“Flint’s Coney Island Legacy: The Immigrant Story Behind a Michigan Icon”
Few Flint residents know that one of the city’s most beloved traditions began with immigrants from a tiny mountain village in North Macedonia.
In this episode of Radio Free Flint, host Arthur Busch welcomes Karen Paul Holmes, daughter of Carl Paul, co-founder of Angelo’s Coney Island—the restaurant that helped define Flint’s working-class culture for decades.
Carl Paul came to America through Ellis Island from Bouf, Macedonia, near the border with Greece. Alongside his partner Angelo Nikoloff, he built a local landmark where factory workers, families, and students gathered for the now-legendary Flint-style Coney dog.
Karen reflects on her family’s journey—from her father’s long days behind the grill to her teenage summers waitressing at Angelo’s. Through her poetry, she brings to life the spirit of perseverance, gratitude, and belonging that defines the immigrant story.
She reads three deeply personal poems:
A warm portrait of her father returning home after long days at the restaurant
A tribute to his departure from Bouf, Macedonia, in search of the American dream
A lyrical meditation on Michigan’s lakes, cherry trees, and her father’s love for his adopted home
🎧 Listen now for a moving portrait of Flint’s immigrant spirit—told through family memories, poetry, and the story of how one diner became a symbol of Michigan pride.
#FlintMichigan #AngelosConeyIsland #RadioFreeFlint #KarenPaulHolmes #MichiganPoet #ImmigrantStories #MacedonianHeritage #FlintStyleConey #MichiganHistory #PoetryPodcast #FlintCulture #EllisIslandStories
Karen’s second poetry collection, No Such Thing as Distance (Terrapin Books, 2018), even includes a near-recipe for Flint-style Coney sauce. Her poems have been read by Garrison Keillor on The Writer’s Almanac and by former U.S. Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith on The Slowdown podcast.
Her debut book, Untying the Knot (Aldrich Press, 2014), explores loss, love, and healing. Holmes’s work appears in over 100 literary journals and anthologies, and she was named Best Emerging Poet by Stay Thirsty Media.
🎧 Listen now to explore Flint’s immigrant heritage, the poetry of place, and the story of how a humble Coney Island became part of Michigan’s cultural DNA.
🔗 Links & References
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Karen Paul Holmes — Official Website
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No Such Thing as Distance — Terrapin Books
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The Writer’s Almanac — Episode Archive
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The Slowdown Podcast — Episode featuring Karen Paul Holmes
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Radio Free Flint — More Episodes
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Karen Holmes Paul
Author and Poet
Karen Paul Holmes is a Poet and Freelance Writer. Karen grew up in Flint, where her father, Carl Paul, was the original owner of Angelo's Coney Island with Angelo Nikoloff. She waitressed there in summers as a teenager.
Karen is a published author of two works of poetry, "No Such Thing as Distance" (Terrapin, 2018), which contains poems about growing up in Michigan and her parents' emigration to Flint from Macedonia and Australia. Poems from that book have been read by Garrison Keillor on The Writer's Almanac and by former US Poet Laureate Tracy K. Smith on The Slowdown podcast.
Her first book, "Untying the Knot" (Aldrich, 2014), chronicles the grief and healing from divorce.
She has been published in over 100 journals and anthologies and was named the best
emerging poet by Stay Thirsty Media.
Holmes has a master's degree in music from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and now lives in Atlanta with her husband. In her former Corporate America life, she was Vice President-
Communications for a global financial company. She is an alumna of Bentley High School in
Burton, Michigan (formerly Flint), where she played French horn in the band, was a cheerleader
and was inspired by her English teachers to love writing.
Book Reviews: No Such Thing as Distance
"With grace, beauty, and humor, Holmes explores how the past remains the present through
music, art, pop culture (Barbie and the Beatles), as well as her rich cultural inheritance."
- Poet Denise Duhamel
&q… Read More
