With its beautiful scenery, rural towns, urban cities, and an eclectic mix of people, Florida has produced many well known writers throughout the years. From Hemingway to today's best selling authors, the backdrop of the Sunshine State has nurtured and inspired many great contributions to the body of literature from Florida.
The Great Writers
Florida is famous for being the home of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, the author of the Pulitzer Prize winner The Yearling; she also authored Cross Creek and several more literary works. She lived for years at her Cross Creek farm in north central Florida, which is now a Florida State Park and designated as a National Historic Landmark. The cracker homestead where she lived and wrote for 25 years has been preserved, and visitors can take guided tours of her home and farm. Rawlings also lived for a while in St. Augustine, and upon her death she donated most of her fortune to the nearby University of Florida, where Rawlings Hall is named after her.
Another famous Florida writer is Nobel Prize winner Ernest Hemingway. For over ten years, Papa Hemingway lived on the tropical and eclectic island of Key West. It was here he did most of his writing. The original home he and his wife lived in is now the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. Visitors can see the notorious pool with the penny, the house's original furnishings, and Hemingway's typewriter. In addition, Hemingway's famous six-toed cat lives on through many of the sixty cats on the grounds. Many of these are direct decedents of Hemingway's original cat. True Hemingway fans can also visit Sloppy Joe's Bar on Duval Street in Key West-- one of his favorite hangouts. Each July the bar runs the annual Papa Hemingway Look-A-Like contest, which draws bearded old chaps from around the world.
Prolific mystery writer John D. MacDonald, also a Floridian, was especially known for his fictional protagonist Travis McGee."Travis McGee still in Cedar Key," was such a popular character, he crossed over into the music world, and was referred to in the Jimmy Buffet song"Incommunicado." Cedar Key is a small town off the gulf coast of Florida, with Gainesville as the closest city. Cedar Key visitors will find a small fishing town with charming buildings and stunning sunsets. MacDonald fans will also appreciate the manuscript collection of his works at the University of Florida's Smathers library. MacDonald's readers can see a plaque dedicated to McGee at the Florida Center for the Book in Broward County.
Contemporary Best Sellers
Dave Barry, the columnist and writer who became the inspiration for the CBS show Dave's World, has written for the Miami Herald, as well as authored several books, and has even won the Pulitzer Prize. He and his family live in Miami.
Another Miami Herald columnist who made it big with his books is Carl Hiaasen. Hiaasen writes, among other styles, crime fiction which is usually based in Florida. Readers of his books can visit southwest Florida for the scene of his'crimes,' including Fort Lauderdale, Miami Beach, and Lake Okeechobee to name a few. Striptease, one of his most well known books was made into a movie that starred Demi Moore and Burt Reynolds.
Yet another south Florida loving writer is Randy Wayne White. A former fishing guide, White now lives on Pine Island, a barrier island off the west coast of Florida near Cape Coral. His most well known character in his crime fiction books is Doc Ford. Doc Ford's escapades take him all over the south Florida area, from Matlacha on Pine Island, to Naples and the Everglades. The character lives on Sanibel Island, where many real life restaurants, streets, and other landmarks are regularly mentioned. White's fans can eat at the Doc Ford Sanibel Rum Bar and Grill and the Timbers Restaurant, both of which are mentioned often in White's works.
Patricia Cornwell is yet another best selling Florida based author, who writes crime fiction. Her best known works involve Dr. Kay Scarpetta. Piers Anthony, a famous science fiction writer, is also Florida based, as is James Grippando, Tim Dorsey, and several other authors.
Aspiring Writers
Florida has several events and organizations for current and aspiring writers-to-be. The Tallahassee Writers Association organizes a variety of events, contests, and workshops throughout the region. The Florida Writers Association, the South Florida Writers Association, and many other writers' organizations organize and produce events and contests for writers of all genres.
Book lovers and writers alike with enjoy the Miami Book Fair International, held each November. This event brings well-known authors in from around the world for readings, panel discussions, and signings. Recent authors who participated include Frank McCourt, Thomas Cahill, Richard Ford, and many others. The program of events includes a street fair, the Children's Alley, Write out Loud, and more.
A key spot for literary types to visit is the Florida Center for the Book at the Broward County Library. The center is an affiliate of the Library of Congress and celebrates the literary heritage of Florida. Special events include writers' workshops, special events to promote authors, evenings with the author, literature contests, and more.
Florida visitors with an interest in literature are sure to find a great variety of writers and locations on which many famous books are based. Several great historical and contemporary writers make their home in Florida. For visitors, places like Hemingway's and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' homes are a chance to see the world through the authors' eyes. Writers and book lovers have many sites from which to choose when visiting Florida.