Christopher Nank, Author at Florida Book Club

Lori Roy and “Chum in the Water” – Season 3, Episode 5

By Christopher Nank September 15, 2021Season 3

Join me as I discuss Lori Roy's sinister Florida noir tale "Chum in the Water," which appears in the Akashic Books collection Tampa Bay Noir, with the author herself on this episode of the Florida Book Club.

Revisiting “Fearsome Creatures of Florida” with John Henry Fleming – Season 3, Episode 4

By Christopher Nank September 8, 2021Season 3

This time around, we've got the author himself on board to discuss phantom panthers, skunk apes, beach monsters, and other Florida cryptids that may or may not be lurking in your development or favorite park.

Rick Kilby and “Florida’s Healing Waters” – Season 3, Episode 3

By Christopher Nank September 1, 2021Season 3

Today I’m joined by Rick Kilby, author of the 2013 book Finding the Fountain of Youth and the 2020 volume Florida’s Healing Waters to discuss the history of Florida's natural springs.

A Conversation with Tampa Bay Times Culture Reporter Gabrielle Calise – Season 3, Episode 2

By Christopher Nank August 25, 2021Season 3

Gabrielle Calise, a Tampa Bay Times life and culture reporter, talks about strip club spaceships, Tampa's hot dog girls, and the role of local media.

Wanda Suttle Duncan and “Cracker Gothic” – Season 3, Episode 1

By Christopher Nank August 18, 2021Uncategorized

Wanda Suttle Duncan’s account of her small north Florida hamlet is heartfelt, often touching, and displays great humor and turns of phrase while documenting the author’s return to her hometown amid heartbreaking circumstances.

Florida’s Vanishing Wildlife (1992)

By Christopher Nank July 16, 2021Blog

The 1992 coloring book Florida’s Vanishing Wildlife evinces a level of ecological awareness I found startling for its time, and in a coloring book no less.

I Hold a Wolf By the Ears book cover detail

Laura van den Berg’s “Lizards” would have been a great novel

By Christopher Nank June 16, 2021Blog

It’s not often I finish a short story and wish it had been a novel. Laura van den Berg’s “Lizards” was one of those rare exceptions.

Aja’s, Bartram’s, and LeMoyne’s Alligators of Florida – Season 2, Episode 8

By Christopher Nank May 19, 2021Season 2

White Europeans have always been fascinated by alligators. In this episode, I discuss Alexandre Aja’s 2019 alligator film Crawl through the lens of two centuries-old accounts of Florida explorations.

John Henry Fleming’s “Fearsome Creatures of Florida” – Season 2, Episode 7

By Christopher Nank May 12, 2021Season 2

“The world is less tame than you’d imagined.” So says John Henry Fleming to the unwary visitor arriving to Florida by plane or cruise ship, or as they leave the…

A Conversation with Tampa Bay Historian Andy Huse – Season 2, Episode 6

By Christopher Nank May 5, 2021Season 2

There’s a long tradition of making cheesy promotional videos to lure people to Tampa Bay area. One of them, from the 1960s, even features an alien visitor who decides to…