The state you're in : Florida men, Florida women, and other wildlife / Craig Pittman.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Pittman, Craig, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Country life--Florida--Anecdotes.

Country life.

Wildlife watching--Florida.

Wildlife watching.

Florida--Social life and customs--Anecdotes.

Florida.

Genre:

Anecdotes

Electronic books.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (220 pages)

Place of Publication:

Gainesville : University Press of Florida, [2021]

Summary:

"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."--Publisher's website

Contents:

Intro

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Contents

Introduction

Part I. Florida Men and Florida Women

1. Working for Scale

2. A Florida Love Story (with Tattoos)

3. Of Nudists and Their Packages

4. Panacea amid a Pandemic

5. The Ketchup Murder

6. The House of Turtles

7. The Ballad of Alligator Ron

8. Oh, Snapp!

9. Gambling on Nature

10. Thankful for the Turkey Lady

11. One Foot in Front of the Other

12. Elvis and the Florida Man

Part II. Crime Does Not Pay (Enough)

13. "The Phoniest Sumbitch That Walks."

14. Encyclopedia Brown and the Case of the Mysterious Author

15. Mug Shots

16. "An Alias Name"

17. The Bard of Boca Raton

18. Unintelligible at Any Speed

19. Mission of a Lifetime

20. Double Trouble

21. "The Morning from Hell"

22. Bradys on a Train

23. Killing Time on Death Row

24. A Flash of Green

25. Fifty-Five Seconds

26. The Wonderful World of Willeford

Part III. Wild, Wild Life

27. The Fastest Gopher in Florida

28. A Nasty Bathroom Surprise

29. Swamp Thing

30. Cukes for Couples

31. Monkeys Amok

32. We're Going on a Bear Hunt

33. Loved to Death

34. Where the Buffalo Roam

35. Last Look

36. Cat Fight in the Lap of Luxury

37. So Long, Snooty

38. Snakes Alive!

Part IV. The State You're In

39. Don't Okahumpka My Wewahitchka!

40. Farewell to Some Classic Florida Kitsch

41. Haunted Highway

42. Statues We'd Salute

43. The Bridge to Nowhere

44. The Last Bookstore

45. Let Us Now Praise Florida Lovebugs

46. Dying Every Night at the Rodeo

47. Hurricane Central

48. Andrew, Plus 10

49. Springs of Love

50. My Florida Bucket List

51. Uncle Carlyle Knew the Way

Acknowledgments

About the Author.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

0-8130-6596-8

OCLC:

1262330493