Be Serious: Essays by Stephanie Hayes

by Stephanie Hayes

Side part or middle part? Is Kohl’s Cash the mark of the beast? What book should be banned next? Can Mickey Mouse be stopped? Stephanie Hayes runs toward the messiest debates in our culture. This collection of short essays from the acclaimed Tampa Bay Times and Creators Syndicate columnist will take you on a journey through moments absurd, solemn and somewhere in between. Wielding a mix of droll humor and thought-provoking observation, Hayes side-eyes American life and zeroes in on her home state of Florida, where realities are often too farcical to believe. Hayes speaks across generations, making even the heaviest topics feel digestible in a world where daily news goes down like a spoonful of knives.

267 pages, Paperback

Published October 2, 2023

About the author

Stephanie Hayes spent plenty of time working at the mall before landing a job at the Tampa Bay Times newspaper. In her a decade as a reporter, she's covered everything from suburban politics to education to snack foods to fashion to Britney Spears underwear mishaps. She also spent a year and a half on the death beat writing obituaries. Originally from the Cleveland area, she graduated from the University of South Florida and now lives in Dunedin, Florida. She blogs at stephinfections.com.

Reviews

[McKinnon Bell · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not normally one for collections of essays, but this was just delightful! I’ve grown up in Tampa, and found this book in a local bookstore around Christmas - and while I think having grown up in the location gave me a greater appreciation for some of the essays, I think everyone (especially Floridians) would enjoy this read. Some of the essays like Let Swifties Have Their Joy and Florida is Being Run By 80s Movie Bullies were true standouts for me, encapsulating a mix of humor with real truth that cuts to the reader in a manner I can only hope to accomplish with my writing.

[Faith Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the perfect step outside my usual genre. I’ve used it as a poolside read for the better half of the summer after finding it in a local bookstore while visiting my best friend in Clearwater in the spring. It was the perfect blend of serious topics written in a lighthearted manner. I found myself quite literally laughing out loud several times! Bravo, Stephanie. If I lived in the Tampa Bay Area, I’d probably be tempted to get a Times subscription just to read your column.