The Wilder Heart of Florida: More Writers Inspired by Florida Nature

by Leslie K. Poole, Jack E. Davis (Editor)

Overview

Fall under the spell of Florida’s natural environment

In this captivating collection, Florida’s most notable authors, poets, and environmentalists take readers on a journey through the natural wonders of the state. Continuing in the legacy of the beloved classic The Wild Heart of Florida, this book features thirty—four pieces by a new slate of well—known and emerging writers.



In these pages, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Groff describes the beauty of Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. Environmental writer Cynthia Barnett listens to seashells on Sanibel Island. Legendary journalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas records the sights and sounds of the Everglades in the 1920s. Miccosukee elder Buffalo Tiger relates traditional stories of his community’s deep relationship with the land. Presidential inaugural poet Richard Blanco muses on the shifting vista of the ocean in “Some Days the Sea.”



These writers and many others recount memories of how their lives have been enriched by the state’s varied and brilliant landscapes. Some tell of encounters with alligators, pythons, manatees, turtles, and otters, while others marvel at the unique character of flowing springs and piney scrub. Together, they highlight the need to protect pristine ecosystems and restore ones that have been damaged due to development. The Wilder Heart of Florida will inspire readers to explore and celebrate the Florida wilderness.



Contributors: Susan Lilley | Lauren Groff | Buffalo Tiger | Terry Ann Thaxton | Bill Maxwell | Jack E. Davis | Charles Lee | David McCally | Gabbie Buendia | Rick Campbell | Frederick R. Davis | Cynthia Barnett | Loren G. “Totch” Brown | Lee Irby | Isaac Eger | Anmari Alvarez—Alemán | Leslie K. Poole | Russ Kesler | Harriet Beecher Stowe | Margaret Ross Tolbert | Lars Andersen | Lucinda Faulkner Merritt | Claire Strom | Clay Henderson | Gianna Russo | Marjory Stoneman Douglas | Bruce Stephenson | Mark Jerome Walters | Erika Henderson | Nathaniel Pryor Reed | Richard Blanco | Betty Mae Tiger Jumper and Patsy West | Frances Susanna Nevill

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781683404620
Publisher:	University Press of Florida
Publication date:	11/12/2024
Pages:	210
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Jack E. Davis is distinguished professor of history and the Rothman Family Chair in the Humanities at the University of Florida. He is the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Gulf: The Making of An American Sea and coeditor of Paradise Lost? The Environmental History of Florida. 

Leslie K. Poole is associate professor of environmental studies at Rollins College. She is the author of Tracing Florida Journeys: Explorers, Travelers, and Landscapes Then and Now and Saving Florida: Women’s Fight for the Environment in the Twentieth Century. 

Table of Contents

Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Jack E. Davis and Leslie K. Poole

Part I. Beckonings

Seduction in Key West

Susan Lilley

The Story under the Story

Lauren Groff

Our Land

Buffalo Tiger

Soldier’s Creek Trail

Terry Ann Thaxton

Part II. Revelations

Innocence Found

Bill Maxwell

The Seine

Jack E. Davis

My First Audubon Trip Hasn’t Ended Yet . . .

Charles Lee

Florida Boy

David McCally

The River That Raised Me

Gabbie Buendia

The Breathers, St. Mark’s Lighthouse

Rick Campbell

Part III. Animals

Birds and Refuge

Frederick R. Davis

The Quiet Song of Sanibel Island

Cynthia Barnett

The Habits of Alligators

Loren G. “Totch” Brown

Gator!

Lee Irby

Feast of Pythons (Homage to Harry Crews)

Isaac Eger

One Manatee, Two Nations

Anmari Alvarez-Alemán

Woodpeckers and Wildness: The Disney Wilderness Preserve

Leslie K. Poole

Sighting by the St. Johns

Russ Kesler

Part IV. Water

Up the Okalawaha: A Sail into Fairy-Land

Harriet Beecher Stowe

Musings

Margaret Ross Tolbert

The Pulse of Paynes Prairie

Lars Andersen

From Springs Heartland to Wasteland . . . and Back?

Lucinda Faulkner Merritt

Wilderness from the Water

Claire Strom

The Rhythms of the Lagoon

Clay Henderson

Raw Water

Gianna Russo

Part V. Terra Firma

Excerpts from The Galley

Marjory Stoneman Douglas

The Natural Aesthetic of the Naked God

Bruce Stephenson

Don’t Mourn the Orange

Mark Jerome Walters

Seasons of Love

Erika Henderson

Biscayne National Monument: Preserving Our Precious Bays

Nathaniel Pryor Reed

Part VI. At the Heart

Some Day the Sea

Richard Blanco

From A Seminole Legend: The Life of Betty Mae Tiger Jumper

Betty Mae Tiger Jumper and Patsy West

A Plea for Wider Justice

Marjory Stoneman Douglas

Florida Is a Pretty Girl Frances Susanna Nevill

Acknowledgments

Contributors

Credits

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

“The essays and poetry in The Wilder Heart of Florida offer sparkling writing and penetrating insights into what makes Florida such a special place. An essential read for anyone who cares about the state’s springs and scrub and other special places that are worth preserving.”—Craig Pittman, author of The State You’re In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife 



“This collection of essays by many of Florida’s best writers, compiled expertly by Jack Davis and Leslie Poole, takes a place of honor on my bookshelf. You can read it all in one sitting, if you like, but my advice is to read it a little at a time to make it last, like a jar of tupelo honey from North Florida.”—Jeff Klinkenberg, author of Son of Real Florida: Stories from My Life  



“If you haven’t fallen madly in love with the wild heart of Florida by the end of this book, check your pulse.”—Janine Farver, former executive director, Florida Humanities Council

Editorial Reviews

Capture[s] Florida’s current precarious state of balance.”—Tampa Bay Times

“This collection . . . points to the need to keep the pressure on to save the ever shrinking wild areas and denizens of our fair state. . . . [A] wonderful little book.”—Florida Times—Union

“Rich in history and deep in science and expertise, [yet] nonetheless maintains a tone of wide—eyed wonder and sensuous delight.”—Winter Park Magazine

“The Wilder Heart of Florida belongs to the current generation, but it will also move future generations of Florida writers, explorers and activists to save the state’s unique landscapes and creatures, one orchid or spring at a time.”—Our Town Magazine

From the Publisher