Eight-Stone Press

06/05/2026

Shore towns have been a staple attraction in New Jersey for centuries, and one in Cumberland County took on prominence by the late nineteenth century. Fortescue “the weakfish capital of the world” became a popular destination along the Delaware Bay, and became a spot for people from Philadelphia to frequent without having to travel all the way to Cape May to experience the beach. The settlement of Fortescue began in 1776 with John Fortescue, the namesake of the town, which was mainly a fishing resort. It is currently unknown when the first hotel was built in Fortescue, but it is believed the first one was a county tavern that had an unobstructed view of the ocean. By 1884 and 1885, the Fortescue Hotel and Wharf and Beach appeared on maps of Fortescue and remained a staple until the mid twentieth century.

Source:
“Historic Themes and Resources within the New Jersey Coastal Heritage Trail Route Southern New Jersey and the Delaware Bay: Cape May, Cumberland, and Salem Counties.” National Park Service, March 14, 2005. https://npshistory.com/publications/new-jersey/historic-themes-resources/chap9.htm.

06/05/2026

An interesting look at the long-range costs of courting out-of-towners...

For the better part of three decades Ireland has run two industries that amount to the same thing. The first is a tax jurisdiction designed to attract American multinationals; the second is a cultural export operation designed to make Americans feel good about Ireland. Both require the same posture of facing outwards, being easily understood, being charming, and not complicating things.

This is because the Celtic Tiger needed foreign direct investment, and foreign direct investment needed a story; that Ireland is friendly, English-speaking, harmless and fun. Come build your European headquarters here, where the craic is mighty and the pints are fresh – just don’t look too hard at the housing.

And it worked, at least on paper. But behind the shop front, the country that this money was supposed to build has not been built, writes Sinéad O'Sullivan

06/05/2026

06/04/2026

BEACH BADGE accepts submissions of Jersey Shore-inspired creative non-fiction (250 - 2,000 words), photography, or other artwork year-round. Submit or query your work at [email protected]. Pending acceptance, all contributors receive two (2) copies of the issue in which their work appears. BEACH BADGE is inclusive and LGBTQIA+ friendly. Learn more at EightStonePress.com.

Participating in this year's NJ Bookstore Crawl (June 5-7, 2026)? Add Asbury Book Cooperative - the *only* brick-and-mortar bookstore in the Garden State where you'll find BEACH BADGE - to your itinerary.

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Praise for BEACH BADGE:

"A fun read…I couldn’t be more proud of my home state and the writers who also love it.” ~ P.F. Kluge, Author, EDDIE AND THE CRUISERS

"Extremely thoughtful and immersive…gives wonderful insight into the great beach towns that are so unique to New Jersey.” ~ Michael Jasorka, Author, CASTLE DRACULA & DUNGEON: EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK ILLUSTRATED

"The irreverent, sophisticated, salt-encrusted zine the Jersey Shore has always needed - written for us, by us." ~ Craig Dowd, Bookseller, Edgewood Books

"The quintessential Jersey Shore literary magazine…a lot like our coast: salty, unapologetic, and delicious." ~ Elaina Battista-Parsons, Author, ITALIAN BONES IN THE SNOW

“Collectively and intelligently expresses aspects of the Jersey Shore that are rarely explored. It’s a treasure." ~ Michelle Moon, Public Historian

“Jersey through and through.” ~ Kerri Sullivan, Editor, NEW JERSEY FAN CLUB

06/04/2026

Big thanks to ♥️

06/02/2026

06/02/2026

06/01/2026