Seasons of Real Florida

The Florida History and Culture Series

by Jeff Klinkenberg

"Winter in Florida smells of orange blossoms, while spring brings long mornings of fly-fishing. Summer saunters in like a breeze beneath a shade tree, and to the uninitiated, fall creeps in without notice. . . . Klinkenberg uncovers the beauty and mystery of his home state."-- Southern Living   "Reminds you of hopping in the back of a friend’s truck for a ride. But this one takes you beyond the sunny skies and high-rises and into the past."-- Miami Herald "The real Florida is a state on the verge of extinction, a weird, quirky world threatened by too many people, too many strip malls, too much modern life. . . . [Klinkenberg] preserves the real Florida, warts and all, before it disappears forever."-- St. Petersburg Times   "A skilled writer, he knows when to listen and when to nudge each short story along."-- Publishers Weekly   Anytime and anywhere, Jeff Klinkenberg can find a place to enjoy or a person with an irresistible story. Staying mostly off the beaten path, focusing on modern rogues who turn their backs on subdivisions and theme parks, he also finds time to write about his literary and environmental heroes. "If Jeff Klinkenberg isn’t careful," says Carl Hiaasen, "he might give journalism a good name." Florida native Jeff Klinkenberg has been writing for the St. Petersburg Times since 1977. He is the only two-time winner of the Paul Hansell Distinguished Journalism Award, the highest honor given by the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors .

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Nature, Essays

280 pages, Paperback

First published April 8, 2004

Reviews

[Denise Ballentine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a native Floridian, I just loved this book. Journalist Jeff Klinkenberg takes you on a journey deep into the history, nature, and people who comprise REAL Florida. I revisited many memories and learned many new things about my beloved state and its uniqueness. Just great!

[Jennifer Nanek · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book kinda gives the reader a way to travel around Florida without having to go anywhere. This book is a series of short stories about slices of real Florida from around the state. The are stories of great places to eat, artists, wildlife, hermits, as well as adventurers. It was hard to get into with it not being a continuous read but it was very enjoyable.

Some of these stories were quite old so it was fun to get on the internet and look up the current status of some of these individuals and places. Some of the characters unfortunately have passed away since this book was written.

My favorite story of course is the one about Lake Wales where I live. Was proud to see Tiger Creek and Steve Morrison as one of the stories. A true slice of real Florida from my hometown.

[Lake Wales Public Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Truth is Stranger Non-Fiction Book Club found "Seasons of Real Florida" by Jeff Klinkengerg to be incredibly compelling because of the anecdotal stories throughout that really explain the seasons. Many people, especially northerners coming from areas that have very distinct seasons, automatically assume that Florida has one season: warm. However, what you come to find when living here and what this book reinforces is that the seasons are more subtle and nuanced. You have to recognize the sub-tropical transition in season. They do exist and Floridians experience them in very different ways. A very good book!

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. It reminded me of how Florida was when we came down to visit 40 or 30 years ago. Its nice to know that those places and people are still here, because it is a little hard to see or find through the crowds of people.

[E Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a collection of articles covering some uniquely Florida themes. An alligator trapper/hunter, who holds the record for the heaviest captured alligator (at the time this was written), a ranger in the everglades working amongst clouds of mosquitos, and an expert on citrus fruit. Articles about
famous Floridians/ - Marjorie Stoneman Doulas Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and Ernest Hemingway.
Stories about lots of small time stores and restaurants that are probably gone by now- a fish seller, a
soul food restaurant, a roadside produce market.
Interesting but a little sad since a lot of the subjects he covered are going away.

[Richard O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am only going to put one review up about all of Jeff Klinkenberg's books. I have read and enjoyed everyone of his books on Florida. I also have "Blind Dog in a Smokehouse." All of my books have been autographed by Jeff. This coming weekend I will purchase his latest at a signing in
St. Petersburg, Florida. I have lived her since 1954 when I turned 12. These are stories of "My" Florida and the people who lived in this wonderful state. No place I would rather be living. All are totally worth the money spent.

[Chester · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read about many characters in the Sunshine state. Each story has a date and place so you can compare the Florida of today with the Florida over the past five decades. Environmentally it is not a pretty history. Shockingly, the current politicians are proud of what they and developers have created. The recent issues in Florida such as the Surfside condo and many other tragic events are harbingers of a tragic future for Florida.

[Candorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 actually - interesting articles about people, places and things Florida, not commercial mousey Florida but REAL Florida - if you are like me and you live in Florida, this book tells you about things you do not know and places you'll want to see in person, especially those articles dealing with restaurants.

[Anne Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and informative in depth journalism.