The Thing about Florida

“Gillespie writes about the Florida that only locals know: messy, humid, chaotic, and deeply human. Ripe with history, packed with fascinating information about the interior of the state, The Thing about Florida is a personal look at a profoundly misunderstood place. A necessary read.”—Kristen Arnett, author of Mostly Dead Things

“In this engaging, humorous, compassionate, and meticulous portrait, ‘the flamingo in the coal mine’ of America emerges as a gorgeously complex character, itself full of characters. In Gillespie’s eyes, we have a kaleidoscopic view of one of our strangest, wildest, and most beloved places.”—Sarah Gerard, author of Sunshine State: Essays and True Love

“Gillespie’s writing is fabulous, but his sharp-eyed observations about what it means to be a Florida man born and bred are even better. His book is hilarious, candid, and insightful, a great addition to the growing body of lit Florida literature.”—Craig Pittman, author of Oh, Florida! How America’s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country

“Here we find deft reportage guided by a poet’s love of language, disarming interviews conducted alongside moments of deep personal insight and reflection. Gillespie invites the reader to join him in a far-flung, heartfelt dive into the Florida we think we love, think we hate, but may not really know as well as we thought.”—Julie Marie Wade, author of Just an Ordinary Woman Breathing

“Gillespie takes you along for the ride on his Florida adventures, making you think about the Sunshine State in ways many people don’t.”—Cathy Salustri, author of Backroads of Paradise: A Journey to Rediscover Old Florida

“The Thing about Florida will change your mind about the Sunshine State.”—Salon

“Gillespie’s portraits … don’t stop at the news-bite surface. … His writing is witty, but never mean; he’s looking for the human beings behind the headlines, and he finds them.”—Tampa Bay Times

“The collected interviews and observations give us some insight, perspective and, even better, welcome levity and wit.”—Orlando Weekly

“A personalized, amusing book about what makes the Sunshine State so unique.”—Foreword Reviews

“Add this to your Florida books list.”—Book Riot