Florida Studies Review

This volume contains a variety of essays about Florida literature and history by scholars from across the state representing every kind of institution of higher learning, from community colleges to small liberal arts institutions to large universities. The essays in the first section, “Florida Studies”, focus on the rich literary, historical, and cultural traditions of the region. The contributions in “Literary and Cultural Studies” offer readings and analyses of diverse texts and critical lenses. The final section, Pedagogy, explores strategies for and challenges within institutions of higher learning in Florida.

This volume contains a variety of essays about Florida literature and history by scholars from across the state representing every kind of institution of higher learning, from community colleges to small liberal arts institutions to large universities. The first section, Pedagogy, includes essays about using Florida’s environment to its fullest in the composition classroom. The essays in Old Florida explore Florida Cracker Westerns and slave shipwrecks off the Florida coast, as well as works by James Weldon Johnson, Rex Beach, and Zora Neale Hurston. Contemporary Florida is the largest section with essays that discuss, among other topics, Stephen King, Hunter Thompson, Elizabeth Bishop, and the “Dexter” novels. The essay in Natural Florida focuses on Florida ecocriticism.

Literature Review

This volume contains a variety of essays about Florida literature and history by scholars from across the state representing every kind of institution of higher learning, from community colleges to small liberal arts institutions to large universities. The essays in the first section, ‘Pedagogy’, focus on the college classroom and the challenges facing institutions of higher learning in Florida. The essays in ‘Old Florida’ explore the state’s varied and unique geographies. The final section, ‘Contemporary Florida’, continues to point to the state’s distinctive sense of place while also locating Florida within larger literary, cultural, and political traditions.

Florida was the first region of the United States to be discovered, explored, and, after a fashion, settled by Euroamericans. Its population in the early 21st century is approaching 17 million. Within years the number of people living in the state will surpass those living in New York, and the Sunshine State will become the most populous area east of the Mississippi. The first book in English about Florida was written by Jean Ribault. A French adventurer, Ribault established a colony of Huguenots near present-day Jacksonville. He was captured by the very able Spanish commander Pedro Menendez, who ordered his French rival and all his minions killed. The state’s long and colorful past is matched by its equally long and colorful literary production. Strangely, critical assessment of Florida literature has lagged far behind. With this volume, the Florida College English Association has formally begun an effort to correct this lamentable oversight. Included are papers on every aspect of Florida literature and history by scholars from every part of the state who are employed in every kind of institution of higher learning. Of special interest are the studies of Florida literature in the 19th century and in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, areas that are generally ignored in national journals. The papers on the contributions of African-American literary figures, such as Zora Hurston and James Weldon Johnson, are noteworthy. Of particular interest are the suggestions for teaching Florida studies in the classroom, which can be adapted for high school as well as college students.

Below the live oaks, palm trees, cypress swamps, and springs, water is slowly wearing away the limestone bedrock of Florida. The erosion is often unseen, and over time it can result in shocking cave-ins like the destructive spectacle of the 1981 Winter Park sinkhole. Florida Sinkholes--the first comprehensive book on the subject--is an easy-to-follow guide to understanding how sinkholes form and what to do about Florida's sometimes pockmarked landscape. City planners, construction managers, developers, and homeowners alike will find this book invaluable because of the heavy impact and increasing frequency of sinkhole formation in the state. Amateur geologists will be fascinated by the subtle forces of nature that can make solid rock disappear. Tackling the problem of sinkholes in useful detail, this book packs an abundance of sound scientific fact into frank, readable language. Learn about the captivating workings of karst, a term for the swiss cheese-like formations of soluble rock that underlie the peninsula. Discover current state-of-the-art approaches to mapping sinkholes and subsurface voids. Review such practical concerns as structural damage, repairs, insurance problems, and management of karst lands. Examine case studies of several notable sinkholes and sinkhole events. Even before you've finished reading, you may find yourself itching to get out and visit these intriguing marvels of Florida geology for yourself.