Hot Damn!: Alligators in the Casino, Nude Women in the Grass, How Seashells Changed the Course of History, and Other Dispatches from Paradise

by James W. Hall

James W. Hall is the critically acclaimed author of eleven crime novels, including Body Language and Blackwater Sound . He's also published four books of poetry. And several of his short stories have appeared in magazines like the Georgia Review and Kenyon Review .

Now, writing in the spirit of Dave Barry and Garrison Keillor, Hall wins a new kind of reader with this collection of essays that run from insightful to opinionated, funny to wise.

Hall ponders subjects as diverse as his own love affair with Florida which began on a trip after college from which he never returned, to his equally passionate romance with books. He ponders the nature of summer heat, the writing of Hemingway and James Dickey, television, teaching, politics, fatherhood and much more. In the vibrant and elegant prose which characterize his fiction and poetry, Hall now proves himself a master of the essay as well.

Genres: Essays, Humor

248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

James W. Hall is an Edgar and Shamus Award-winning author whose books have been translated into a dozen languages. He has written twenty-one novels, four books of poetry, two collections of short stories, and two works of non-fiction. He also won a John D. MacDonald Award for Excellence in Florida Fiction, presented by the JDM Bibliophile.

He has a master’s degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate in literature from the University of Utah. He was a professor of literature and creative writing at Florida International University for 40 years where he taught such writers as Vicky Hendricks, Christine Kling, Barbara Parker and Dennis Lehane.

Reviews

[Mauoijenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun little stories.
If you're not from Florida or spent significant time there, you might feel left out.

[False · Rating 2 out of 5]

A book of essays by author (and former poet) James W. Hall. He admits the essay is not his favorite writing form, but for a time it was a steady source of income for him. I didn't find these works particularly interesting and lacking the intensity of his criminal mysteries. The author would probably agree. I still contend the two formats of writing that age most quickly and fade are cookbooks and travel writing, and there are travel essays in this collection.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dozens of bite-sized essays to make you think and smile from a prolific writer and teacher. I started this book many years ago, at the advice of a college professor. As I finished it up today, over 15 years later, I found myself inspired and moved by the essay "Anniversary." It would not have meant as much to me if I had read it in 2003, as things look very different in 2020. Thank you, James Hall, for wonderful insights into teaching, living in Florida, and what it means to live well.

[Suzi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Several of the essays were outstanding. I read the one on Vietnam as we are leaving Afghanistan and was struck by Hall's insight. The dog story was so sad. I don't want to remember that one. Well worth reading and keeping.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thoughtful collection of well-written essays with a particular interest to all things Florida!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Near the end of my summer in Florida, I figured I better read this book before I left and could no longer relate. And that's the thing, if the reader is familiar with Florida, like, really familiar with it, not just "spent a week there on spring break" kind of familiar, then s/he may find this collection of essays amusing, touching, and worthwhile. If one is not familiar with Florida, I'm not sure I would recommend this.

The essays are diverse, but all reach only about 4 pages in length. This is great if you have a short attention span, but sometimes leaves the reader wondering, so... what was his point? Very well-written, but nothing spectacular. I learned a bit about the process of writing for a living (but this has been covered in more depth elsewhere) and learned a bit about the author. By the end, he had me convinced that South Florida is not a place I ever want to live, even though he cherished it.

My favorite essay was one about his discovery of reading for pleasure, which happened when he grabbed the nearest book on the shelf trying to look inconspicuous when he was stranded at the library at age 10, and it turned out to be a pulp murder-mystery. Kids learning about the adult world of sex and violence and emotions through sneak peeks at books they're not supposed to read? I relate to that.

[Alex DeBlois · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essays are tricky. They often show a side of the author completely unrelated to the fiction they write. I have mixed feelings about how writers earn their living day-to-day and the novels they publish. Often they are so far removed, it's hard to keep my interest in the essays. Also they tend to be very provincial and timely as they are often originally consumed in a newspaper. Take the reader out of that time and away from the local knowledge the writer may presume and they become less interesting.

On the other hand, it's pretty cool to learn James and Randy Wayne White are friends and do stuff together.

[Drew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I decided to finish this since I had finished what I was reading and wanted a little break before I started my next book. Some of these essays are excellent but many are just so-so. Hall is handicapped by covering the same territory as Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen and it doesn't help that the book's cover promises more of their brand of south-Florida hilarity.

[Vince Gotera · Rating 5 out of 5]

If this isn't the funniest book I've ever read, it's darn close. No, it is the funniest book I've ever read. Period. Bar none. Check it out. Get it for people on your Christmas or holiday list. Whatever. Your friends and relatives will love you for it.

[Arlene Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

1. I had James Hall as a teacher at FIU. 2. He has South Florida pegged. 3. He is funny as all hell.

[Denise Shereff · Rating 4 out of 5]

A perfect Florida summer read!

[Marc · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable but immemorable compilation of articles written for regional light-reading magazines that were driven to irrelevance and bankruptcy by blogs