncle Max’s Saloon is based on … Continue reading →

  When I was very young my grandmother, (Bubbie) took me to a little Yiddish schul on Neptune Avenue near Ocean Parkway in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, which is no longer there. One of the things I remember about it were murals on the walls. Some years ago I read that Marcus Illions the famous carousel … Continue reading →

  The following is an excerpt from my novel. The year is 1957. My young heroine, Brooklyn narrates.   I didn’t have a friend in the world, so I did something I’d never done before: I headed for the Mardi Gras parade all by myself.   The curlicued wrought-iron lampposts were strung from one side … Continue reading →

  Here’s the second of three Boarder stories chopped out of my novel. She’s talking to my young narrator, Brooklyn.   “Did I ever show to you a picture of my boychik?” the Boarder asked. “He’s a regular Elvis, kayne horeh. Here, I have it right here.”   She whipped out a picture album with … Continue reading →