True Florida Stories
In 1954, a moonless night settled over a small college town in the swampy heart of Florida. The University of Florida campus in Gainesville was quiet, its dorm rooms mostly empty awaiting winter break’s end. But morning at the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house brought a bloody discovery … Read moreMascot for cruelty
As 73-year-old Stephen Smith switches on the machine, a dirty gown swishes and spins inside, reminiscent of when its bride wore the dress for her first dance … Read moreYour stain, his gain
Driving in, I spotted her.
Standing in the only shade for blocks
on a boulevard of vast divergence,
but little in the way of trees,
with layered clothing, a knit beanie, and boots … Read moreGated
Since her classroom already had plenty of furniture, she asked if any of the students needed it. To her surprise, many hands shot up.
Louise realized something: Maybe these students and their families have needs that we have no idea about, she thought. The Gainesville High School ESOL Closet was born … Read moreHow The ESOL Closet helps Gainesville feel more like home
, not being from the mire but still in it,
make steeples of my hands, each joint wooden like
the inner ribbing, and I dive into the shallow
brown-green muck, and algae clings to my nose hair … Read moreNorth of south