I'm very proud to have hometown support for Walkin' Lawton. I was born and raised in Annapolis, MD, close to the Chesapeake Bay and Maryland's maritime culture.
I'm interested in all American politics, but I follow Maryland, Virginia, and Florida the most.
The Capital, the newspaper of record for Annapolis, has published a short piece on Walkin' Lawton. So soon after Election Day, it's a great time to reflect on political history.
An intrepid group of biologists and photographers recently trekked one thousand miles across the state of Florida to document the state's "Wildlife Corridor." Inspired by Chiles' example, they sought to chronicle the full breadth of diversity in the state.
The photos that exhibit their journey are now on display at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota.
An article discussing the venture in more detail is HERE.
My hometown newspaper, The Capital, plans publish an article on Walkin' Lawton this Friday. I'll post a link once it's available.
The Capital is the paper of record for Annapolis, MD--home of the Naval Academy and sailing capital of the East Coast.
Rhea Chiles, the widow of Florida politician Lawton Chiles, has won the Edgar H. Price Jr. Lifetime Achievement Award presented by the Manatee County Rural Health Services Foundation.
Rhea founded Florida House in Washington, DC--the state's embassy in the nation's capital. She operates a wonderful art studio on Anna Maria Island. And during her husband's long career in public service, she was a strong and consistent voice for children's welfare.
Congratulations to Mrs. Chiles!
The next issue of Tallahassee magazine, the Nov.-Dec. issue, includes an article on Walkin' Lawton and the Lawton Chiles legacy. It includes a book excerpt--I hope it will whet readers' appetites for more.
You can read the article HERE.
One of the consistent themes of my conversations with folks about my book-writing process has been the salience of chapter titles.
From the beginning of my research process, I organized and prioritized my studies by picking chapter titles. I knew that I wanted to be selective about topics in Chiles' life. I didn't want this book to become a Lawton Chiles encyclopedia.
So I one by one, I chose a group of about 20 chapter titles that, for me, covered all that was iconic about Chiles' life. Some of the chapter titles changed five times. "A Personality for Politics" was chosen in the last few weeks of editing. Others have been consistent from the beginning--like the first chapter, "Munn Park."
Initially, some of the chapter titles were a bit too metaphorical, but now I think that there is an appropriate mix of whimsy and art and practicality in the titles. "A Personality for Politics" says something basic about Chiles, "The He-Coon Walks..." says something grand and metaphorical.
I hope readers are both entertained and informed by my choices.
