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…

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“The quintessential Jersey Shore literary magazine…a lot like our coast: salty, unapologetic, and delicious.”
– Elaina Battista-Parsons, Author, Italian Bones in the Snow

Issue #8 is now available to order.

The Boss storms the beaches of Asbury Park while the Keansburg Boardwalk quietly summons the Spirit of ’76. Blaze Starr validates a neglected young girl in AC, where trust finds itself on the auction block. The DIY spirit prevails in the fire-hall punk scene of Southern Ocean County, as three young boys seek safe harbor on the shores of Tuckerton. A 19th-century painting provides a portal between the Shrewsbury River’s past and present, while Island Beach State Park spells the end of the line for unspoiled beauty. From first love to last rites, Beach Badge No. 8 takes readers on another rip-roaring, real-life ride through the beach towns, back bays, and barrens of the New Jersey Shore.

Introduction | William Patrick Tandy
Tony’s Baltimore Grill | Louis Greenstein
Don’t Miss a Single Crashing Wave | Joseph O’Sullivan and Michael McCarthy

WATCH NOW: “Here’s the Story: Ya Got Your Beach Badge?”

Special thanks to Steve Rogers and NJ PBS for this opportunity to share Beach Badge with a wider audience. Thanks, too, to Davida Breier, Alicia Cook, John Fee, Molly Golubcow, Joseph O’Sullivan, Mariette Papic, Tori Robbins, and the Long Beach Island Historical Museum for their efforts to help make it happen.

Outside of the area? You can watch it online here. To view previous episodes of Here’s the Story or to learn more, go to https://www.pbs.org/show/heres-story/.