Ice Cream, Swimming and Stoops: The Best Narratively Stories of Summer
Find a spot in the shade, grab a glass of lemonade, and meet the boys and girls of summer in seven sizzling untold tales.
1. Stoop Stories By Gabrielle Sierra
![Photo by Gabrielle Sierra Photo by Gabrielle Sierra](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F033fe17e-e1f9-4c1a-a4be-1370e738d7ab_800x533.jpeg)
Photo by Gabrielle Sierra
Street games, horseplay, sunning stray cats and sneaking up on grandma: a lifelong Brooklynite recalls summertime moments as seen from her family’s front porch.
2. One Extremely Wet, Incredibly Hot American Summer By George Schön
![Illustration by Devyn Park Illustration by Devyn Park](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F81592f1c-908a-4722-bb75-637a15ba0c6d_800x450.jpeg)
Illustration by Devyn Park I was a 24-year-old theater teacher at a Jewish summer camp. She was a beautiful 17-year-old junior counselor. My only camp friend was losing his mind. Let’s just say it was a summer I’ll never forget. 3. The Inside Scoop By Michael Stahl
![Photo by Kyria Abrahams Photo by Kyria Abrahams](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F45efe602-8228-4895-853e-daaded8b4dcd_800x513.png)
Photo by Kyria Abrahams In the truck with a Mister Softee veteran who's been melting hearts in Queens for 27 years. 4. Breaking Into the Holy Grail of Texas Swimming Holes By Mark Wheeler
![Photo courtesy Greg Holly Photo courtesy Greg Holly](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fda503109-8835-4a5f-89c6-cdee90e6db5f_800x403.jpeg)
Photo courtesy Greg Holly In unbearably hot Central Texas, a unique underground ecosystem creates ice-cold springs that seem sent from the gods—including one otherworldly oasis protected by active security on a remote private ranch. 5. The Real Mermaid By Lauren R. Weinstein
![Illustration by Lauren R. Weinstein Illustration by Lauren R. Weinstein](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2ce35825-6279-450b-8c16-dfe22ec4d065_800x629.jpeg)
Illustration by Lauren R. Weinstein As Coney Island’s longstanding summer tradition struggles to continue in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, a cartoonist looks back at one seriously epic Mermaid Parade. 6. How to Play in a Sprinkler By Lilly O'Donnell
![Illustration by Dakota McFadzean Illustration by Dakota McFadzean](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4381e280-6361-4191-b173-e052f7fedf3b_800x450.jpeg)
Illustration by Dakota McFadzean Three generations of New Yorkers relish the finest summer pleasure the city has to offer—a sprint through shooting walls of water. 7. The Ice Cream Man in the Summer of Sam By Maria Smilios
![Illustration by Marc Pearson Illustration by Marc Pearson](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8fd31156-0447-4a06-90eb-7c7486ba0550_800x450.jpeg)
Illustration by Marc Pearson In New York’s sultry summer of ’77, a whiskey-swilling old man befriends three latchkey kids with cartons of ice cream and haunting stories they’ll never forget.