A great night to be near the sea! Coney Island USA.
On June 25th 2026 the Bushwick Book Club presented an evening based on the book “When the the Tides Held the Moon” by Venessa Vida Kelley. Hosted at the historic and always cutting edge CONEY ISLAND USA.
First up we have ‘Coney Island USA’ General Manager Patrick informing all the audience of ‘hourse rules’ and upcoming events.
The lineup defied easy categorization — performers brought an eclectic range of acts to the stage, each drawing inspiration from that month’s selected book in their own unexpected way.
Bushwick Book Club founder, musician, and composer Susan Hwang took the stage to introduce the evening’s first performer — opening a night of world premieres at the remarkable, historically charged, and always cutting-edge Coney Island USA. The lineup featured Sugarlife, Eleonore Weill, Dora Graham, Sea Griffin, Teresa Toro, Stephanie Larriere, Sabine Feuilloley, Oksana Horban, Honi Harlow, Safety Bear, Venessa Vida Kelley, Parody of Art, Kerri Sheehan, and Dan Rauf — each having read Venessa Vida Kelley’s book and responded with an original piece of music, performed here for the very first time before a live audience. It was exactly the kind of evening that makes Coney Island USA such an irreplaceable fixture of New York’s underground arts scene.
SUGARLIFE
Eleonóre Weill – Leo
Bonkque – Dora Graham
Sea Griffin
Teresa Toro with Eleonóre Well
Stephanie Larriere and Sabine Feuilloley
Oksana Horban
Safety Bear
Author Venessa Vida Kelley reads, plays piano and sings.
Parody of Art
Don Rauf
The cast takes a well deserved ‘Curtain Call’ for the audience to get one last glimpse of the personel from tonight’s show.
For more information and to discover the next Bushwick Book Club location visit the website.
For additional information on any performer featured here click on their name to be taken to their Instagram page.
Honi Harlow and Kerri Sheehan presented short films that were funny and wonderful.
Some additional photographs from the show!
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