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NAME:OCLS
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BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:90f3faab-6387-47e4-bd39-a4e0f46226de
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DTSTAMP:20260831T085243Z
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261008T140000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20261008T150000
SUMMARY:Welcome to Florida: Meet the Author Craig Pittman
LOCATION:Southwest Branch\nSouthwest Branch
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Southwest Branch;X-APPLE-R
 ADIUS=10;X-TITLE=Southwest Branch:geo:28.455989,-81.489773
GEO:28.455989;-81.489773
DESCRIPTION:Author\, journalist\, and podcaster Craig Pittman will share s
 ome quirky\, touching\, and thought-provoking stories about what he calls 
 "The Most Interesting State." A book sale and signing will follow..\nhttps
 ://ocls.libnet.info/event/16584309
X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:<p><strong>More Info:&nbsp\;</strong></p>\n<p
 >A much-loved Florida writer chronicles the quirky\, touching\, and though
 t-provoking stories of the Sunshine State today &nbsp\;</p>\n<p>In&nbsp\;<
 em>Welcome to Florida</em>\, award-winning investigative journalist and <e
 m>New York Times</em> bestselling author Craig Pittman introduces readers 
 to the people\, creatures\, places\, and issues that make up the Florida o
 f today. Through lively stories told with cutting insight and always with 
 a joke at the ready\, Pittman captures the heart of what he calls &ldquo\;
 The Most Interesting State.&rdquo\; &nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nb
 sp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;</p>\n<p>At the core of this collec
 tion is a deep sense of admiration for the resilience of those who live he
 re. Again and again\, this book showcases the power of &ldquo\;ordinary Fl
 oridians fighting to save some part of the state that they hold dear.&rdqu
 o\; Often\, that means folks rallying to protect the state&rsquo\;s unique
  natural landscape\; sometimes it means former CIA agents incorporating th
 eir own island community. &nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\
 ;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;&nbsp\;</p>\n<p><em>Welcome to Florida</em> is both 
 a love letter to and hilarious deep dive into the nation&rsquo\;s fastest-
 growing state. Imbued with Pittman&rsquo\;s characteristic humor and unden
 iable fondness for both the weird and wonderful parts of his home\, this b
 ook shows why\, despite some of its reputations\, Florida continues to pro
 ve irresistible.&nbsp\;</p>\n<p><strong>About the Author:&nbsp\;</strong><
 br />Craig Pittman is the author of seven books about Florida\, including 
 "Oh\, Florida! How America's Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Cou
 ntry\," (2016) which became a New York Times bestseller\, and "Cat Tale: T
 he Wild\, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther" (2020). His most recen
 t book is "Welcome to Florida: True Tales from America's Most Interesting 
 State" (2025). He writes a weekly column for the Florida Phoenix and also 
 co-hosts the popular "Welcome to Florida" podcast. He is a native Floridia
 n and graduated from Troy State University in Alabama\, where his muckraki
 ng work for the student paper prompted an agitated dean to label him "the 
 most destructive force on campus." Since then he has covered a variety of 
 newspaper beats and quite a few natural disasters\, including hurricanes\,
  wildfires and the Florida Legislature. In 2020 he was named a Florida Lit
 erary Legend by the Florida Heritage Book Festival and in 2022 the nationa
 l Sierra Club gave him its Rachel Carson Award. He lives in St. Petersburg
 \, Fla.\, with his wife and two children.</p>\nhttps://ocls.libnet.info/ev
 ent/16584309
URL;VALUE=URI:https://ocls.libnet.info/event/16584309
ATTACH:https://static.libnet.info/images/events/ocls/welcome_to_florida_by
 _craig_pittman.jpg
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