A Coney Island Reader brings together a vibrant collection of voices that chronicle and critique Coney Island's extraordinary history from its formation to its most recent phase of revitalization, with all the glow and glitter of Luna Park. -- Michael Immerso, Author, Coney Island: The People's Playground An amazing Americana anthology of Coney fact-fiction-poetry-tabloid news and government propaganda, many pieces obscure, a few famous yet so hard to find all bound together in what now becomes the definitive and best beach book read about the Island that invented beach leisure. -- Dick Zigun, Artistic Director, Coney Island USA The ever-contradictory nature of Coney Island is brought to light in this collection of literature from some of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries' most prominent writers. Publishers Weekly A Coney Island Reader is a wonderful collection of fiction and nonfiction, poetry and journalism, memoirs and official government reports accompanied by evocative photographs and illustrations. The cover alone captures the essence of the place: fun, chaotic, unpredictable. -- June Sawyers Chicago Tribune Coney Island might seem an unlikely muse, but in a city that has always been home to writers of all stripes, the seaside enclave has consistently driven pen to paper, fingertips to keyboard. -- Annaliese Griffin Brooklyn Based An overdue anthology that vividly paints Brooklyn's seaside playground in psychedelic prose and poetry. -- Sam Roberts New York Times A comprehensive anthology of writings on a unique place in Brooklyn... 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. Library Journal If one is interested in the history of Coney Island, A Coney Island Reader is a must. -- Raanan Geberer Brooklyn Daily Eagle From Nathan's Hotdogs and the Wonder Wheel to end-of-season gloom and recession, Coney sings the bright and dim electric song of Brooklyn's iconic peninsula. This literary anthology unfolds the layers of the unique destination while enhancing the experience with historical photos. World Literature Today