Burrow Press has a new book out. It’s a collection of short stories and essays from current and former Floridians called We Can’t Help It If We’re From Florida- New Stories From A Sinking Peninsula. It’s Burrow Press’s biggest book yet.
Publisher Ryan Rivas, writer Kristen Arnett who recently published a collection of short stories, Felt in the Jaw, and Susan Lilley, Orlando’s first poet laureate, joined Intersection to talk about We Can't Help It If We're From Florida.
Rivas says the collection is "bringing together talent to show off what we have in terms of Florida writers and writing about Florida."
"Combining the elements of serious literature with the playfulness and weirdness and even to a certain degree of tackiness of Florida is kind of what this book is all about," he says.
Arnett says it can be hard to write about Florida.
"The thing that I was trying to dig at about writing about Florida is that it's so myriad there's so many different parts of Florida or spaces in Florida," Arnett says.
"Maybe it's just that people are trying dig at something, trying to get at the heart of what home is and for me that's writing about Florida."
"I'm fascinated about Florida," says Lilley.
"I write a lot of celebration type poems about Florida that are very exuberant, and full of Florida imagery," she says.
"Sometimes it's a little too bright and shiny and then I overreact the other direction."
Rivas said there will be a "Florida casual" book launch on November, 29th at The Orange Studio.