Invited several months prior to the event by Annette of Hula Hula
Productions of St. Pete
Beach, this would be the first public unveiling of my book "William
Moriaty's Florida". I got
up early that morning in order to meet with my assistant Jen Thompson in
order to unload the books for sale and signing as well as book related
buttons and t-shirts.
Arriving around 9 A.M. at the beautiful and historic St. Petersburg
Coliseum that crisp, clear day, I circumnavigated my way to Table #81
where I was assigned by Hula Hula. To my delight, I found out that my "next
door neighbor" was none other than Florida Folk Hero and Florida's Man
In Black, Charlie Carlson, author of "Weird Florida"
amongst many other fine books.
Accompanying him was lovely wife and Florida Folk Hero of the highest
degree, Dot.
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The ever-cheerful Jen Thompson is seen at the "William Moriaty's Florida" table before the 10:00 A.M. April 30th opening of the Florida Collectibles and Vintage Memorabilia Show. |
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Jen was invaluable at helping me set up the display for the table. I wanted to give the table visual excitement by massing the books in a
serpentine layout placing one button (which was free with each book
purchase) on each book. For the sake of Florida kitsch, I brought an
empty bottle of Florida Spyce Cologne
and
several roadside attraction pamphlets from things as diverse as Tom
Gaskins Cypress Knee Museum, Bok Tower, and the Coral Castle which
I placed on the outer periphery of the table.
Shortly after the 10 o'clock "bell" rang, heralding the official opening
of the event, one of the all time great Florida Folk Heroes and
nationally acclaimed author Tim Dorsey
arrived along with his wife and two daughters. He and his family began
to unload several of his incredible works such as "Triggerfish Twist",
"Orange Crush", "Florida Road Kill" and his latest novel "The Big
Bamboo".
It is always an honor and a pleasure to see Mr. Dorsey, and for a
person who writes such brilliantly clever, witty, eloquent and fast
paced Florida noir novels, I am always in awe of his humble, demure and
very affable and friendly nature. Put in layman's terms, Tim Dorsey is
good people.
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A close-up view of the table immediately before the Show began. |
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The first people to show up for the convention as attendees were dear
friends Brendan McWilliams and Anna Everhart (who were featured in
La Floridiana, PCR #277 at the 2005
Sanford Summit that was held with authors Charlie Carlson and Owl
Goingback). They drove all the way over for the event from Orlando, and
the two lovebirds, in typical Florida "tiki-kitsch" style, will be
married at the Mai-Kai Restaurant in Ft. Lauderdale this fall!
As my stomach and Jen's began to grumble in hunger, we were wondering
when we would be joined by our other assistant, Ska Punk musician and
artist Josh Sullivan. Like the marines showing up in the nick of time,
Josh passed through the Coliseum's sacred halls and delivered tuna fish
sandwiches to me and the divine Ms. T.
Next on the, "Hey I know you" parade was PCR contributor Hugo Morley.
Mr. Morley assists in the operation of one of my favorite restaurants
Mad Dogs and Englishmen on South MacDill
Avenue in Tampa. The salads, shrimp tempura, shitake mushrooms and
ambiance there are absolutely superb! Becoming a victim of receding
memory in advancing age, I asked Hugo to be kind enough to tell me again
what his grandfather's vocation was as I thought he was a British
actor. Sure and enough he was, Mr. Robert Morley, starring in the
Humphrey Bogart movie "The African Queen" playing the role of
actress Katharine Hepburn's brother the Reverend Samuel Sayer.
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Florida's Man in White, William Moriaty (l) poses with Florida's Man in Black, Charlie Carlson (r). Photo by Jen Thompson. |
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Jen and I were averaging a little over one book sale per hour. After
lunch time the sales pace and the attendance began to pick up. By 2
o'clock, PCR publisher Nolan Canova showed up along with fellow writers
Vinnie Blesi and Terrence Nuzum. Nolan reunited with Charlie Carlson
whom he had not seen since the Orlando MegaCon this past February. I
then introduced Nolan to Tim Dorsey and the six of us hammed it up for
some photo-ops for about fifteen minutes.
Around 3 o'clock, very dear friends Ron and Sara Melone of Clearwater
graced me with their attendance and while there, we ran into old work
colleague that Ron and I had not seen since our halcyon days at the
Clearwater Mall Montgomery Ward store #1055 back in the late '70s and
early '80s, Mr. Chris Scudamore.
What a magical day this had become!
Just as magical was the meeting of new people. On the other table next to
me was Ms. Elizabeth Neily. Dressed in an old Florida Cracker period
outfit, Ms. Neily is editor of the fascinating free quarterly
publication The Florida Frontier Gazette
jam-packed with articles by
authors and Florida historians such as T. Allen Smith, Cantor Brown Jr.,
Jerald T. Milanich, Lester R. Dailey, Jude Bagattii and Hermann
Trappman, the Gazette covers amongst many things, the history of
Florida's Indian tribes, the Civil War in Florida, African American
citrus magnates, Spanish Conquistadors, pirates and even an article
dedicated to the medicinal use of plants by our earliest inhabitants.
The Gazette is one of the most valuable and fascinating glimpses
into Florida history I have ever read, and no person interested in this
State's incredible should be without it, and Ms. Neily (who can really
get your attention when blowing into a conch shell!) is to be commended
for her superb work on this gem of a periodical.
Two tables away I would meet a man who would rival the impact that
Florida Folk Hero Harry Wise of Sanford, Florida has left on me. Two
tables away I noticed an extremely dignified looking older gentleman who
appeared to be dressed in a Nineteenth Century look of class and
sophistication.
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The lovely Bre-Elle blessed all of us with her stunningly good looks and free cups of O.J.
from the Florida SunShine Tree as she graced the hallowed St.
Petersburg Coliseum haunts in her Webb's City Florida Poster Girl attire. |
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This gentleman wandered up to my table and introduced himself. His name
is Kelly Reynolds and he is the author of "Henry Plant - Pioneer
Empire Builder". To the unfamiliar, Henry
Bradley Plant was a railroad magnate who brought his Plant System from
Daytona Beach to Tampa, connecting Florida's East Coast to Florida's
West Coast. Outside of Henry Flagler, who built the Florida East Coast
railroad from Georgia down to Key West, Henry Bradley Plant did more to
herald dependable transportation, and its resultant growth, to Central
Florida, than any other human being. For that matter I reside in the
town that is his name sake, Plant City (and we are not named after
strawberry plants or nursery plants that are major industry here)!
Mr. Reynolds and I spent a considerable time discussing Florida history,
and I was astonished to hear that in addition to being an author, he is
an actor, portraying notable figures of Florida history for the Speakers
Bureau of the Florida Humanities Council.
In 1992, he began touring for the Council, portraying Florida's fiery
liberal Senator, Claude Pepper (or "Red" Pepper as my mother used to
call him). Now Mr. Reynolds is on his latest circuit, portraying the
colorful and notable iron horse captain of industry - - now the threads
of old he was sporting began to bond together an image of an man who
does bore a striking resemblance to Mr. Plant! Jump back Hal Holbrook!
Mr. Reynolds will give a presentation on Thursday May 18th at the Bruton
Library in Plant City called "Henry Plant-Live!" that you won't want
to miss.
Oh, and forgive me for using an improper salutation, he is Florida
Folk Hero Dr. Kelly Reynolds, having earned his PhD in 1989 at the
University of South Florida.
No "La Floridiana" library is complete without "Henry Plant - Pioneer
Empire Builder"!
By 4 o'clock, things were winding down, so I left Jen in charge of the
table and finally began to circulate the show myself looking at all of
the incredible La Floridiana that took up every nook and cranny of the
massive Coliseum that has witnessed remarkable history in its time in
this premiere Florida city (the City shuffleboard across the street
looks just as fascinating and Jen and Josh have threatened to take me
there in the near future).
My final rounds were taking in glimpses of the incredible artworks that
were made by a collection of African American men and women who sold
their creations on Florida's roadsides. This collection of gifted
artisans has become known as the "Florida Highwaymen".
My artistic talents pale in comparison to the vibrant paintings of Royal
Poincianas and rising and setting suns bathing the skies over Florida's
palm-studded wetlands with brilliant hues of orange, yellow and red.
Those Highwaymen in attendance are true living Florida history and are
to be honored for the legacy they have left all of us for generations to
come.
As a tribute to the Florida Highwaymen, possibly the Ultimate Florida
folk Heroes, here's their roster:
Curtis Arnett, Albert Black, Hezekiah Baker, Ellis Buckner, Mary Anne
Carroll, James Gibson, Robert Butler, Roy A. McLendon, Johnny
Daniels, Willie Daniels, Rodney Demps, Isaac Knight, Robert Lewis, John
Maynor, Alfonso Moran, Lemeul Newton, Samuel Newton, Willie Reagan,
Cornell Smith, Charles Walker, Sylvester Wells, Charles Wheeler, and In
Memoriam, Harold Newton, George Buckner, and Livingston Roberts.
As Tim Dorsey started to pack, I gifted him with the Florida Spyce
Cologne bottle and a mid-1960's tour guide pamphlet for the Orange
Blossom Trail to add to Serge's Top Secret Florida Box!
5 o'clock came too soon, and all the magic that I was immersed in came
to an end. But not to worry! Hula Hula promoter Annette informed me that
a Florida Collectibles and Vintage Memorabilia Show will be held again
on Sunday October 29, 2006 between 10 A.M. and 5 P.M. at the St.
Petersburg Coliseum! Just the right Halloween Treat for the Florida Fan Boy!
Displays and people gone, the Coliseum reverted back to being a large
barren building, but it also housed a new chapter in its history. One
that saw me, Charlie and Dot Carlson, Tim Dorsey, Kelly Reynolds,
Elizabeth Neily, Gary Mormino, the Florida Highwaymen and countless
others contribute to the script work of that new chapter.
As I have always said, and The Florida Frontier Gazette states on
its covers:
Florida, Ya Gotta Love It!
Charlie Carlson Offers a Special Summer Program for 4th and 5th Grade Kids
Charlie Carlson will be donating his Weird Florida time to this
excellent childrens' program on the following Thursdays, June 8th, 15th,
and 22nd as Florida's Master of the Weird will be discussing strange
legends and weird history of Central Florida.
Also, Florida's Mister Magic, Harry Wise, will be contributing a
few hours of his mystifying magic and illusions for the kids.
In addition, the other session days will be spent exploring Florida
archeology, Victorian culture and styles, a field trip, Native American
lore and customs and at the end of each weekly session the kids will
have an opportunity to make scrapbooks of their experiences and things
learned, and can participate in a group skit which will be televised on
SGTV.
* Space is limited
* For reservations call 407-665-2489
* Reservations end on May 30th
Kendrick McNamee-Taylor, Summer Program Coordinator
"La Floridiana" is ©2006 by William Moriaty. Webpage design and all graphics herein (except where otherwise noted) are creations of Nolan B. Canova. All contents of Nolan's Pop Culture Review are ©2006 by Nolan B. Canova.
