Literary Floridas - by John King & Leslie Salas & Nathan Holic (Paperback)

About the Book

"This collection brings together both academic and personal essays to explore the strange, unconventional, and often surreal landscape of Florida. From its earliest storytellers to contemporary voices, the contributors examine the state's polymorphic identity, where real estate speculation, environmental extremes, and mythic imagery collide. The essays tour Florida's literary geography, stopping at Ernest Hemingway's Key West, Zora Neale Hurston's Eatonville, and Jack Kerouac's unexpected Floridian chapter. They consider the Seminole storytelling tradition, the spectacle of Walt Disney World, the space coast's strange allure, and urban exploration in Tampa. From the satirical crime fiction of John D. MacDonald and Carl Hiaasen to Miami's literary magazine, this book celebrates how Floridian literature reflects the state's wilderness and eccentricity"-- Provided by publisher.

Book Synopsis

This collection brings together both academic and personal essays to explore the strange, unconventional, and often surreal landscape of Florida in literature. From its earliest storytellers to contemporary voices, the contributors examine the state's polymorphic identity, where real estate speculation, environmental extremes, and mythic imagery collide.

Topics include Ernest Hemingway's Key West, Zora Neale Hurston's Eatonville, and Jack Kerouac's unexpected Floridian chapter. Other essays consider the Seminole storytelling tradition, the spectacle of Walt Disney World, the space coast's strange allure, and urban exploration in Tampa. From the satirical crime fiction of John D. MacDonald and Carl Hiaasen to Miami's literary magazine, this book celebrates how Floridian literature reflects the state's wildness and eccentricity.

About the Author

John King is the host of The Drunken Odyssey: A Podcast About the Writing Life. He lives in Altamonte Springs, Florida. Leslie Salas is a corporate learning and development leader. She lives in Titusville, Florida. Nathan Holic is graphic narrative editor at The Florida Review. He lives in Orlando, Florida. Jupiter Mallen is a creative writer, editor, and graphic artist and designer from Jupiter, Florida. Her interests include classical literature, Shakespeare and work in translation.