Oh, Florida! How America’s Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country

Some people regard Florida as nothing but the Punchline State because so many weird things happen here. Craig Pittman argues that is also the greatest state with the greatest impact on other states. In this presentation based on his hilarious and thought-provoking New York Times bestselling book Oh Florida!, Mr. Pittman explains how what he calls “The Most Interesting State” got to be the way it is.

Craig Pittman is a native Floridian. Born in Pensacola, he graduated from Troy State University in Alabama, where his muckraking work for the student paper prompted an agitated dean to label him “the most destructive force on campus”. After 31 years at the Tampa Bay Times, he now writes a weekly column on environmental issues for the Florida Phoenix and co-hosts the podcast “Welcome to Florida”. He has written six non-fiction books about Florida and lives in St. Petersburg.

Registration and an admission fee are required to attend; $12 for Key West Art and Historical Society members, $15 for non-members. This Florida Talks program is a partnership between Florida Humanities and the Key West Art and Historical Society. Funding for this program was provided by Florida Humanities and sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the aforementioned entities. Additional support is provided by The Helmerich Trust, Aloys & Carol Metty, and The John & Marilyn Rintamaki Family Charitable Fund.