Local

Seaside Stories

FEB 2013
by

Part I: Brighton Furs

The streets of Brighton Beach are, among many other things, a runway of winter style. Under the shadows of the elevated B/Q train parades a vibrant safari of vermilion lipstick, glossy leather boots, and banded fur. The character of these women is something to be envious of; not just any babushka can be dripping with fur and pull it off. She’s gotta have enough attitude to make passersby think she may very well have killed the animal herself.



Katya didn’t understand a word I was saying, but was happy to bask in the sun for a few more moments outside the Brighton Bazaar.
Katya didn’t understand a word I was saying, but was happy to bask in the sun for a few more moments outside the Brighton Bazaar.



She embodied the New York women you picture populating street markets a century ago—tough as nails, but with each curl intact.
She embodied the New York women you picture populating street markets a century ago—tough as nails, but with each curl intact.



And just what is the perfect accessory to a furry coat? A furry dog, of course.
And just what is the perfect accessory to a furry coat? A furry dog, of course.



A great coat isn’t enough; all other accessories need to match, including the eyeliner.
A great coat isn’t enough; all other accessories need to match, including the eyeliner.



So what if a little dirty water is dripping down from the Q train when you look this fabulous? Her pelts shield her from any grime.
So what if a little dirty water is dripping down from the Q train when you look this fabulous? Her pelts shield her from any grime.



Susana’s leopard scarf added to her feline prowess.
Susana’s leopard scarf added to her feline prowess.



After much convincing this proud bubulya became animated, displaying her designer sunglasses, jewels, and nails.
After much convincing this proud bubulya became animated, displaying her designer sunglasses, jewels, and nails.



When the ocean winds graze along the fur of their long heavy coats, the women look like they are gliding across the asphalt.
When the ocean winds graze along the fur of their long heavy coats, the women look like they are gliding across the asphalt.



Smoking a cigarette and observing the fruit stands, she seemed like a film noir character.
Smoking a cigarette and observing the fruit stands, she seemed like a film noir character.

Contributor

Saskia Kahn

SASKIA KAHN is a photographer from the coast of Brooklyn.

RECOMMENDED ARTICLES


Guestbook: Ghost Stories

by Megan N. Liberty

JUNE 2019 | Art Books

These stories fall into the category of more traditional ghost stories, where a poltergeist haunts a place it once lived—or died—in. But what rings most true and fits within the context of Shapton’s larger work (Important Artifacts particularly) are the ghosts not of people but of things.

Stories of Almost Everyone

by Hannah Sage Kay

MAY 2018 | ArtSeen

Legibility varies greatly in the work of over thirty international artists exhibited in Stories of Almost Everyone at the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles.

Ivelisse Rodriguez’s Love War Stories

by Yvonne C. Garrett

OCT 2018 | Books

The women in Ivelisse Rodriguez’s debut collection differ in age, opportunity, and background but all share one commonality: they want to believe in love. But in a culture where they are taught that to be in love, to be desired by a man, is paramount and that little else matters, it is difficult for any woman to survive. Rodriguez’s women (and one boy) are complex, well-wrought, but cannot teach us anything except perhaps how to believe in or to survive love. These nine stories present a complex, multifaceted, and somewhat connected narrative of Puerto Rican life.

Absurd Things That Happened You Might Have Forgotten!

by Joshua Daniel

DEC 17-JAN 18 | Fiction

JOSHUA DANIEL is a new york-based cartoonist and illustrator. He makes noir comics, political comics, boardgames, and DnD characters. You can also visit his website for commissions and other things, www.thenoirguy.com, and also check out more political comics at thenoirguy.itch.io

ADVERTISEMENTS