{"product_id":"son-of-real-florida-stories-from-my-life-hardcover","title":"Son of Real Florida: Stories from My Life - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eJeff Klinkenberg\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs stories about \"Florida Man\" inspire wild headlines in the news, Florida's most beloved chronicler is here to show that the state is more than the stereotypes. Award-winning journalist Jeff Klinkenberg has explored what makes Florida unique for nearly half a century, and \u003ci\u003eSon of Real Florida\u003c\/i\u003e is a compelling retrospective of essays on the state he knows so well.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKlinkenberg recounts what it was like to grow up in pre-air conditioning Florida and how he became a newspaper reporter in mid-century Miami. He introduces us to the stout-hearted folks who have learned to live and even prosper among the insects, sharptoothed critters, and serious heat. We meet beekeeper Harold P. Curtis and his prized orange blossom honey; frog whisperer Avalon Theisen; Sheepshead George of St. Petersburg; and Miss Martha, the oyster-shucking queen of Apalachicola.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKlinkenberg also takes us to some of the most interesting, little-known places in the state. We travel to Solomon's Castle of reclaimed materials, the neighborhood of \"Rattlesnake, Florida,\" and the smallest post office in the United States. Along the way, he stops to impart true Florida wisdom, from how to eat a Key lime pie to which writers and artists every Floridian should know.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this heartfelt tribute, Klinkenberg portrays Florida's people, places, food, and culture with a deep understanding that does not relegate them to cliché. He writes with warmth and authenticity of a state he still sees as wondrous in its own ways. Though some may think the real Florida is a thing of the past, he says, \"Do not tell me Florida is no longer a paradise.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eJeff Klinkenberg\u003c\/b\u003e wrote for the \u003ci\u003eTampa Bay Times\u003c\/i\u003e from 1977 to 2014. He is a two-time winner of the Paul Hansell Distinguished Journalism Award, the highest honor given by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors. He is the author of \u003ci\u003eAlligators in B-Flat: Improbable Tales from the Files of Real Florida, Pilgrim in the Land of Alligators: More Stories about Real Florida\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eSeasons of Real Florida.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 248\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.69 x 9.02 x 5.98 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e April 03, 2018\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48770662105336,"sku":"9780813056739","price":24.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0698\/5629\/7208\/files\/F9B20cEuX79780813056739.webp?v=1780393741","url":"https:\/\/barneysbooksellers.com\/products\/son-of-real-florida-stories-from-my-life-hardcover","provider":"Barney's Book Sellers","version":"1.0","type":"link"}