Jersey Collective Reads Beach Badge Zine
plus: in-person summer events and NJ literary news!
Welcome to Jersey Collective Reads, our monthly book club where we highlight a New Jersey book. This month, we’re doing a more “it’s-summer-and-I’m-busy”-friendly option: a zine! Read on to learn more, for details for our virtual event with the editor and some zine contributors, and for a new section of New Jersey literary news. Oh, and we have two in-person events to share this month, too!
Our June selection
Our pick for June is BEACH BADGE, a zine about the Jersey Shore edited by William Patrick Tandy.
About the zine & why we picked it
From the publisher: “BEACH BADGE is your entrée to the salt-encrusted, sand-clogged magic, mayhem, and mystery of the New Jersey Shore, as told by those who have lived it. From blistering August sands to the damp gauze of a winter sky, BEACH BADGE collects the experience of local and benny alike in the form of personal stories, essays, and other artwork about or inspired by life at the shore.”
Courtney says: “Beach Badge is for the Jersey Shore dwellers and admirers alike. It’s a perfect companion for the summer months when we’re soaking in all the Shore has to offer and again in the winter months when we’re dreaming about warmer days. It’s a perfect slim tome to tuck into your beach bag. I love finding it at local indie bookstores because it signals to me that the booksellers are in on something—they really know what it means to be tapped into Jersey writers and artists.”
Kerri says: “When I first heard of Beach Badge, I was so excited to see a great new opportunity for writers to share their shore stories. I devoured issue one on a NJTransit train, which felt appropriate (though not as appropriate as reading it on a beach chair, probably). I love all things DIY and I really admire what Beach Badge has published so far, and I’m excited to see where the zine will go from here. One of these days I swear I am going to get my act together and submit something!”
From the reviews: “[W]hat a good idea … BEACH BADGE was a fun read and contained a surprising amount of information and inspiration. I admire your efforts and your ability to gather so many talented collaborators. I couldn’t be more proud of my home state and the writers who also love it.” —P.F. Kluge, author of Eddie & the Cruisers
Attend our chat with the editor & a few contributors!
We are really looking forward to talking with William Patrick Tandy along with several contributors.
Register to join us for a fun discussion on Zoom on Thursday, July 20 at 7:00 PM EST. The meeting will be recorded and shared on our YouTube channel.
If you want to read any or all of Beach Badge’s three issues beforehand, the zine is available directly from their website or from sources including Asbury Book Cooperative (Asbury Park), Cats Luck Vegan (Neptune City), Gemini Jewelry Designs (Surf City).
If you don’t have time to read it but want to come a little prepared, you can learn more about Beach Badge from the following:
Read the six selected excerpted essays on their website (each of those words links to a different essay!).
Read this article Kerri wrote last year for NJIndy.
Help us spread the word about the event by sharing this post with/tagging a friend!
Upcoming Events
I’m pleased this month to have two in-person literary events to share! Both are free and open to all. I hope you can join us!
Write Out Loud: Jersey Shore Stories
Tuesday, July 11 at 7:00 PM
Asbury Book Cooperative
For this special edition of Write Out Loud, we are focusing on writing stories about the Garden State. We are excited to welcome PWN friend Kerri Sullivan, editor of New Jersey Fan Club, as well as contributors Kamelia DeSoucey, Elise Sacco, Raakhee Mirchandani, and Bob Varettoni to help inspire us!
Join us for a fun evening of storytelling, conversation, and community! Using creative prompts, we generate new writing and then share our work. (Outside pieces are welcome too, but they must be your own work, 500 words or less, and align with PWN’s mission to provide a supportive environment.)
If you would like to read, please email info@projectwritenow.org to be put on the readers list. Come to write, read, or listen! Register for free here.
50 Pies, 50 States event: Stacey Mei Yan Fong in conversation with Kerri Sullivan
Friday, August 18 at 7:00 PM
Asbury Book Cooperative
I’m so excited to celebrate Stacey Mei Yan Fong’s new book 50 Pies, 50 States: An Immigrant's Love Letter to the United States Through Pie in Asbury Park in August! Kerri will ask Stacey questions about her process bringing the book to life and you’ll have the opportunity to do the same. It’ll be a great time and we’re really looking forward to it. Be sure to watch this video of Stacey on Good Morning America on July 4th!
June Recap
In June, we talked to Kerri Sullivan, editor of New Jersey Fan Club plus the following contributors to the book: Kamelia DeSoucey, Michael C. Gabriele, Brittney Ingersoll, Pooja Makhijani, Donnie Martino, and Scott Neumyer.
We had a great time talking about everyone’s pieces for the book and celebrating the fact that it’s been out a year. If you missed it, we recorded it and you can watch (or listen) to it here:
You can check out all of our past events here!
New Jersey Literary News
A new section of links and news we think will interest literary-minded New Jerseyans
Watchung Booksellers in Montclair is expanding and opening a dedicated children’s store steps away from their Fairfield Ave. location! Their newsletter said the plan is for a soft opening this summer and a grand opening celebration in September.
Save the date for these New Jersey literary festivals this year:
Morristown Festival of Books - October 6 & 7
Collingswood Book Festival - October 7
Princeton Children’s Book Festival - October 7
About Jersey Collective Reads
Jersey Collective Reads promotes homegrown books and authors. We feature a mix of fiction and non-fiction, new releases and backlist titles, on a variety of subjects, from presses big and small.
We feature one selection a month–sometimes a book and other times essays, longform journalism pieces, or short stories–and host a virtual event with the author.
You won’t have to read the books ahead of time to enjoy the events (but of course you’re encouraged to)! We host Zoom-based events to keep it accessible to all, no matter where you’re based. We will also host some in-person casual meetups and outings throughout the year so you can connect with other New Jersey book-lovers in person.
Team Members
Courtney Preiss, an Asbury Park-based writer and creative director. Her debut novel WELCOME HOME, CAROLINE KLINE is about baseball and recovery on the Jersey Shore, and is forthcoming from Putnam/Penguin Random House next year. You can find her on Twitter + Instagram @cocogolightly.
Kerri Sullivan, founder of Jersey Collective as well as editor of New Jersey Fan Club (Rutgers University Press 2022) and public librarian. Her Instagram is @ksulphoto.