Foreword

by George C. Valente

How This Book Came To Be
In February 1984, at twenty-three, I was less than one year out of college and green as can be at publishing when I created the first edition of COAST Magazine. It was digest size, thirty-two pages, and printed in black and a second color of ink, blue. I was enthused and full of energy, and I believed in my concept and vision of a magazine about the history, the people, the arts, and the “feeling” of the Jersey Shore where I had grown up.

I met Frank Finale during the first months of COAST's life. Frank had submitted three poems, “The Claws,” “Storm,” and “Separated,” which were published in the fourth edition (May 1984). Upon reading them for the first time, I became immediately impressed with the quality of the poems; his use of language and imagery brought me to the beach where I could hear a storm, “the roarer from the sea,” come ashore; time became audible and visible “…ticking in the reeds, ticking in the shells, ticking in the claws of the crabs;” and the irony of man's contemplation of the sad, inevitable unknown was revealed simply: “above it all, a gull, mocking, mews.” Not only was much of the subject matter a good fit for a magazine about the Jersey Shore, but it also transcended it—the poems held meanings beyond their face-value subject matter. And that was to become evident in much of Frank's work to come, which is now presented in this book. These graceful personal essays and poems capture the essence of the Jersey Shore while exploring universal themes present in life and nature. They elicit a thoughtful contemplation, an emotional response, and a lingering memory.

When I first met Frank, he had a large, dark beard, which gave him the appearance of a lumberjack, or a man who had come of age in the ‘60s—which he had. I'd speak with him on the phone or he would stop by the office after he submitted more poems. He'd tell me of newly received acceptance letters and rattle off name after name of literary journals and magazines where he would soon be published. He'd tell of places where he was soon to give a reading. And he still tells me of all these things today. When talking with Frank, he always speaks politely and directly about things that matter to him. You feel you are in the presence of a thoughtful and kind man, and, an artist. At last count, he has more than 270 poems and essays published in more than 100 publications.

After six more of Frank’s poems were published in COAST during 1984, Rich Youmans, a freelance writer who had written for the magazine, offered to write a profile about him. “The Poetry And Persona Of Frank Finale” appeared in the August 1985 edition. In this article, Rich told Frank's life story and revealed his thoughts and influences on his poetry. On “making it” as a poet, Frank said, “You never make it, really. You just keep on writing.”

COAST was known as "the magazine celebrating the spirit of the Jersey Shore.” Its goal was to capture the quaintness, beauty, mystery, and romance of the Shore. The foundation of COAST's editorial was Jersey Shore history, and in each issue there were historical features and photographs. Also featured were profiles of "old timers' (who would tell of the way things were), resplendent photography, profiles of unique people, features on important current issues, guides to towns as well as fiction and poetry. There were also departments on current events, home and garden, real estate, boating, fishing, art and antiques, day trips, photos from the past, dining out, bed and breakfast inns, and more. Rich Youmans eventually became editor of COAST and, from 1986 through 1991, shaped the finest magazine about the Jersey Shore that has existed to date.

One of the sections in COAST was the "Port O’ Call,” the last page in the magazine, designed to be a slot for a short personal essay that would evoke memories (and hopefully an emotional response) about some aspect of the Jersey Shore. After two more of Frank’s poems, “Horseshoe Crabs” and “The Fishermen: Island Beach State Park,” were published in November 1985, Rich entailed Frank to write his first “Port O’ Call” essay, “Winter Still Lifes”—which was published in the November/December 1986 edition, the premier issue of the new, full size, full color COAST. Following that was “Salad Days” (April/May 1987), “To The Shore Once More” (July 1987), and then twenty-one additional essays and articles as well as numerous poems, all now compiled in this book. Rich worked closely with Frank on the essays and stories, often from initial idea to finished piece, motivating Frank when the ink was not flowing.

I had always thought Frank's essays and poems would make a great book, but when COAST ceased publication in 1992, the idea never came to fruition. Five years later, I was alone on my way to an outdoor art show in Toms River where a friend of mine was displaying. I was interested in seeing other artists’ works for possible publication in my new company's guide books, Jersey Shore Vacation Magazine and The Jersey Shore Guide Book. I hadn't been down that way in a long time, and remembering that Frank had lived in Pine Beach five years ago (as well as my continuing desire to do a book of his work), I thought of giving him a call. By fate, I ran into someone at the show who knew him, and she gave me his phone number. So strong was my desire after years of not communicating, I immediately found a pay phone and called him. From that call, and almost three years of work to come, this book came to be.

In Frank’s essays and poems, you will find locations at the Jersey Shore as well as events and situations that may remind you of moments in your own life. From the ebb and flow of the tide to the ebb and flow of relationships, and the human spiritual sense revealed before nature and time, the themes and ideas running through Frank's essays and poems capture the richness of life, all in a Jersey Shore setting.

In the essay, “The Boardwalk: Spring Lake,” the narrator, unsure of himself and in search of spiritual renewal, describes stepping onto a boardwalk pavilion, the tide moving in and out below.

“I took a deep breath of salt air, let it linger in my lungs, then released it. The wind, laundered by the ocean, felt clean. I stepped onto one of the small, white pavilions which projected about ten yards out onto the beach. The boards underfoot creaked in their nails and below them, the tide rushed in and out, leaving a twisted strand of cargo: shells, driftwood, seaweed, gull feathers, cork, crab bits, and colored glass. Gazing at the foam and bubbles of the sea was dizzying, and I felt as if the whole pavilion was moving forward while the water remained stationary. I sucked in my breath and looked back at the boardwalk for reassurance.”

In the story, “A Fragile Beauty,” the narrator describes how the beauty and inconvenience of an ice storm creates renewed warmth in a couple “who had not spoken to each other for nearly a week.”

“As dawn touched the ice-coated windows, they looked upon the world outside. Ice encased each branch, twig, and pine needle. Telephone wires sagged with a cold weight. Bearded with icicles, traffic lights swung lightlessly in blusters of wind. Grasses were as white and lacy as a bride’s wedding gown. Everything glistened.

On the radio, the newscaster was warning people not to go out unless it was an emergency. Live wires and tree limbs were down everywhere, and the roads were treacherous. He felt her touch the back of his hand ever so slightly, as they stared out the window in wonder. The room was warm now. The cat was arching its back and nudging their legs.”

In “The Connection,” the narrator, after helping a boy fly his kite, like his father had once helped him, describes the spiritual connection created at certain moments in people’s lives:

“I stood there for a few seconds longer, watching the kite, then wished the boy good luck and set off down the beach. Jogging again, I was filled with joy. The sun reflected brilliantly on the ocean, and shells along the tideline winked at me. I kept running, the wind filling my lungs. After a while, I knew if I turned around, the boy would no longer be visible. Yet he remained with me, secured by a string thin and unbreakable.”

Rich Youmans explores more of these themes in his introduction that follows.

COAST endured from February 1984 to August 1992, when it ceased publication after three years of failing economy. Although the ending of COAST is one of the hardest periods in my life, I am very proud of the legacy COAST and all of its contributors have left behind. If you page through all seventy-one of its editions (as some libraries and loyal readers still possess), you’ll find the histories of most of the towns along the Shore, most major historical events, as well as a record of many unique people who were alive at the time of its publication. It was a mirror to all that the Shore was in the past and all that it was at the time of its publication. Frank’s essays and poems are now an integral part of that time and, I believe, of time to come.

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I’d like to give thanks to Frank Finale, all of the artists, Judy Cardella, Rich Youmans, Louise Reynolds, and Thomas Reiter

I’d like to give special thanks to Jane Holand, and especially to my parents, Edith and Frank Valente, for always being there, to whom my work in creating this book over the years is dedicated.

About The Artists
The other equal element within “To The Shore Once More” is the artwork— over one hundred images that, when presented with the prose and poetry, create a complete vision and portrait of the Jersey Shore.

Each of the eleven artists featured in this book is unique in style, approach, and personality. The selection of their images was made with various criteria in mind.

Our goal was not only to show the best work of the artist—which is the case in most of the images presented—but also to take into consideration the combined content of the images as well as the concept that certain images of the Jersey Shore must be included in a book of this type. The six chapter themes also had some bearing on the selections, but no art was chosen to match the content of a particular story. After the selection process, if an image "worked" with an essay, we placed it nearby.

My publishing history with the artists presented is varied; some relationships go back many years to the time COAST Magazine was first published; other relationships were established during recent times with my current company, Jersey Shore Publications, which was founded in 1993. Readers have seen many of the images presented in this book, as well as other images by the artists, in our publications, Jersey Shore Vacation Magazine, Jersey Shore Vacation Map, The Jersey Shore Guide Book, and Jersey Shore Home & Garden.

All of the artists are known throughout the Jersey Shore and some are known regionally and nationally as well. Most of the images, (originals and prints) can be seen in galleries throughout Ocean and Monmouth counties as well as other galleries along the Jersey Shore and throughout New Jersey and the United States. More about each of the artists can be found under the “Biographies” section at the back of this book.

About The Essays And Poetry
All of the articles and essays published here were written for and published in COAST Magazine except for “The Apple Farm” which was originally composed for COAST, but appeared in the Asbury Park Press (September, 25, 1993) and “Sally” which was originally composed for COAST, but first appeared in The Paterson Literary Review (Issue 23, 1993), both about a year after COAST ceased publication.

Of the poems appearing here, many were published in COAST while others have appeared in various anthologies, journals, and magazines. Two of the poems are being presented here for the first time.

During the years COAST Magazine was published (February 1984 through August 1992), the essays were primarily edited by Rich Youmans; a few of these included slight, additional editing by myself.

After COAST Magazine, some of the essays were slightly changed and rewritten by Frank Finale with some additional editing by Rich Youmans.

And finally, in preparation for this book, the essays were edited by Louise Reynolds with some minor, additional editing by myself. Louise Reynolds is the Founding Editor and Editor-in-Chief of the award-winning, independent publication, the new renaissance, an international magazine of ideas and opinions, emphasizing literature and the arts. The thirty-year-old publication is based in Arlington, Massachusetts.

Also, some of the poems were slightly changed and rewritten by Frank and then were edited by Thomas Reiter, a poet and Wayne D. McMurray Professor Of Humanities at Monmouth University in New Jersey. His seventh collection of poems, “Pearly Everlasting” (LSU Press) is scheduled for publication during Spring 2000. He resides in Neptune, New Jersey.

The result is what you are about to read here.

At the end of each essay, you’ll see where it was first published. In the “Appendix For The Essays,” you'll find full bibliographic information for these publications and books. To see where the poems were first published, refer to the “Appendix For The Poetry.”