Going the Distance

At 64, Diana Nyad made swimming history. Now a critically acclaimed film tells her story. By Susan Burns In October, on the 10th anniversary of her historic 110-mile nonstop swim from Cuba to Key West, Diana Nyad was once again on Smathers Beach in Key West, this time releasing a rehabilitated sea turtle named Rocky. At 74, she looks youthful, strong and energetic, far better than she did 10 years

A Salty Story

Moonlight raids, fugitive slaves and hidden campsites—they’re all part of how Florida saltmakers tried to help the Confederate cause. By Robert Taylor Abraham Lincoln was elected president of the United States in November 1860, and by February, seven slave-holding Southern states had withdrawn from the Union. On Jan. 10, 1861, Florida became the third to secede. But few expected the state to count for much in the coming conflict. Only

Audubon, Revisited

A brilliant naturalist and illustrator, John James Audubon was also an unrepentant slaveholder. Can we separate the artist from the man? By Gregory Nobles At first light on a Florida morning in late December 1831 John James Audubon set out from Live Oak Landing on the Halifax River, canoeing upriver in search of brown pelicans—and not just one or two, but two dozen or more. The famous artist wanted to

FORUM Takes Home the Gold at 2023 Charlie Awards

FORUM, the magazine of Florida Humanities, won 24 awards at the 2023 Florida Magazine Association Charlie Awards Gala on July 21 in Sarasota. The magazine received 10 first-place “Charlies,” eight silver and six bronze — including a Charlie for Best Overall: Writing and Best Writing: In-Depth Reporting. The awards recognized outstanding writing, design and photography achievements by Florida magazines in 2022. Congratulations to the entire FORUM team and all the

Freedom Spring

As a young civil rights activist in Florida in 1964, Bill Maxwell experienced danger, despair—and hope. By Bill Maxwell I was an 18-year-old, a second-semester college freshman in 1964, arguably the most pivotal year of the civil rights movement. Race issues dominated the news, and leaders such as the Rev. Martin Luther King of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and Stokely Carmichael of the Student Nonviolent Committee had become household names.

Saving Sanibel

A visionary plan has long safeguarded the island’s character and beauty. But can it inspire solutions for a changing climate? By Thomas T. Ankersen In October 2022, Hurricane Ian devastated Southwest Florida, including Sanibel Island, a popular vacation destination known for its low-key charm and natural beauty. On Sanibel, a 12-foot storm surge and 130 mph winds destroyed buildings, crumpled the only bridge to the island and tossed around homes,

The Way of the Trailer

Even after Hurricane Ian, novelist and trailer-park resident Robert Plunket finds much to love in this iconic Florida way of life. By Robert Plunket Yes, I live in a trailer park, but don’t tell anyone. The stigma still exists. No other type of housing has received such consistently bad press. You picture men in “wifebeater” T-shirts stumbling around holding cans of beer and yelling at weathered-looking women with cigarettes dangling

One for the Books

In a state known for exceptional writing, the Florida Book Awards honor the very best. Here’s a guide to its distinguished history, this year’s winners, authors’ favorite Florida classics—and more. Florida’s literary history is rich with names known far beyond the borders of the state: Ernest Hemingway, Zora Neale Hurston, Jack Kerouac, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas, John D. MacDonald— to name only a few. In 2006, Florida State
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