FPL12131 – Florida: A Literary Treasure Trove (Really!)

Yes! Really! Florida has contributed to this countryÕs rich literary tradition. Ernest Hemingway arguably put Florida on the literary map, writing that Key West was the Òbest place IÕve been anytime, anywhere.Ó There, he produced some of his best work in the mid-1930s, a golden age in FloridaÕs literary history. That era gave us Zora Neale HurstonÕsÊTheir Eyes Were Watching God, capturing the African-American experience near Orlando, and Marjorie Kinnan-RawlingsÊCross CreekÊstories, detailing life in rural Alachua County. Inspired by the stateÕs reputation as a breeding ground for scoundrels, crime fiction authors have Òmade a killingÓ here. John D. MacDonald hit it big with theÊTravis McGeeÊnovels. Randy Wayne WhiteÕsÊDoc FordÊnovels feature a former government agent, trying to live a quiet life in Sanibel, continually interrupted by shadowy figures from his past. Florida native Carl Hiaasen, though, wins the award for the most darkly humorous crime writer in Florida today. The program includes a colorful PowerPoint presentation and a reading list.