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Florida Stories
"A potpourri of short stories that serves up more style and substance, more suspense and sensuality, than most of the titles on the current best-seller list."—Tampa Tribune
Like an album of snapshots from a tropical vacation, this collection of seventeen stories captures Florida places and characters transformed by the literary imagination of some of America’s finest short fiction writers like Stephen Crane.
The stories range widely across Florida history and landscapes—St. Petersburg in the 20s, Key West and Alachua County in the 30s, Coconut Grove and Jacksonville in the 50s, Miami Beach in the 60s, and Ft. Lauderdale in the 70s. Andrew Lytle recounts violent events in an Indian village during the Spanish rule. Sarah Orne Jewett and Stephen Crane treat maritime Florida in the 19th century while Hemingway and Philip Wylie present stories of the 20th century. From the pinewoods of northern Florida, through cracker farms, boom towns, and coastal suburbs, to the swamps and the Keys, we meet characters both common and extraordinary: moonshiners, socialites, carnies, sailors, scavengers, and fugitives.
McCarthy’s collection reveals the impact of a rich human and natural environment on the work of these distinguished writers. In the process it captures the uniquely Floridian coincidence of the exotic and mundane.
Like an album of snapshots from a tropical vacation, this collection of seventeen stories captures Florida places and characters transformed by the literary imagination of some of America’s finest short fiction writers like Stephen Crane.
The stories range widely across Florida history and landscapes—St. Petersburg in the 20s, Key West and Alachua County in the 30s, Coconut Grove and Jacksonville in the 50s, Miami Beach in the 60s, and Ft. Lauderdale in the 70s. Andrew Lytle recounts violent events in an Indian village during the Spanish rule. Sarah Orne Jewett and Stephen Crane treat maritime Florida in the 19th century while Hemingway and Philip Wylie present stories of the 20th century. From the pinewoods of northern Florida, through cracker farms, boom towns, and coastal suburbs, to the swamps and the Keys, we meet characters both common and extraordinary: moonshiners, socialites, carnies, sailors, scavengers, and fugitives.
McCarthy’s collection reveals the impact of a rich human and natural environment on the work of these distinguished writers. In the process it captures the uniquely Floridian coincidence of the exotic and mundane.
- GenresFictionShort Stories
326 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1989
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About the author
Kevin M. McCarthy
56 books7 followersProfessor of Linguistics at the University of Florida (1969-2005).
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 3, 2015
This is an ecclectic mix of fiction and non-fiction, all excerpts from longer works. Each one was a powerful piece of reading in itself. It reminded me of being in high school when your favorite teacher would pull out a short chapter from his favorite author and watch it set your brain on fire. Really well chosen and compiled and though I finished it months ago I find myself thinking about several of the pieces over and over again.
February 21, 2025
Great piece of Florida literature and a beautifully curated anthology by McCarthy. Would’ve liked more POC representation in the authors.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews