Last Updated on November 18, 2022
The Thing About Florida
We all know that our Sunshine State is a pretty quirky and unique place to live. That’s the premise behind Tyler Gillespie’s new book: The Thing About Florida: Exploring a Misunderstood State.
Overall, Gillespie used to be embarrassed about calling Florida home. Between the “Because Florida” jokes and the “Florida Man” stories, he often wished he lived somewhere else. However, he takes this denial head-on in his book and takes the reader on a Florida “behind the caricatures” with a witty and humorous tone.
This unique and heartfelt journey through the Sunshine State leads to a number of unexpected spots that only a local would know. This includes halfway houses, gator pits, rattlesnake rooms, clothing-optional campgrounds, and of course, eclectic and unconventional Floridians. This wide array of Floridians range from drag queens to storm chasers, cattle ranchers to Civil War reenactors, and also python hunters!
While the book has a comical tone, it also focuses on important issues like the racist past of Florida, the addiction of its citizens, and health care for the high number of senior LGBTQ+ seniors. As a gay man himself raised in the Southern Baptist faith, Gillespie has learned empathy and also shares the importance of understanding the diversity and intricacies of today’s Floridians.
With both stories from unique Floridians and memories from his childhood, Gillespie comes to terms with his beloved home state. He concludes that our beautiful Sunshine State is “a beautiful mix of hopes, dreams, and second chances”.
Purchase Gillespie’s book for yourself at University Press of Florida!
Tyler Gillespie’s Upcoming Virtual Book Tour
About the Author
Tyler Gillespie is a fifth-generation Floridian, poet, and award-winning journalist. He has written for numerous publications including GQ, the Guardian, the Nation, VICE, and Salon. His other novels include Florida Man: Poems, and he is also the co-editor of The Awkward Phase: The Uplifting Tales of Those Weird Kids You Went to School With.
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