A Coney Island Reader

October 13, 2014
The ever-contradictory nature of Coney Island is brought to light in this collection of literature from some of the 19th and 20th centuries’ most prominent writers. The brothers Parascandola, a professor of English and historian of medicine, respectively, present Coney Island as a multifaceted location: relaxing ocean-side resort, site of three great amusement parks, a place of violence and racial tension, and repository of history deserving preservation. Organized chronologically in four sections, the selections begin with a Walt Whitman essay and include such writers as José Martí, Maxim Gorky, Delmore Schwartz, Djuna Barnes, Colson Whitehead, and even a press release published in 2009 by the Coney Island Development Corporation that presents its rezoning plan. It is a diverse collection that crosses genres and gives readers a taste of the best and worst of Coney Island. The editors also present an appendix of related movies and music. One downside is that many of the selections have been excerpted from longer works. Still, it succeeds in demonstrating Coney Island’s “timeless” nature as a place that “continues to be reborn.” Illus.

December 1, 2014

The Parascandolas (Louis is a professor of English at Long Island University and John is an expert on medicine and public health) have compiled a comprehensive anthology of writings on a unique place in Brooklyn that has attracted tourists and native New Yorkers alike ever since it opened. After a foreword by Kevin Baker (the author of a number of historical novels about New York City), there is a scholarly introduction by the editors that is followed by bibliographical references. The material is divided into four parts, each representing specific time frames in Coney Island's history: the beginnings through 1896; the era of the three amusement parks (1897-1911); the area in transition (1912-48); and the years of decline and possible rebirth (1949 to the present). The selections range from newspaper articles and municipal reports to literary pieces by poets, essayists, and fiction writers (some famous but others local and more obscure), such as Walt Whitman, Jose Marti, Maxim Gorky, O. Henry, Federico Garcia Lorca, and Sol Yurick. All of the pieces are worthy and in many cases fascinating. The editors also provide information on the authors, a chronology of Coney Island, and a list of movies and music that feature the neighborhood. The illustrations are evocative and well chosen. VERDICT A must-read compilation for anyone who has ever visited Coney Island at least once if not many times and has fond (or perhaps not-so-fond) memories of this important landmark attraction. Recommended for any library, public or academic, with a New York City collection.--Morris Hounion, New York City Coll. of Technology, Brooklyn

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