Whether they were born in Florida or chose to live and work here, a number of acclaimed authors have churned out their masterpieces in the Sunshine State.
Mentioning “writer” and “Florida” in the same breath usually brings a few names to mind, including Ernest Hemingway, who lived for a time in Key West, where he wrote a number of classics, including To Have and Have Not; and Tennessee Williams, another Key West resident who wrote Summer and Smoke and Night of the Iguana, among other works, from his cottage at 1431 Duncan St.
Hemingway’s home operates as a museum today and is available for special events, while a new exhibit honoring Tennessee Williams was just unveiled by the Key West Business Guild and includes personal photos of the playwright at home with his partner and friends, as well as books of poetry and drama, playbills and a typewriter he used.
Away from the free-spirited ambience of Key West, another writer found inspiration in the swampy scrublands of north-central Florida—Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, a former New York journalist who chronicled the hardscrabble life she encountered in the tiny town of Cross Creek, shaping her experiences into several acclaimed novels, including The Yearling, a Pulitzer Prize-winner. Today, Rawlings’ cracker-style homestead is preserved at Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Historic State Park.
In addition to literary giants past, writers still living and working in Florida today include Carl Hiaasen, who was born and raised in the state; humorist Dave Barry and crime novelist Edna Buchanan, both Miami residents; Dexter creator Jeff Lindsay, who lives in Southwest Florida; and that master of horror, Stephen King, a seasonal resident of the Sarasota area.
Meanwhile, Naples holds bragging rights to being the home of novelists Robin Cook and Janet Evanovich. They share what they love about living in Florida below.PageBreak
The Doctor Is In | Robin Cook
He single-handedly invented the “medical thriller” genre, starting with his breakthrough novel, the blockbuster book-turned-movie Coma and rolling through 28 New York Times bestsellers, including Outbreak, Vital Signs and Contagion. He’s a Columbia University Medical School graduate, Harvard Medical School faculty member and practicing physician. It might be tough to picture Robin Cook tramping through the Everglades.
But that’s exactly where the author was recently, searching for just the right setting so that the naturalist painter who accompanied him could transfer it to a canvas.
“I don’t know why, but the Everglades has always been an attraction for me,” he says. “It’s a mysterious place and has things that are not part of your daily routine—like alligators.”
Happily for Cook, he can go to the Everglades whenever he wants because as a Naples resident, it’s basically in his backyard.
In a recent conversation, the native New Yorker and former New Jersey resident explained how he found his way to the Sunshine State.
Robin Cook: It was 1981 and I heard Marco Island was a place where it might be good to invest a little money. So I got on a plane and flew down to Naples, got off the plane and looked around, and never made it to Marco.
Meetings Focus: What was it about Naples?
RC: It was a fun, sleepy little town full of nice people, right on the water, and I’ve always liked the water. And I realized that since it was sleepy, I might be able to write some books. [By his own reckoning, Cook has written at least 20 books in Florida.]
MF: Is there anything about Florida you found surprising?
RC: Well, I’d never met anyone from the Midwest until I went to Florida. I grew up in New York and I thought everyone in the world was a New Yorker. I think that when you live in Florida, you’re going to meet people from lots of different places. For me, that was very stimulating.
MF: Can you tell us about your next book?
RC: I’m working on it right now. It’s going to be my 32nd book, believe it or not, and I think it’s going to be my best book. I finally figured out a way to write about a very important issue that usually puts everyone to sleep. It’s a thriller about health care reform. And I think it’ll be very fun to read.
She’s Just Warming Up | Janet Evanovich
Naples resident and best-selling author of the Stephanie Plum Series and The Husband List (co-authored with Dorien Kelly), Janet Evanovich tells us what she really thinks of Florida.
Meetings Focus: What brought you to Florida?
Janet Evanovich: I chose Florida because it’s a beautiful state. When there’s snow up to my armpits in the north, I can look out at the sparkling water and take a walk on the beach. What’s not to love?
MF: What is it about Florida that inspires you?
JE: I love the bright, blue water and the sand. Also, it’s nice not to have to wear gloves and a hat six months out of the year.
MF: Is there a particular experience you would recommend to groups visiting Florida?
JE: I know it has the reputation of being a place for kids, but you can’t top Walt Disney World. I get there two or three times a year and love it. Our family loves the place so much, my daughter got married there.