Patrick D. Smith's Blog, page 5

Here’s How You Can Fill Your Venue With Happy Patrons

[image error]You’ve probably either heard about or read Patrick D. Smith’s novel, A Land Remembered.

It is arguably the most popular novel ever written about Florida’s history.

It is fiction but so clearly depicts the challenges of the early Florida pioneers that it is used in many schools to teach both Florida history and literature.

You also may have heard of a multimedia show I present about the life and literature of Patrick Smith. I call it Patrick Smiths Florida Is A Land Remembered.

What Is Patrick Smith’s Florida Is A Land Remembered?

I’m Patrick D. Smith, Jr. (I go by Rick) and I’ve presented the show over 280 times in libraries, museums, schools, universities, community centers, retirement villages, performing arts theaters, festivals … you name it, I’ve probably done it. Most shows draw a capacity crowd. In fact, in March, 2019 a capacity crowd of over 1,100 people packed a show at the 1,200 seat Sunrise Theater in Fort Pierce on a rainy Tuesday afternoon.[image error]

Related Post: A Land Remembered Spring 2019 Tour Reflections

So what’s the draw for so many people?

The popularity and reputation of A Land Remembered is the key reason. Florida natives practically worship the book and newcomers are told that if they are going to live in Florida then they have to read this book. It’s a fantastic introduction to “Old Florida.”

Word has also spread that the show is a “must see” media experience suitable for all ages. Well over 30,000 people have attended the show since I began presenting it in 2013 and the reaction has been overwhelmingly positive.

[image error]You don’t have to believe me. Read what others have said about the show on our A Land Remembered Tour Testimonials page.

The show is a combination of photos, videos, music, graphics and special effects that I narrate live. I throw in a good bit of humor, too. Many times audience members and event sponsors have told me that it far exceeded their expectations.

It is a unique experience that often breaks attendance records.

Right now I’m accepting bookings for February and March 2020, and you can arrange a show to come to your community.

Check out the A Land Remembered Tour Schedule to see where I’ll be in 2020.

Interested in attending a show in your area? Don’t miss out on being notified. You can sign up below to get on my email list.

What Is The Fee?

[image error]I wish I could give it away but public speaking is a large part of my business.

I travel from my home in California to do the shows and will be living “on the road” with a rented cargo van full of books with my wife Kim for 5-6 weeks, so naturally I have to charge a fee for a presentation.

I ask $700 for a show for an estimated audience of 100+ or $800 for less than 100 attendees.

I also request but don’t absolutely require a hotel room for the night, depending on the show schedule. Unfortunately, at this time of year, when all of the Snow Birds are in Florida, hotel rates are at their peak.

If you schedule multiple shows, such as several different libraries within a region then the cost per show goes down.

Here Are Several Ways To Pay For The Show

I realize that the fee can be a stumbling block, so here are a few suggestions that many venues and organizations have used:

Charge a fee – That seems obvious and I know that some organizations, such as libraries, cannot do that. I have seen fees of from $5 to $50 charged for the show and it doesn’t seem to make a dent in the size of the audience. Many shows include a reception or luncheon and charge $25 or more and fill the room.
Friends of the Library – These organizations appreciate the quality of the show and the impact on the library’s patrons and often fund library shows. As I’ve said, many librarians have told me that the show drew the biggest attendance they have ever had. They also say that patrons talk about it for weeks afterward.
Florida Humanities Council – I am on the Speaker’s Bureau of the Florida Humanities Council. They fund Florida Talks for nonprofit organizations. Their intent is to offer an easy, inexpensive way to host informative and thought-provoking presentations across the state. They provide funding and sample promotional materials for organizations to bring up to three presentations to their community. [NOTE:] Deadline is October 18, 2019 for funding from January 1 through June 30, 2020.
Community organizations – A library might get help from a historical society, museum or any business with a related theme and work together to put on a show.
Local business or individual – Find a local business or individual who is interested in funding the show. We’ve seen that happen a lot, especially with school shows. A Land Remembered is so well known and loved that it isn’t hard to find one or more folks to help with funding.

Those are just a few examples to get you thinking.

I’m happy to send you some references of other venues who have done these suggestions so you can get more information from them on how they did it.

Book The Show Soon

Right now it’s still six months away and there is plenty of flexibility in the schedule.

However, every tour has booked up and that will happen this time, too, so if you are interested it’s best to contact me soon to reserve a date that works for you and for me. I plan the tour so that we have an efficient route of travel, so getting your request in early will help fulfill your needs with our travel schedule.

I hope this information is helpful. I’m happy to work with you to bring the show to your community.

A Land Remembered Spring 2019 Tour Reflections

[image error]What another wonderful A Land Remembered Tour we just completed!

However, we are so glad to be home. A few weeks ago in Facebook, I reflected on what Kim and I just did on that Florida show tour and I want to share that with you.

I’m not complaining, just explaining. It is SUCH an honor to be out there representing my father and his beloved novels.

We left California on March 1, 2019 and got home around 11:00 PM on April 9th.

It has taken a little time to gather our thoughts and here’s a partial list of what we experienced:

• 40 days on the road

• 28 different hotel stays, ranging from “don’t walk barefoot on the carpet” to “I could live here”

• 30+ mornings drinking hotel coffee ranging from bad to terrible, along with yuck hotel breakfasts

• 240 meals eaten out

• 70+ hours Kim spent setting up book displays, selling them and then packing heavy boxes of books away for the next show

• 35+ hours Rick spent setting up audiovisual equipment, then packing it away

• 28 shows performed from the Florida Keys to the Panhandle (almost Georgia) and all in between

• 42 hours Rick spent on stage presenting his show

• Hundreds of books signed and hands shaken

• Favorite show costume vests lost along the way – one

• Pairs of reading glasses lost – one

• Arguments – just a couple, mostly due to a difference in navigational decisions

• Times Kim misplaced her phone – a LOT – but she always found it

• Innumerable mysterious bruises, scrapes, broken finger nails, food stains, chigger and mosquito bites

• Several pounds gained (but not too many, considering)

• My biggest show ever at almost 1,200 enthusiastic people in the audience

• 4,415 miles driven in a cargo van full of books, costumes and AV gear; bouncing, clanging and falling out when we opened the door

• Stories shared with me that I don’t remember – dozens

• Lives touched – thousands

• Hours spent visiting my mom – not enough

All of this following 3 weeks on a whirlwind trip to Asia.

Am I happy to be home? Words cannot express how happy I am.

Will I do it again? Yes, most likely. We already have people trying to book us for 2020. But I won’t do such a long, intense schedule again.

Was it worth it? Yea, it was. We met some amazing people, made important contacts and made some money.

But there is simply no place like home! I’m enjoying hanging out with my Cambria friends although I’m missing my Florida ones. My cat is thrilled to have us home. I’m thrilled to BE home.

We’re already booking for the 2020 tour in February. We’ll be sending out notices when we book each show so if you want to be notified, sign up to join our email list below. If you are interested in booking a show yourself, please contact me at Rick@ALandRemembered.com or call 805-550-9177.

A Land Remembered 2019 Tour Begins! Will You Be There?

A Land Remembered 2019 Tour Begins

We’re in Florida now getting ready to start presenting Patrick Smith’s Florida IS A Land Remembered. A few shows are for private audiences in the Naples and Punta Gorda area, but we have plenty of public shows you can catch. Eighteen, to be exact. Possibly more if I hear back from a couple of interested sponsors.

Starting West

Our first public show happens on the Atlantic coast of Florida. On Saturday, March 9, 2019, I’ll be presenting at the Palm Coast Community Center located at 305 Palm Coast Pkwy NE in Palm Coast, Florida. My sponsor, Palm Coast Historical Society, received such a good response that they moved me to the Community Center.

No reservations are required and the admission is FREE. They are serving light refreshments.

For more information: go to palmcoasthistory.org/2019-speaker-series.html

Traveling West
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So excited I’ll be on this beautiful stage at the Tampa Theatre!

Next, we’re going to go west all the way to the Gulf Coast to Tampa where I’ll be presenting in the beautiful downtown Tampa Theatre on Monday, March 11 at 7 pm. I’m really excited about this big, beautiful venue! The sponsor, Henry Plant Museum, didn’t have a large enough space at their site for the number of people who wanted to come so they moved me to this wonderful place.

The doors open at 6 pm. The Theatre is located at 711 N Franklin St, Tampa, Florida.

Tickets are available now and cost $15 at the box office or $17 online. Advanced purchase is strongly encouraged. Click here to purchase tickets: tampatheatre.org/live/patrick-smiths-florida-is-a-land-remembered/

For more information, you can call 813.254.1891 or go to [image error]www.plantmuseum.com/events/florida-is-a-land-remembered.

The Knox Family Foundation graciously underwrote the program

Down to Winter Haven

Then on Tuesday, March 12, I’ll be in Winter Haven. I’ve spoken at the Winter Haven Library before. It was a sold-out crowd and they anticipate that to be the case this time too so again, the library arranged for me to present at a much larger venue.

I’ll be at the Nora Mayo Hall at the Florida Citrus Library on 500 3rd Street SW in Winter Haven.

The event is FREE but you must register to get a seat. Registration opens on February 12.

For more information on the event: www.mywinterhaven.com/event/lecture-series-florida-a-crash-course-3/.

Back East to Port St Lucie

It’s back to the east coast on Wednesday where I’m speaking for the Oxbow EcoCenter. I’ll be speaking at the Port St. Lucie Community Center. The address is 2195 SE Airoso Boulevard in Port St. Lucie.

The presentation is FREE but you must RSVP to oxbow@stlucieco.org or call (772) 785-5833.

For more information call or visit oxboweco.com.

That’s It For This Week

Next week, I’ll be back with more information about where I’ll be the week of March 18 through March 23.

In the meantime, you can view the entire schedule here. Just click to March or April to see the show dates and locations.

What a great start to the tour! I hope to see you at one of these shows.

 

 

The post A Land Remembered 2019 Tour Begins! Will You Be There? appeared first on A Land Remembered.

I Must Be Crazy! My Whirlwind Tour of Asia Weeks Before A Land Remembered Tour

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I’m Crazy!

As I shared in my A Land Remembered March and April tour dates post, Kim and I were heading to Asia. Now we’re back, recuperating and prepping to leave for Florida on March 1.

Before I go into my trip highlights, I wanted to let you know our show in Lake Worth, Florida will be on the campus of Palm Beach State College. Other venues may have changed since I last posted the schedule so make sure you check out all the details. You can also find out more on each page dedicated to the venue under A Land Remembered Tour Schedule in the menu bar.

Trip Highlights

It was crazy that we went on a quick tour of Asia just before starting a big speaking tour but we were going with family and that was the time that was best for them.

I wasn’t too happy about it and wasn’t looking as forward to the trip as I would have liked. However, once we stepped foot in Tokyo, I changed my mind!

Here’s a very brief recap of what we saw and my impressions.

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Something is fishy in Tokyo

Japan

I loved Tokyo. We only had a couple of days so we can’t say that we really SAW Tokyo, but we did our best.

First impression – it’s so clean!

Everything from the airport to the train stations to the street was immaculate, and you saw people and machines constantly cleaning it.

Second impression – they REALLY like seafood.

We went into the Tsjukji Tokyo Fish Market and spent half a day wandering around the many streets and small alleys. It was fascinating. There were so many sea creatures for sale and immediate consumption, many of whom I couldn’t identify.

Third impression – Japanese toilets are the bomb!

At first they were intimidating due to the “control panels” on them, which were usually in Japanese (go figure), but once you got the hang of it, it was marvelously refreshing. Enough said.

 

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Shibuyu Station Crossing

Bali

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At the Mother Temple.

Next we flew to Bali to meet up with our group.

First impression – it sure is HOT and muggy here! Yes, worse than Florida.

Second impression – traffic is crazy.

The streets were clearly laid out before large automobiles came to being. That partially explains why most of the locals drive motor scooters and there were thousands of them. I constantly expected to see an accident but they seemed quite competent zooming past cars and each other with just inches to spare. You’d see families of four on a small scooter, along with the day’s shopping on board. I was fascinated by this

Third impression – although we saw some poverty we never saw homelessness or beggars. Sure, we got hustled, but they were easy enough to brush off.

Fourth impression – Hinduism is a major religion and we really appreciated seeing the offerings virtually everywhere. We made a few ourselves.

Bali is part of Indonesia. While Indonesia has a majority Muslim population, Bali’s history goes way back and is largely Hindu. You literally can’t go anywhere that you won’t see Hindu temples. People make offerings everywhere, little baskets make of leaves that hold various small flowers and maybe something like a cigarette or a piece of incense.

Several places we went required everyone to wear a sarong. This photo is from “The Mother Temple of Pura Besakih. It is over 1,000 years old. We wore saris, made a few offerings and participated in a short religious ceremony.

Kuala Lumpur[image error]

Our next stop was in Malaysia.

The large photo in this post was taken on the observation deck on the KL Tower, one of the 7 highest communication towers in the world. Just stepping onto the glass made you dizzy!

First impression – I went to Kuala Lumpur expecting to see a struggling third world city. Boy, was I wrong!

The very large and quickly growing downtown is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. There are scores of very tall buildings, each one architecturally distinctive. It’s a flat out beautiful downtown with a lovely park which we enjoyed very much.

This is the first time I’ve ever seen an Aston Martin showroom, which was next to a Bentley showroom. There is plenty of money in Kuala Lumpur. Admittedly, we did see some slums on the outskirts.

The photo at right is of the Petronas Twin Towers, the signature landmark of Kuala Lumpur. The top floor is 1,230 feet tall.

Second impression – taxis are the way to go.

They are incredibly inexpensive, easy to hail and a much better way to get around than the hop-on-hop-off busses we attempted to use. They don’t have the motor scooter culture of Bali. Streets are wide and beautiful and the cars are nice. Take a taxi. Heck with the bus!

Third impression – if you think Bali is hot, wait until Kuala Lumpur.

We’d leave the hotel at 9:00 AM to go exploring and within 30 minutes would be soaking wet.

Getting There and Back
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Inside Kim’s eBag

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Inside Kim’s eBag

One of the best parts of the trip was flying business class from LAX to Japan and back again. We were able to do so fairly inexpensively because we used mileage points. It was so much more comfortable and really helped transition us into Japanese time which is 17 hours a head of Pacific Standard Time.

Then for $25 extra each, we saw we could upgrade our flight from Bali to Malaysia to business class.

Even our economy flights from Tokyo to Bali and Kuala Lumpur back to Tokyo turned out much better than expected.

It is going to make me work harder to get that private airplane!

We also traveled light with only one carry on each if you can believe that! That decreased our time at the airports significantly. I can’t recommend enough my eBags TLS Mother Lode Weekender bag. Although you can use it as a backpack, it is a LOT different than when I backpacked through Europe in my late teens.

In Summary

It was an incredible experience. I was so amazed at how progressive some parts of Asia were, much more so than places I’ve been to in the U.S. We are so different yet so much the same. That’s one of the wonderful perks you get with traveling outside your comfort zone and to an area much different than where you live. We could have spent much longer in each location but we’ll have to do that another time.

I posted a ton of photos on my Facebook page that you’d enjoy. If you’re not connected with me that way, send me a friend request.

It’s time to hit the road again with Patrick Smith’s Florida Is A Land Remembered. I hope we’ll see you somewhere along the way.

The post I Must Be Crazy! My Whirlwind Tour of Asia Weeks Before A Land Remembered Tour appeared first on A Land Remembered.

A Land Remembered March and April 2019 Tour Dates

[image error]Call us crazy …

. . . we have 28 shows of Patrick Smith’s Florida Is A Land Remembered to do between March 6 and April 4. That gives us just 3 days off in that 30-day show schedule. I estimate that will be 2,265 miles of driving.

To make things even more special, we’re heading to Tokyo, Bali, and Malaysia for two weeks starting on February 5. That just gives us enough time to catch our breath before the tour starts. Ok, so go ahead and call us crazy now.

More About The A Land Remembered Tour

So what is this “tour”?

Well, it’s a multi-city junket Kim and I take throughout Florida where I present a special multi-media show that I have put together on my father, the book A Land Remembered, and the Florida of days past. And it is incredibly popular and well-received from small-town libraries to the big city theaters.

Even if you’ve seen my show before I think you will enjoy experiencing it again. I’ve added a lot of new material and in my humble opinion, it just keeps getting better and more fun. If you are a fan of A Land Remembered or any other of Patrick Smith’s novels, this is a must see. You’ll learn so much more about both the author and some of his experiences along the way of writing these novels. I’ve given this performance 258 times already and, as I said, the attendees say they love it.

Schedule of Tour Dates open to the Public

Below is the schedule of public performances. If any are near you I certainly hope you can attend. Most of them are free thanks to grants from the Florida Humanities Council and other sources.

 3/9/19
 10:00 am
  Palm Coast Community Center , Palm Coast


 3/11/19
 7:00 pm
 Tampa Theatre, Tampa [Admission Charge]


 3/12/19
 5:30 pm
 Florida Citrus Building, Winter Haven


 3/13/19
 6:30 pm
  Port St. Lucie Community Center, Port Saint Lucie


 3/18/19
 6:00 pm
 Collins Community Center, Oakland Park [Admission Charge]


 3/19/19
 2:00 pm
 Sunrise Theatre, Main Auditorium, Fort Pierce


 3/20/19
 7:00 pm
  LaBelle High School , LaBelle


 3/21/19
 7:00 pm
 Clewiston Museum, Clewiston


 3/22/19
 6:30 pm
  Community Presbyterian Church, Celebration [Admission Charge]


 3/24/19
 2:00 pm
  Lakeland Public Library , Lakeland


 3/25/19
 2:00 pm
  William H. Jervey Venice Public Library , Venice


 3/26/19
 10:30 am
 Lakes Region Library, Inverness


 3/27/19
 2:00 pm
  Leesburg Public Library , Leesburg


 3/28/19
 7:00 pm
  Jackson County Extension Services Center , Marianna


 3/29/19
 6:00 pm
  Calhoun County Public Library , Blountstown


 3/30/19
 10:00 am
  Holmes County Library , Bonifay


 4/2/19
 7:00 pm
 [Venue TBD], Lake Worth


 4/3/19
 2:00 pm
  North Indian River County Library , Sebastian

 

 

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Kim always does such a nice book display. I’m happy to autograph them.

You can learn a lot more about the show here. Please check the schedule above and try to plan to join me somewhere along this busy road.

We’ll have all 10 of Dad’s books plus the award-winning DVD “Patrick Smith’s Florida, A Sense of Place” for sale and I’m happy to autograph them.

 

The post A Land Remembered March and April 2019 Tour Dates appeared first on A Land Remembered.

5 News Stories About A Land Remembered That You Probably Haven’t Seen

[image error]A Land Remembered has been getting a lot of press lately. Here are 5 stories I’ve uncovered since October.

About the A Land Remembered Show

Laurie K. Blandford from the Treasure Coast Newspapers called me a few weeks ago and her article, ‘A Land Remembered’ will come to life as author’s son visits Treasure Coast, is the result. If you live in that area, I’ll be there for 2 shows in March 2019. I also give a great overview of what to expect if you make it to one of my presentations. The show is going all over Florida so head over to view the A Land Remembered tour schedule to find out if I’ll be in your town. If so, I hope to meet you.

A Land Remembered Inspired Naming of Pioneer Cabin

I learned that the Silver River Museum in Silver Springs State Park named one of their cabins after the MacIvey’s in Ocali Country Days: The art of the olden days in the Ocala Star Banner. Read the article and learn a bit about what went into making cabin’s in Florida’s early days. Also, you’ll discover a fun event you may wish to plan for next year.

This was the first time I heard of this museum and it happens to be at a state park that is on my list of places to visit in March. They do many historical events there and maybe they’d hire me in the future.

[image error]A Land Remembered: Graphic Novel Book Discussion

Back in November, the Tampa Bay Times announced Andre Frattino’s book discussion in St Petersburg. He’s been touring since the publishing of his A Land Remembered: Graphic Novel.

Last May, I was excited about this latest version and shared some of the beautiful artwork you’ll find in the book.

It is truly a fun read, and not just for kids so pick yourself up a copy!

Retails for $14.95   

A New A Land Remembered Fan Sends Mail

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In The Orlando Sentinel’s Joy Wallace Dickinson article about events happening in the Orlando area, she shares some fan mail with us near the end of the article “Doors to our history roll open in autumn“.

Guess what it’s about?

A Land Remembered Book Review

Back in October Lynn Alexander wrote the book review A Florida Family of Yesteryear’s Epic Tale for the Coastal Breeze News in Marco Island.

Future News

I know that A Land Remembered and I will be showing up in many newspaper articles soon.

Keep me informed if you see any that I may wish to read and let me know.

 

The post 5 News Stories About A Land Remembered That You Probably Haven’t Seen appeared first on A Land Remembered.

A Christmas Story For You

Christmas Nostalgia

I get nostalgic at this time of year and always love a good Christmas story.

I was a child in the 1950s, back when there were no artificial Christmas trees, just Mississippi pines that we often cut ourselves. They dropped leaves everywhere. Christmas seemed magical. We didn’t have the distraction of cell phones, computers or social media and our TV was black and white.

My mother’s parents always drove up from Florida to visit us in Mississippi, laden with bags of grapefruit, oranges, satsumas, and tangerines from their own trees. They filled the house with their sweet smell.

I loved my grandparents so much, I always cried when they left. They’d leave a present under my pillow to ease the pain.

We lived next to Granny (Dad’s mother), who made the only eggnog I’ve ever liked. She’d put on a huge Christmas dinner and her coconut cakes are etched in my memory.

I miss having grandparents.

Christmas Day

Dad always ate his traditional oyster stew on Christmas Eve, a tradition his family enjoyed but I never could. He’d hand out the gifts on Christmas Day. I miss him.

My mother would play the piano and we’d sing Christmas carols. I was so excited I could hardly stand it. My remaining family is scattered now and I’m afraid I won’t have a parent at all at this time next year.

I enjoy sharing this story that Dad wrote in 1986 about a Christmas that was special to him. It takes me back to a simpler, more innocent time. It weaves all of the elements that make Christmas so special, the once a year treats, sharing time together, doing special things for loved ones, loving unconditionally.

I hope you enjoy it too.

The Christmas Platter

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It was the year 1935, the height of the Great Depression, and I had reached the ripe old age of 8. My knowledge of the world was limited to the lifestyle of a small Mississippi town, including cornbread, grits, black-eyed peas, and nearby fields and streams; but at the time, that was all I wanted to know. I was happy with what I had: a sturdy old wooden house, three meals a day such as they were, and a family overflowing with love and concern for each other.

A week before Christmas, my mother discovered that her serving platter was cracked, and she had no other dish that would hold a 20-pound turkey, a rare holiday treat. She asked me to go to town, purchase another one, and charge it to her. What she had in mind was a “ten-cent store” special, costing no more than a dollar.

After a thorough search of the “dime store,” I found that all such platters were long gone. Then I went into the junk store/antique shop, hoping to find a used one.

What I found was an antique serving platter big enough to hold the largest turkey ever hatched. It was a blue-on-white platter made in England, and it was priced at the staggering sum of $25 – enough back then to feed a family of four for three months. And I bought it.

My mother’s face showed concern when I handed it to her and said what I had done, but she did not order me to return it to the store. Instead, she said, “This will make the most beautiful Christmas table we’ve ever had.”

During all my growing-up years, that platter appeared on the table twice each year – at Thanksgiving and Christmas. And what pleasure it brought to everyone, especially at Christmas – back in a time when Christmas was a joyous and loving season, not commercial in any way – times when an apple and an orange, a few Brazil nuts, a nickel bag of rock candy, and perhaps one little wooden toy would make the eyes sparkle with glee. And then that wonderful roasted turkey sitting on top of a blue-on-white platter, gracing the center of the table.

Two years ago my mother, the last surviving parent, died. When the surviving parent dies, it is more than just a human death – it is the end of the road, the final page of a way of life. Never again can you go back to an old house vibrant with parents and children and grandchildren gathered for a joyous occasion. The door is closed forever.

After the funeral, I brought that serving platter home with me. It sits now on top of a china cabinet, filled not with turkey but with memories, cherished memories that no one can take away from me.

As I look back at all those times – times so different from today’s hectic world – I am thankful that I was innocent enough to pay $25 for an antique serving platter. I would not sell it for its weight in gold. Someday, it will grace the table of my children, their children, and grandchildren. Perhaps it will generate memories for them too.

Patrick Smith, 1986

Patrick Smith’s Stories

If you enjoyed this story, you will really enjoy his short story book, A White Deer and Other Stories.

Read one of those stories Fried Mullet and Grits here.

Enter your Primary Email and First Name in the form below and you will immediately be given Fried Mullet & Grits.

Name



Email

 

I have accumulated a lot more stories and essays that Dad wrote and will publish them in 2019. Stay tuned for that.

Final Thoughts

Wasn’t that a sweet story?

Reading it now, I realize it has a lot to do with food and traditions. Those are the things I remember. Do you have any stories about traditions that you’d like to share? We’d love to hear them. Please share below. Merry Christmas.

The post A Christmas Story For You appeared first on A Land Remembered.

A Land Remembered Movie and Other News

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A Land Remembered Movie

“When will A Land Remembered become a movie?”

This is THE number one question I get asked when I go on my speaking tour of Patrick Smith’s Florida Is A Land Remembered. Or you’ve asked me in an email or in a comment or shared that with me on the phone. If the number of times I’ve been asked this is any indication of the demand for such a movie, I KNOW it would be a big hit.

Don’t you?

While I don’t have any specific news for you about if that will happen anytime soon, know that for many years there has been constant interest in it and the option has been sold many times. Some scripts have been written but nothing, unfortunately, has come of it yet.

I feel confident it will happen and I sure hope it is within my lifetime and yours. I was really hoping that it would have happened while Dad was here to see it but it just didn’t work out that way.

 

 

[image error]While we’re still awaiting an A Land Remembered movie, another of Dad’s earlier works was captured in movie form.

A Movie That WAS Made From Dad’s Novel

Angel City, one of Dad’s earlier novels, was made into a Movie of the Week television movie in 1980.

After that, it was available on VHS.

You may be able to find higher quality used VHS copies of Angel City on Amazon[image error] or eBay.

You can see a poor quality viewing on YouTube. It also looks like you may be able to purchase a version at TruTVMovies however, the quality looks poor.

Watch a short snippet of the movie below.

It also looked fairly certain that Forever Island was going into production about two years ago but alas, that project went poof. Disney at one time bought the movie rights to it but never did anything.

The publisher holds the movie rights to A Land Remembered, not the family. Many people have really pushed me to do something about getting it made but it takes a strong combination of financing, script writing, finding the right cast and crew, and securing distribution before the camera rolls and I personally don’t have any film connections.

I am just as frustrated as many of you and it always astounds me how much money is wasted producing stupid, trashy movies and yet an A Land Remembered is a movie that people are begging for and it hasn’t happened yet.

If anyone reading this has such connections, please let’s explore the possibilities. It would make so many people happy.

Tour News

I’ll be back on that speaking tour in March. It is a very packed schedule with 28 shows in just about as many days. You can see the tour calendar here. Just click to March and early April to see where I’ll be.

My first show will be number 258. The show has been presented in libraries, schools, universities, museums, concert halls, movie theaters, festivals and more. I am humbled at the strong attendance and the obvious love people have for A Land Remembered.

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Holiday Specials on A Land Remembered

Christmas is almost here and books make thoughtful, treasured gifts.

Until December 31, get either the softbound or hardbound A Land Remembered for 20% off.

A Land Remembered (softbound) – Retails for $14.95 

Special Price $11.95 –  [image error]

A Land Remembered (hardbound) – Retails for $21.95

Special Price $17.56 – [image error]

It is also available as audio on iTunes and on Kindle.

Final Notes

So please, if you know a way to connect with the type of people who could make a movie of A Land Remembered happen, please share that with me.

Also, I look forward to meeting you on my March tour!

Best Wishes,

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Rick Smith (Patrick D. Smith, Jr.)

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A Land Remembered Overcomes Obstacles to Become One of Florida’s Favorite School Books

Some of the links in this post are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you. All opinions remain my own.

[image error]When my father wrote A Land Remembered, he spent two years reading books and articles about old Florida, plus interviewing countless

“Florida Crackers”. Then he spent a year writing it.

My dad was a writer. He wasn’t a book promoter. He wasn’t thinking of who would read it, who his audience would be or any of those marketing concerns, he just wrote it the way he wanted to.

Asked years later if he would change anything in it he said, “Absolutely not.”

Check out these other books on Old Florida.

A Land Remembered for Students

Early in the book’s life, some school Florida school teachers picked it up, read it, loved it, and saw its teaching potential. These savvy teachers recognized a great story when they read it.

They shared it with their classes. They quickly discovered that their students were mesmerized by the story!

And why wouldn’t they be? The story bursts with bears, wolves, dogs, oxen, cattle drives, cowboys and Indians, cattle rustling, alligators, hurricanes, horse races, bad guys and loveable characters. There is life, love, and death portrayed in a Florida that no longer exists. What’s not to love?

The 4th-grade teachers were particularly interested in exposing it to their students since that grade is when students are learning about Florida history. Dad weaved true historical moments into the lives of the book’s characters. He delved into the details of the flora and fauna and language of the day. He included all the ethnicities who lived in Florida during that time and described their daily life and culture.

A win-win for the students and the teachers; while the students loved the story, they were also being exposed to Florida history in an incredibly engaging way.

They expressed how they would like to use the book as a textbook for not only teaching history and social studies but also reading.

However, there was a bit of a problem.

Volume 1 & 2 Softbound – $17.00 

Volume 1 & 2 Hardbound – $27.00 

Also available individually and on Kindle. Click here for ordering information.

Overcoming an Obstacle

Dad didn’t write A Land Remembered for young readers specifically, he just wrote it. At over 400 pages, it is long. There are some swear words in there; some mature subjects; some pretty harsh scenes. Many of the teachers would skip over those parts when reading the book in class. But they couldn’t really do that if all the students had their own copy.

 

However, that didn’t stop a few enthusiastic 4th-grade teachers who took on the task of editing the original book’s 403 pages down to a more manageable size for classroom use. They shortened it a bit, removed or softened some of the harsher scenes and language, split it into two volumes, and basically made it “kid-friendly.”

Since the student version has been released, it has seen a huge success and has been used and loved by tens of thousands of students across Florida. This version also spawned three Teacher guides.

What Was Changed? 

When asked what the difference is, Dad answered the question this way: “three cuss words.” There is actually more to it than that, but realistically kids are going to hear much worse language on tv today or on the playground.

The student version is divided into two volumes. This makes the book less daunting to younger readers.

The print is larger and there are some illustrations.

Also, the student version editors moved the first chapter of the book wherein 1968, you meet the third generation of the MacIvey’s and moved it to the end of the second volume. It starts Volume One in 1858 when the patriarch, Tobias, moves to Florida.

Some schools don’t have time to go through the two-volume set so they opt for just Volume One. Others read both. A good number of teachers I talk to use the regular version.

Because of Dad’s writing style, the teachers minimally edited a few of the words and sentences. Nothing substantial was left out. The book wasn’t “dumbed” down by any means. Many adults happily read the two-volume set enjoying the entire saga from beginning to end.

Students DO Love A Land Remembered

I personally have met scores of parents and teachers with glowing stories about how this book has profoundly affected young readers.

I can’t begin to name how many times I’ve heard that this was the first book a student has read cover to cover, and in fact, didn’t want to put it down. Parents say they have a hard time getting their kids to go to sleep at night because they just want to read more!

Teachers have told me how their students begged them to read just one more chapter or to stay late if they were reading it in class. One high-school teacher told me how the bell rang to dismiss school and she was near the end of an exciting chapter. The students pleaded with her to finish it so she went with the students, most of them senior football players, to the waiting school bus, reading to them as they walked.

I’ve heard more than once how a student with a learning disorder was so enthralled by the story that it helped them improve both the disorder and their reading ability.

A Land Remembered Inspires School Projects

It not only inspires reading, but it also influences other creative outlets of learning.

Some schools have the students dress up in the style of the times portrayed in the book and act out scenes. At least one school that I know of made their own movie of it.

I’ve been invited to schools hosting “A Land Remembered Day” where the students dress up and have period food like swamp cabbage and fry bread, and try their hand at whip cracking and pretend cattle roping.

Check out this huge quilt that students made and gifted to Dad. His office is filled with student art projects based on the book.

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They make beautiful dioramas of scenes from the book and they present plays based on the book. You can see a sample of that in this video.

I also can’t tell you how many boxes AND BOXES of student letters and art that students have sent dad throughout the years!

Student drawing of the alligator eating Skillit’s pants. They love that scene!

Cabin Burning Scene

All of these classroom projects encouraged us to publish an entire website, TeachALandRemembered.com, for teachers and homeschooling parents who teach with A Land Remembered. You can find other classroom ideas and resources on that site.

Beyond the Classroom

A lot of adult fans of A Land Remembered got their start on the novel by helping their children with it. Parents have said to me they read it in school when they were students and wanted to pass it on to their children. Kids as young as seven years old have come to my A Land Remembered shows clutching beloved, worn copies of the book, asking me to autograph it for them.

One elderly gentleman called me early one morning and ordered three sets of the student version. They were for his great-grandkids, who were too young at that time to read. He wanted to make sure they each had a copy when they could read. That really touched me.

Still Going Strong

A Land Remembered was first published in 1984 as a paperback and it shortly came out in the hardbound version you see today. Most books have a shelf life of two years or less but due to its popularity, A Land Remembered book sales are growing stronger every year, 35 years later!

I believe that is in large part because it truly is a book for all ages and I might add, not only for people born, raised, or now living in Florida. It’s an intriguing look at the history of one of the most unique states in the United States.

If you don’t believe me, believe the kids!

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A Land Remembered Fans Are Everywhere! Read What Happened to Me Last Month.

It never ceases to amaze me how many fans dad’s book, A Land Remembered, has!

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At the end of August, I spent a week visiting my mother in Florida. I go back as often as possible to check up on her health, meet with her caretakers and make sure everything is running smoothly. This time I also went to check up on some issues she is having with her 52-year-old house. Coming from cool, coastal California, the weather nearly knocked me down. The heat and humidity were almost unbearable, but I digress.

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Rick presented a signed book to Carly Jo Jackson.

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS. PLEASE READ MY DISCLOSURE FOR MORE INFO.

The day I flew back from Orlando to Denver to eventually to San Luis Obispo, I arrived in late afternoon, fairly jet lagged. Kim and I went with a friend, Alice, for a happy hour drink at the Cambria Pines Lodge to unwind. As we were sitting on the porch, a tall young lady walked by carrying a guitar case. I remarked, “Oh, the band is here. Where are you from?” She said, “Orlando,” and I said, “I was just there this morning.” We had an immediate connection over that. As I usually do when I meet Floridians in California, I asked, “Have you heard of a book called A Land Remembered?” She said, “Oh my God, by Patrick D. Smith? I’ve read it twice!”

Being as modest as I could be I said, he’s my father, and then we really had something to talk about.

[image error]Her name is Carly Jo Jackson. I discovered that she is an up and coming musician who has been on America’s Got Talent twice! (Here is a link to her performance on the show.) Such a nice, talented person.

She invited us to stick around for the show because a special guest was going to make an appearance. That guest turned out to be Michael McDonald, best known as the voice of the Doobie Brothers.

The third musician of their little trio was Chris Pelonis who also plays with and is the musical director of Jeff Bridges’ band, The Abiders. He wrote some music for his movie Crazy Heart and has played with Jackson Brown, among others. He is an amazing guitarist.

What a show they put on!

This whole meeting seemed destined to be when I learned that Chris Pelonis lives about 200 feet from my house in Cambria. (I really need to get to know my neighbors.) He was encouraging Michael McDonald to get a house up here in this neighborhood, too. I sure hope he does.

You can find Michael McDonald’s music on iTunes, as well as the songs and albums of Carly Jo Jackson and Chris Pelonis. I’ve added several of their songs to my playlist.

Well, our friend Alice was duly impressed. Kim and I have told her that this happens all the time in Florida, but also out here in California. We were at a local winery with her a few months ago and were talking with the young lady who worked there. She said she was from Florida and the same scene transpired, with her saying how much she loved the book and had in fact bought copies for her nephews and nieces. It happened at another winery nearby and on an airplane once, along with numerous other occasions.

A Land Remembered is a big deal in Florida. It has often been said that it should be required reading for everyone living in the state, that students should be required to read it in order to graduate and that it should be handed out as people cross the Florida state line. I’ve met many people who buy copies every year to hand out as Christmas presents, and then those people do the same thing. It spreads that way. I think they should just go ahead and make it the official book of Florida.

[image error]It is unique in that it is such a big hit in Florida, and authors well-known outside of Florida, Carl Hiaasen for example, revere the book (the characters in two of his novels are reading A Land Remembered) but it isn’t well known outside the state. I can’t think of another book that is so regional in popularity. A good story is a good story, no matter where it is set, right? I feel like Johnny Appleseed spreading the word as I present my program “Patrick Smith’s Florida Is A Land Remembered” to more and more snowbirds, who return to their home states in the spring and share it with others.

Recently, A Land Remembered has been acquired by The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc., one of the largest independent book publishers in North America. It will be distributed by their sister company, National Book Network (NBN) established in 1986 and one of the largest distributors of independent trade book publishers in the nation. The president told me that he had read it and loved it. He was very enthusiastic about it. I’m betting that with their marketing power A Land Remembered will reach a wider audience. I know in my heart that it will one day be made into a movie.

Thank you for being a fan of A Land Remembered. Can you think of ways to help spread the word? If so, please comment below.

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