Staten Island is the least populous borough of New York City, and as such, is all too often overlooked, stereotyped, and marginalised in every possible way. To non-native “Islanders”, the Island is best known for the Fresh Kills landfill on its West Shore, the ferry on its North Shore, and the expressway which runs down the middle of it. But those who have seen more than a passing glance on the way to Brooklyn know that the Island contains so much more: ghettoes and mansions, parklands and wetlands, towering buildings and vast open spaces, both literally and metaphorically.

Trails Through the Greenbelt, an anthology of poetry, artwork, and literary criticism by Staten Island artists from many different backgrounds, ethnicities, and age groups, sends a clear challenge to all misconceptions held by the Island’s neighbours.

The works featured in Trails Through the Greenbelt showcase the varied paths the artists have travelled, through times of prosperity and times of strife, but every artist has lived to tell his or her stories. They present their visions and experiences in original and creative ways, thus making clear that Staten Island has a multitude of voices which would otherwise not be represented.