Visions, a new restaurant and bar on Coney Island Avenue at Cortelyou Road is hosting a jazz jam session every Wednesday night beginning at 9 p.m. No website yet but here are the 'tails: 752 Coney Island Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11218. 718-282-3388. Photo by Tom Martinez.
Here's an excerpt from a recent sermon by Tom Martinez. Not only is he a photographer and photo contributor to Only the Blog Knows Brooklyn, he is also the pastor of All Souls Bethlehem Church, a "funky little house church that rocks" in Kensington, Brooklyn. Open to the world's religions, ASBC is affiliated with the … Continue reading All Souls Sermon: The Meaning of Pain and A Dog Named Rider Sue Magoo
Elissa Schappell, Ira Goldstein, Marian Fontana, Susan Karwoska, photos by Tom Martinez
Brooklyn for Peace (formerly Brooklyn Parents for Peace) staged a candlelight vigil on the steps of Borough Hall denouncing the violence in Gaza. photo by Tom Martinez
A few days after my husband firefighter Dave Fontana died on 9-11, there was a peace march in Park Slope, Brooklyn. Thousands of neighbors showed up for a candlelight vigil and we walked in sad silence to Dave’s Firehouse. I remember the grief and shock I felt about losing Dave but I also remember this … Continue reading Marian Fontana: Holding My Breath
At 8:50 am the line of voters at John Jay began at the entrance to the school on 7th Avenue between 4th and 5th Street and snaked around almost to 8th Avenue. It’s the longest line I’ve ever seen at any polling place in NYC. The mood is jovial. People are in a good mood, … Continue reading The Line at John Jay
Bring a book, a good book. I had Katha Pollitt’s Learning to Drive with me. I also had the Times. The lines are long outside of the polls. And once inside there was a wait as well. I ran into a family I know. Mom, dad and two kids. Eating bagels and drinking coffee from … Continue reading Bring a Book: Long Lines in Park Slope
Photographer Tom Martinez, who is also Pastor of All Souls Bethlehem Church in Kensington, took this picture on Wednesday after an accident on Ocean Parkway in which a pedestrian was struck and killed while crossing the street. In this shot, a special Orthodox response team attends to bloody remains following the accident.
Thankfully, Richard Grayson, author of Who Will Kiss the Pig: Sex Stories for Teens and I Brake for Delmore Schwartz and many other books, participated in Brooklyn’s Fifth Annual Children of Abraham Peace Walk, and wrote about it for his blog. Thank you Richard for this excerpt, Go to his blog to see pictures. I … Continue reading Brooklyn’s Fifth Annual Children of Abraham Peace Walk
I took the Verrazano Bridge to Staten Island and returned on the ferry. In between I enjoyed hours and hours at Art By the Ferry in the St. George neighborhood, drinking beer, listening to the music of Pupa Santiago and his incredible band and Queen Tipsy, a bluesy rock singer named Phyllis. I also saw … Continue reading Art By the Ferry: Staten Island is Full of Artists
Last night my friends Marian Fontana (author of A Widow’s Walk) and Unitarian Minister Tom Martinez (All Souls Bethlehem Church in Kensington) threw a benefit for ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) at the beautiful Palm House at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. The party was also a 50th birthday party bash for friend of … Continue reading BIRTHDAY BASH TO BENEFIT LOU GEHRIG’S DISEASE (ALS)
Got this from my friend Pastor Tom Martinez: Hey Friends, We’ve started an "Open Mic with a Soul," which is open to everyone with a poem or a song or a commentthat touches on spirituality or has a justice message. Everyone’s welcome.We hold it at my little house church (All Souls Bethlehem Church, www.asbc.org), which … Continue reading OPEN MIC WITH A SOUL: ALL SOULS BETHLEHEM CHURCH IN KENSINGTON
This is my story in this week’s Brooklyn Paper One of Brooklyn’s highest-profile “9-11 widows,” Marian Fontana of Park Slope, is engaged. More than five years after the horrific day that claimed the life of thousands — including her husband, Lt. David Fontana of Squad 1 — Fontana got engaged last week to Tom Martinez, … Continue reading 9-11 WIDOW FINDS LOVE AGAIN
Here’s a picture of Capathia Jenkins from Sunday night’s fundraiser at the Old Stone House. It makes me happy to look at it because it was such a great night of music. For those who missed it, they will return. We are hoping to present them again in 2007. So stay tuned. On June 18th, … Continue reading SUNDAY NIGHT: SUBLIME
Current Series: NextNext Music A showcase of the next generation of musicians who, in the spirit of the Next Wave Festival, are paving radical creative paths. Photo:Sarah Sloboda The Fabulous EntourageFri, Oct 6 … Continue reading OCTOBER AT THE BAM CAFE
I’ve got a press pass so I plan to catch some of the Brooklyn Book Fest (it sounds so much like the Brooklyn Blogfest — ah well — no bloggers asked to participate). There is so much to do tomorrow—such a BIG SHINDIG. Some of the events sound interesting and I bet the crowds are … Continue reading BLOGGING THE BOOK FEST