"I have read all of these stories and there is not a bad one in the bunch. In a collection of this quality, perhaps, I should not single out one story for praise, but Padgett Powell's story nails it right to the wall. I will keep this collection by my bedside and read from it, more or less, each night. It is that good."--Harry Crews
This companion volume to the popular Florida Stories offers readers another sampling from the rich heritage of Florida short fiction. The collection ranges across a gallery of original characters and 150 years of the state's history and culture.
Selections in this volume highlight distinctively Floridian settings and experiences, from W. B. Thompson's report of the Indian assault on the Cape Florida Lighthouse during the Second Seminole War to Padgett Powell's tale of the backroads personalities and attractions of present-day Florida.
Among the early pieces are stories by Harriet Beecher Stowe on race and justice in 1870s Mandarin and by notorious dime novelist Ned Buntline, about a cruel prank played in an orange grove. Alongside these are tales of close calls at sea and the death of a young violinist enchanted by swamps.
From the early part of the 20th century come tales of panthers, wild birds in the Everglades, north Florida revival meetings, racial hatred in the '30s, and the 1928 hurricane on Lake Okeechobee. Later pieces capture life at Camp Blanding, a trip along the Ichetucknee River, an alligator attack on a primordial dark pond somewhere on the Gulf Coast.
In his introduction Kevin McCarthy discusses the role of place in Florida literature and the distinguishing characteristics of a "Florida writer." Each selection is introduced with background discussion about the author and the story and a brief explanation of historical references. A selected bibliography of each author's works is included.
