PRESS RELEASE: May 19, 2023
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Lashonda Curry, Communications Director, Florida Humanities
Cell: 813-447-1752 | Email: lcurry@flahum.org
Titles by renowned Florida historian and award-winning children’s author will represent Florida at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.
St. PETERSBURG, FL (May 19 , 2023) Florida Humanities Center for the Book has selected two books that explore dreams of the past and hopes for the future as being representative of Florida’s local literary heritage. The books will be a part of the Library of Congress’ program, “Great Reads from Great Places,” which has been featured at the National Book Festival since 2002.
The selected books are:
- Adult Title: Dreams in the New Century: Instant Cities, Shattered Hopes, and Florida’s Turning Point (University Press of Florida, 2022) by Gary R. Mormino
- Youth Title: The Bluest Sky (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2022) by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
A conversation between both authors, moderated by Florida Humanities Executive Director Nashid Madyun, will take place June 21 at 7 p.m. at Tombolo Books in St. Petersburg.
“We felt these titles were ideal selections for ‘Great Reads from Great Places’ because they beautifully represent Florida’s rich literary culture and shine a light on our diverse stories and the people who live here,” said Florida Humanities Associate Director Patricia Putman. “Both received gold medal 2022 Florida Book Awards, which we have been partners with for many years and are proud to help elevate the voices of Florida’s many talented writers.”
During the 2023 National Book Festival, on Saturday, Aug. 12, at the Washington Convention Center, representatives from the local Center for the Book or state library from all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and Northern Marianas will staff tables to promote their book selections and other literary works reflective of their unique locations. Florida Humanities was designated the state’s Center for the Book affiliate in 2021, and is one of 56 Affiliates of the Library of Congress and its Center for the Book.
The Bluest Sky is set during Cuba’s 1980 Mariel boatlift. Author Christina Diaz Gonzalez, a native Floridian of Cuban descent, said she has family and close friends who fled communist Cuba during this time.
“This book is dear to my heart,” said Gonzalez, who lives in Miami. “In writing this story, my hope is that readers will gain a greater appreciation for the difficult decisions immigrants must often make by placing themselves in the shoes of a boy who must choose to leave or stay in his homeland all the while knowing that there may be dire consequences with either of his choices.”
In 2011, after witnessing a remarkable decade of political, social and demographic change in Florida, historian Gary Mormino said he realized he wanted to “write a book that introduced and explained modern Florida to the world.” Eleven years later, Dreams in the New Century was released.
“Having lived in Florida for almost a half century, I thought I had witnessed history’s full arc,” said Mormino, Frank E. Duckwall Professor of History Emeritus at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. “But the sheer fury of the events slamming Florida from 2000-2010, was eye opening: the Y2K silliness, the nail-biting 2000 election recounts, Elián González and Terri Schiavo, the pulsing events of 9/11, the year of four hurricanes (2004), growing environmental concerns, the cratering of the newspaper business, a searing economic collapse known as the Great Recession, and an opioid crisis. For me, it was a challenge and opportunity to compress these events into a grand narrative.”
About Florida Humanities
Florida Humanities, a nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, is dedicated to preserving, promoting, and sharing the history, literature, cultures, and personal stories that offer Floridians a better understanding of themselves, their communities, and their state. Since 1973, Florida Humanities has awarded more than $20 million in support of statewide cultural resources and public programs strongly rooted in the humanities. Florida Humanities was designated the state’s Center for the Book affiliate in 2021, and has crafted public programs and funding opportunities to share our love and appreciation of literature, literacy, and learning. www.FloridaHumanities.org.
About Center for the Book
The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress is a community of 56 Affiliated Centers, promoting reading, libraries and literacy through the Library of Congress and its Affiliated Centers across the country. Learn more at https://www.loc.gov/programs/center-for-the-book/about-this-program/.
