The State You're In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife
Jump into the wacky, wild world of Florida

For more than 30 years, investigative journalist and New York Times bestselling author Craig Pittman has chronicled the wildest stories Florida has to offer. Featuring a selection of columns that have appeared in the Tampa Bay Times and other outlets throughout Pittman’s career, this book highlights just how strange and wonderful Florida can be.

With a folksy style, an eye for the absurd, and a passion for the history and environment of his home state, Pittman describes some of Florida’s oddest wildlife as well as its quirkiest people. The State You’re In includes a love story involving the most tattooed woman in the world, a deep dive into the state’s professional mermaid industry, and an investigation of a battle between residents of a nudist resort and the U.S. Postal Service. Pittman introduces readers to a who’s who of Florida crime fiction, a what’s what of exotic animals, and an array of beloved places he’s seen change rapidly in his lifetime.

Many of these stories are funny, some are serious, and several offer rare insights into the heart of the Sunshine State. For Pittman, Florida is both inspiring and dangerous—an “evolutionary test” for those who live in it. Together these pieces paint a complex picture of a fascinating state longing for an identity beyond palm trees and punchlines.

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The State You're In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife
Jump into the wacky, wild world of Florida

For more than 30 years, investigative journalist and New York Times bestselling author Craig Pittman has chronicled the wildest stories Florida has to offer. Featuring a selection of columns that have appeared in the Tampa Bay Times and other outlets throughout Pittman’s career, this book highlights just how strange and wonderful Florida can be.

With a folksy style, an eye for the absurd, and a passion for the history and environment of his home state, Pittman describes some of Florida’s oddest wildlife as well as its quirkiest people. The State You’re In includes a love story involving the most tattooed woman in the world, a deep dive into the state’s professional mermaid industry, and an investigation of a battle between residents of a nudist resort and the U.S. Postal Service. Pittman introduces readers to a who’s who of Florida crime fiction, a what’s what of exotic animals, and an array of beloved places he’s seen change rapidly in his lifetime.

Many of these stories are funny, some are serious, and several offer rare insights into the heart of the Sunshine State. For Pittman, Florida is both inspiring and dangerous—an “evolutionary test” for those who live in it. Together these pieces paint a complex picture of a fascinating state longing for an identity beyond palm trees and punchlines.

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The State You're In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife

The State You're In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife

by Craig Pittman
The State You're In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife

The State You're In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife

by Craig Pittman

Paperback

$24.95 
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Overview

Jump into the wacky, wild world of Florida

For more than 30 years, investigative journalist and New York Times bestselling author Craig Pittman has chronicled the wildest stories Florida has to offer. Featuring a selection of columns that have appeared in the Tampa Bay Times and other outlets throughout Pittman’s career, this book highlights just how strange and wonderful Florida can be.

With a folksy style, an eye for the absurd, and a passion for the history and environment of his home state, Pittman describes some of Florida’s oddest wildlife as well as its quirkiest people. The State You’re In includes a love story involving the most tattooed woman in the world, a deep dive into the state’s professional mermaid industry, and an investigation of a battle between residents of a nudist resort and the U.S. Postal Service. Pittman introduces readers to a who’s who of Florida crime fiction, a what’s what of exotic animals, and an array of beloved places he’s seen change rapidly in his lifetime.

Many of these stories are funny, some are serious, and several offer rare insights into the heart of the Sunshine State. For Pittman, Florida is both inspiring and dangerous—an “evolutionary test” for those who live in it. Together these pieces paint a complex picture of a fascinating state longing for an identity beyond palm trees and punchlines.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780813068862
Publisher: University Press of Florida
Publication date: 08/02/2022
Pages: 252
Product dimensions: 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.70(d)

About the Author

Craig Pittman is a native Floridian and an award-winning journalist. He wrote for the Tampa Bay Times for 30 years and now writes for the Florida Phoenix. He is the author of several books, including the New York Times bestseller Oh, Florida!: How America’s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country; Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther; and The Scent of Scandal: Greed, Betrayal, and the World’s Most Beautiful Orchid. He is cohost of the Welcome to Florida podcast. Pittman was named a Florida Literary Legend by the Florida Heritage Book Festival in 2020.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Part I Florida Men and Florida Women

1 Working for Scale 7

2 A Florida Love Story (with Tattoos) 11

3 Of Nudists and Their Packages 13

4 Panacea amid a Pandemic 15

5 The Ketchup Murder 18

6 The House of Turtles 25

7 The Ballad of Alligator Ron 29

8 Oh, Snapp! 33

9 Gambling on Nature 37

10 Thankful for the Turkey Lady 40

11 One Foot in Front of the Other 43

12 Elvis and the Florida Man 48

Part II Crime Does Not Pay (Enough)

13 "The Phoniest Sumbitch That Walks" 53

14 Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Mysterious Author 59

15 Mug Shots 65

16 "An Alias Name" 68

17 The Bard of Boca Raton 74

18 Unintelligible at Any Speed 82

19 Mission of a Lifetime 86

20 Double Trouble 91

21 "The Morning from Hell" 96

22 Bradys on a Train 104

23 Killing Time on Death Row 106

24 A Flash of Green 115

25 Fifty-Five Seconds 120

26 The Wonderful World of Willeford 129

Part III Wild, Wild Life

27 The Fastest Gopher in Florida 141

28 A Nasty Bathroom Surprise 143

29 Swamp Thing 147

30 Cukes for Couples 151

31 Monkeys Amok 154

32 We're Going on a Bear Hunt 157

33 Loved to Death 161

34 Where the Buffalo Roam 168

35 Last Look 171

36 Cat Fight in the Lap of Luxury 174

37 So Long, Snooty 179

38 Snakes Alive! 183

Part IV The State You're In

39 Don't Okahumpka My Wewahitchka! 193

40 Farewell to Some Classic Florida Kitsch 195

41 Haunted Highway 198

42 Statues We'd Salute 200

43 The Bridge to Nowhere 203

44 The Last Bookstore 207

45 Let Us Now Praise Florida Lovebugs 210

46 Dying Every Night at the Rodeo 213

47 Hurricane Central 223

48 Andrew, Plus 10 226

49 Springs of Love 233

50 My Florida Bucket List 237

51 Uncle Carlyle Knew the Way 240

Acknowledgments 243

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“Spanning thirty years of extraordinary reporting, The State You’re In is a celebration of Florida and its most versatile writer—pee-your-pants funny in one chapter and utterly humane in the next. Craig Pittman is Florida’s own Mark Twain.”—Cynthia Barnett, author of Mirage; Blue Revolution; and Rain: A Natural and Cultural History

The State You’re In is pure Pittman, who has earned his reputation as one of the most astute observers of Florida. The book is a combination love story and divorce trial of a writer cursing the state he loved but realizing the magic and romance that first captivated him.”—Gary R. Mormino, author of Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: A Social History of Modern Florida

“Pittman has alligator-wrestled some of Florida’s wackiest occurrences and managed to pin them to the page with his usual wit, charm, and knack for making the outlandish seem like just another day in the sunshine. There truly is no state like Florida, and no one writes about Florida like Craig Pittman.”—Steph Post, author of Holding Smoke

“From panthers to the BP oil spill, Pittman has covered a breathtaking range of stories in his long career. This collection portrays the weird and the wild, the sad and the surprising, with an unflinching yet loving touch. Pittman humanizes Florida, explains it, even translates it, for those who both love and loathe the state.”—Tara Lush, author of Grounds for Murder

“Pittman is that rare breed of writer who not only makes us laugh but also makes us think. His storytelling often highlights the shady side of the Sunshine State, but it is clearly informed by a deep appreciation for Florida’s history and culture.”—Janine Farver, former executive director, Florida Humanities Council

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