Fiction Fest during Friday Fest

(Note: My News Herald colleague Jan Waddy produced this story about tonight's book signing event for the Friday Entertainer insert.)

Books By The Sea / Jan Waddy Photo

FICTION FEST

What: Book signing/meet and greet with eight local authors

When: 6-8 p.m. during Friday Fest

Where: Books By The Sea, 558 Harrison Ave., Panama City

Details: Facebook: Fiction Fest at Friday Fest!

Friday Fest takes place from 6-10 p.m. the first Friday of every month along Harrison Avenue in downtown Panama City with bands, classic cars, extended business hours and vendors.

PANAMA CITY — Fantasy becomes reality for book lovers during Fiction Fest on Friday at Books by the Sea.

From 6-8 p.m. during Friday Fest, the bookstore is hosting a group book signing and meet-and-greet with eight local and regional authors in several genres.

“It just kind of grew organically,” said News Herald writer Tony Simmons, who first approached the Books by the Sea owner about doing an event.

Though authors already were scheduled, Simmons said, “I don’t mind them being there if they don’t mind us being there.”

Simmons (TonySimmons.info) will showcase his horror/sci-fi novel “This Mortal Flesh,” which was inspired by a dream — or rather a nightmare.

“I awoke from the dream only seconds into it, as I came to realize that I was not only surrounded by the undead, but I was one of them. I looked around at the carnage, realized what my future held ... and woke up, thinking, ‘This would make a cool story,’” he wrote in a March blog (TonySimmons.blogspot.com).

He will join the living on Friday with fellow authors Milinda Jay, Jayson Kretzer, Mark Douglas Jr., Raven H. Price, Janeen O’Kerry, Carole Allen Bailey and Kyra Clark.

Though the authors’ books are in different genres, they will all be at a large table in one spot.

“One idea was to have them in different sections, but separating people is not as fun as having everyone together,” said Books by the Sea owner Donald Ramsey.

Ramsey, born in Panama City and raised in Niceville, got back to his roots about five years ago when he took over the bookstore. Books by the Sea relocated to its new location across the street just over a year ago.

Books by the Sea features “mostly used”  books and selections from local authors when he gets them. Ramsey enjoys fiction, though admits he is usually reading “some kind of educational book.”

Jay (MilindaJay.com), an English teacher at Florida State University-Panama City, published “His Celtic Princess” in January, a prequel to 2014’s “Her Roman Protector.” Proceeds from “His Celtic Princess,” which has an element of Christian faith, support church missions such as Anchorage Children’s Home in Panama City.

O’Kerry’s “Lady of Fire” also combines history and romance.

Douglas (MarkDouglasJr.WordPress.com) rediscovered a love of story telling while reading aloud and dramatizing novels, such as the Percy Jackson series, to his Surfside Middle School students. Like Simmons’ novel, Douglas’ 2014 “The Prophet of the Dragon,” a fantasy novel with Christian themes, was inspired by a dream.

Kretzer, a comics artist/writer, will have copies of his latest “Wannabe Heroes” (Facebook.com/wannabeheroes).

“I think it’s just a real cool event,” said Kretzer, who established Creative Con at the Bay County Public Library.

Creative Con returns to Gulf Coast State College on Aug. 1.

“This is more centered around reading,” Kretzer said. “I am excited to be a part of it. I will have both the first and second issue of ‘Wannabe Heroes,’ a super hero action comedy comic for kids and adults alike, and my comic strip book on hand as well. At a lot of events I’ve done, the parents come and the kids aren’t super excited until they see kids’ books.”

For those who are interested in digital copies, Issue No. 2 also released on ComiXology on Wednesday.

“I’m kinda torn to be honest,” Kretzer admitted, when asked if he preferred print or digital comics. “I still love the smell of a brand new comic book, but being able to take my entire comic book collection with me anywhere is nice. I’m spoiled — want it both ways.”

If you want to find out more about publishing in the digital age, this also would be a good chance to do that.

“All of the authors are independently published or self published so they would be good resources for someone who wanted to come in and talk about the process,” Simmons added.

Clark has released the first of her series, “Oasis: An Awakening.”  Price, a Georgia author, has written a fantasy romance, “The Chosen,” and Bailey — born and raised in South Carolina — is right at home with her Southern novel “The Lady and Her Porch” (PorchLady.net).

Though the authors’ writing styles and inspirations differ, reading is where it all begins.

“Reading is one of the most important things in life, the main way to get an education. Not all things are available electronically,” Ramsey said. “For me, personally, I love the book in hand even though I enjoy the convenience of electronics.”

Fiction Fest at Friday Fest!

I have set up a "mini" book festival in conjunction with downtown Panama City's monthly first-Friday event, Friday Fest for the evening of June 5. I used quotes around the word above, because the event keeps growing. I started with a total of five authors, one dropped out, two more have dropped in, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised to see others joining.

In addition, the director of Friday Fest, Valerie Woods, has asked me to help her organize an even larger event for the August 7 Friday Fest (more on this later).

Fiction Fest is:

Me

Milinda Jay

Jayson Kretzer

Mark Douglas

Kyra Clark

Raven H. Price

and

Janeen O'Kerry

Each of us works in a different genre, so we will be bringing different friends, family and followers to the festival, exposing them to each other's work and (hopefully) causing a massive blockage at the checkout counter.

The event is 6-8 p.m. Friday, June 5, at Books By The Sea, 558 Harrison Ave., downtown Panama City. Hope to see you there!

Books Alive 2015 Photo Blog 2

Wentworth with my class

Friday, I had the pleasure of having Marjory Wentworth, the poet laureate of South Carolina, join me for the day. She led my class at Education Encore in an exercise that inspired me to write a new short story.

The prompt: Describe a building from the point of view of a person who has lost a child in a war. Do not mention the child, or the war.

Second prompt: Describe the same building from the point of view of a happy lover. Do not mention the loved one.

Then we went to the St. Andrew Bay Yacht Club for a luncheon where Mary Alice Monroe spoke, and we shared a table with Kathie Bennett and Patricia Moore-Pastides. They all made a fuss over my new book launching that weekend.

Moore-Pastides, Wentworth, Simmons & Monroe

Mary Alice Monroe

Bill Husfelt with Carolyn and Bill Curry

Mary Alice beams as Marjory checks out Patricia's locket

Then, in the evening, the volunteers and staff gathered with the featured authors for a party to get acquainted at the home of Frank Walker in Panama City Beach. It was a great day.

Janice Lucas, Marty Sirmons, Carole Lapensohn & Ruth Corley

Mike and Jan Waddy

Me with Bettina Mead

Ode to a morning commute

PANAMA CITY — She stretched out her arms like an osprey riding an updraft, and I wished I could have taken her photo.

I was topping the rise of the Hathaway Bridge earlier this week when it happened. Driving in the center lane, on my way in to the office on a cold morning. Listening to jazz on WKGC. Thinking about all of the things that needed to be done that day and in the days and weeks to come.

The water of St. Andrew Bay was dark, a bit choppy, but sunlight sparkled on the ripples. On warmer days, my morning crossing coincides with a handful of joggers, walkers and bikers using the bridge’s pedestrian lane. This morning, there was only one.

She was bundled up, with a black jacket and gloves, bicycling up the curve of the bridge. Dark hair whipped in the offshore wind. I spotted her just as she topped the rise — morning sun lighting the water beyond her, she became a silhouette. She sat up straight and raised her arms out to her side slowly, with the grace of a dancer prolonging the movement.

I couldn’t see her face, but I imagined her smiling at the sense of accomplishment, of freedom, of flight. The moment lasted only seconds, but the image remains.

The old Hathaway Bridge couldn’t have supplied that moment. It seemed more often like a barrier than a connector. Its narrow lanes and bottleneck approaches slowed traffic to such an extent that many people avoided crossing it unless absolutely necessary. There really was a “beach” and “town” separation then, based on accessibility, that doesn’t exist any more.

(Today’s “us” and “them” attitudes are based on other things, I think. Although, with construction on the east side flyover looming, that bottleneck is no doubt going to return until the work is done.)

We moved from the town side to the beach side in 2012, and the Hathaway has become part of the day. Depending on assignments, I may cross it multiple times in a day, and it seldom fails to give me an image to ponder.

Steam rising from the power plant to the north, or smoke from a controlled burn. Fishermen approaching as close as they dare to the Navy base. A paddlewheel cruise, or a line of personal watercraft to the south. Para-surfers and water-jet riders off Carl Gray Park.

My favorite memory of the old bridge dates from when my daughter was a toddler. Any time we crossed the Hathaway, she would try to hum along with the sound of our tires on the metal grating at the center of the strand. It never failed to make me smile, hearing that sound issue from the back seat.

My favorite memory (so far) of the new bridge is sighting a bald eagle perched on the southern rail, regarding the passing traffic with a wary eye. I also enjoy seeing the crowds line the span with U.S. flags to welcome the Wounded Warriors motorcade when they visit.

In 2011, I shot video of local musician JoshBrowning singing his original song, “The Hathaway,” at Beck’s Underground, a music venue in town that closed later that same year. Josh sang about leaving his troubles behind on one side of the bridge, and finding everything he loved on the other.

Like topping the rise on a cold morning and drifting into the updraft of a brand new day.

Peace.

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This was my Undercurrents column for PanamaCity.com and The News Herald this week.

Time for one last cup before they go

Robbie and Ellen

PANAMA CITY — I had coffee with Robbie Fehrenbach and Ellen Mapelsden on Thursday morning, and we talked about the little shop they opened in St. Andrews in 1998.

St. Andrews Coffee House will close its doors Dec. 20, although Robbie and Ellen assure longtime customers and friends that the new owner, James Pigneri, will reopen under a slightly changed name and menu in early January 2015. (Stay tuned to PanamaCity.com and these pages for details when the St. Andrews Coffee House & Bistro will debut.)

“We can’t wait,” Ellen said of Pigneri’s reopening. “We plan to come here for good coffee and a good meal.”

The duo once told me they opened the shop “on a dare.” They said in front of the wrong people that “somebody ought to do something” in St. Andrews, and that someone pointed out they were somebody, too.

“For us, it was a means to an end,” Robbie said, that end being to revitalize their beloved St. Andrews community. “Over the years, it has made us so busy that we have much less time for community involvement.”

Their grandfather, Ed Day, arrived in St. Andrews in 1887 as a child. The building the coffeehouse occupies was built in 1927. Great Uncle Bill opened Gainer Brothers’ Grocery there, and their Aunt Weezie cut meat in the same spot where they now make sandwiches.

They enjoy “doing everything” from taking orders, to cooking, to serving tables, to running the register, Ellen said. But as business has grown, doing everything has become more difficult.

“We opened a little coffee shop, and it’s turned into a food place,” Robbie said. “It’s a faster pace than we can keep up. It’s growing, and it needs to grow, and for that it needs a new set-up.”

Recent years have seen a “younger demographic” frequent the area, including families and young professionals, and that makes them hopeful their work is bearing fruit.

“We’re so excited that our baby has grown up, and it’s going to continue,” Ellen said. “It’s time to pass the torch.”

The Coffee House will open regular hours for its final week in this incarnation, and will run a special fundraiser on its final day. From 7 to 11 a.m. Dec. 20, a minimum $5 donation will get you a drink and a simple breakfast item (no eggs or regular breakfast menu will be served). Every penny of the day’s proceeds will go to Lucky Puppy Rescue and Castaway Cats.

“It will be a little send-off and a little fun,” Ellen said.

I will miss Robbie and Ellen. I meet with friends for lunch at the shop each week, and was honored when I’d become enough of a fixture for them to know my “regular” order. They labeled us the “Marvels” and reserved our table with a sign they fashioned using a toy Batmobile.

“It’s bittersweet. We wanted to leave it when it would be hard to leave, not when we were tired of it. So it’s a good thing,” Ellen said. “Robbie and I are actually starters. When we started with this, we had no idea we’d still be doing it all these years later.”

Peace.

‘Tyr’ pressure rises under the lights, behind the curtain

Zinszer and Powiliatis (Photo by Me)

PANAMA CITY — It’s been a while since I stood on the stage at the Martin Theatre. On Wednesday evening, as I watched women painting backdrops and arranging lights, their voices mingling among the curtains, I tried to recall which show was in preparation back then.

And really, it didn’t matter which one. There’s an energy in those lights and among the flowing curtains that permeates all activity. A sense of pressure rising. Even Mike Stone, slouching on a stool and studying lines, seemed ready to break into action at any moment.

Mike’s wife, Pam Sutton, is directing “Pericles, Prince of Tyr,” a lesser-known play from William Shakespeare, which will be presented for one weekend (July 17-20) at the Martin. She has set the action in the 1930s and transplanted it from the Mediterranean to various cities in the U.S., including Miami and New Orleans. Segments of the play originally presented as narration will be projected in the form of scratchy news reels.

“We wanted it to be set far enough distant that it’s not now, but is something that the audience can relate to,” Pam said. “The play itself is supposed to be an antique fable.”

Pam invited me by to see the sets in progress and meet some of the actors, like Allen Walker, who is portraying Pericles. This isn’t the first starring role for Allen, 32, a Latin teacher at Arnold High School in Panama City Beach. In recent years, for instance, he’s become associated with the name “Soldier Riley,” playing the hero of local author Michael Lister’s novels in performances at Gulf Coast State College.

“He starts off very cocky, sure of himself,” Allen said of Pericles, “but he’s brought low several times. The scenes are very short, which limits the time to portray him before the next disaster happens.”

Allen joked that Pericles gets shipwrecked so often that you would think people would stop letting him on their boats.

Anthony Powiliatis, 20, a GCSC student, is the self-proclaimed “po-liatist” person you’ll ever meet. This is his 24th show, including productions at the Martin, Kaleidoscope Theatre, GCSC, Bay High, Jinks Middle, and the late Sherlock’s Mystery Dinner Theatre. He said the antics behind the curtain are his favorite thing about doing theatre.

“It’s a war backstage,” he said. “We pantomime killing each other, or all the drama stereotypes we do.”

One of his foils is Elizabeth Zinszer, 19, a technical theater major at GCSC, who plays Pericles’ daughter. We shared a laugh when we realized that, about eight years ago, she played the child of Macduff, Thane of Fife, in “The Tragedy of Macbeth” — when my son was playing Macduff under the direction of Stone and Sutton’s daughter, Liz. Even my son’s “daughter” is grown up now.

“I’ve never read one of Shakespeare’s plays that is like this, a mix of tragedy and comedy — it’s all over the place,” Elizabeth said. “It’s kind of like a puzzle, almost.”
Daniel LaMere, a 16-year-old virtuoso, has chosen era-appropriate music and will be playing it live throughout the show.

“This has taught me to do preparation really fast,” Daniel said, explaining he had three weeks to ready the score. “It’s testing my abilities to learn. I freaked out at first, but I learned I can do this.”

As you will live, resolve it you.

‘PERICLES, PRINCE OF TYR’
Where: The Martin Theatre, 409 Harrison Ave., Panama City
When: 7:30 p.m. July 17, 18 and 19; 2 p.m. July 20
Tickets: $10 adults, $5 students and senior adults
Details: 763-8080

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(This is my Undercurrents column for PanamaCity.com and The News Herald this week.)

Beach a top favorite among locals

DesireeGardnerPhotography.com

PANAMA CITY BEACH — Honestly, it was a view of the beach that convinced me to move here nearly 21 years ago. It was a hot, sunny day in May, the sand was blinding, and the sea was that crystalline green it gets on calm afternoons.

As the kids grew, we made regular excursions to St. Andrews State Park, exploring the nature trails, admiring the lakes, camping, biking, snorkeling, fishing. The annual pass was a must.

Now, walking the shoreline and jumping into the waves remain favorite activities. It’s no surprise that so many of the people I talked to and emailed about their lives in this area mentioned some combination of the park and the beaches among their most cherished places.

For instance: From the age of 6, Angela Hood’s parents took the family camping at St. Andrews St. Park every year. She was always excited to go — biking, walking nature trails, fishing, kayaking, and of course going to the beach, she said.

“We would leave the park just once to go get a delicious treat from Dippin’ Dots,” she said. “Now that I am married, I will enjoy camping out there with my husband and friends. When we decide to have kids of our own, camping at St. Andrews will be one tradition I will be sure to carry on.”

Angela now works in Events and Social Media for the Panama City Downtown Improvement Board.

“What I like most about living on the Gulf Coast is the easy access to both the beach life and the country life,” she said. “There are some days that I long to be lying on the beach soaking up the sun and swimming in the salt water. Then, there are some days that I crave to be out in the country, swimming in the cold water of Bear Creek followed by sitting around a bonfire at night.”
Life on the northern Gulf Coast has allowed just that. She can have the beach life on Saturday, she said, and the country life on Sunday.

“I also look forward to canoeing down Econfina Creek” this summer, she said. “It’s a great way to spend a relaxing day with family and friends enjoying the beauty of nature. If you get too hot, no worries because the creek is always super cold. I like going to all the different springs that the public can’t necessarily get to by foot or car.”

Canoe trips always turn into an adventure if there has been a recent storm, she said, as fallen trees invariably cross the creek. Some people can always navigate them fairly easily, but there is always that one person in the group that gets hung up or flips the boat.

“That’s when it becomes entertaining,” she said, adding, “as long as they are okay.”

From experience, though, beware the spiders in the overhanging limbs and bluffs. They are most definitely not among my favorite things.

Peace.
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(This is my Undercurrents column for PanamaCity.com and The News Herald this week.)

Checking off the must-do vacation adventures

Shell Island by Christy Woodrow

PANAMA CITY BEACH — What’s on your bucket list?

I ask, as the Panama City Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau is celebrating (and promoting) tourism with a new campaign called “Real. Fun. Beach. Bucket List.”

The effort kicked off recently with a party at the recently expanded Harpoon Harry’s featuring five “family and adventure” bloggers, as well as the launch of a new interactive website that helps visitors explore Panama City Beach from end to end, throughout the year.

The site encourages visitors to click on photos to add items to their vacation bucket lists and qualify for prizes by posting photos of their visit. The prizes include CVB-branded towels, T-shirts, stickers, Frisbees and more.

Some of the suggested experiences on the list include: snorkel, boogie board, get a picture with a pirate, hook and cook your dinner, master body surfing, play miniature golf, watch a breathtaking sunset, build the ultimate sand castle, run a race, watch dolphins, gather seashells, scuba dive, and write a love note in the sand.

Reading the complete list, I can safely say I’ve already checked off nearly all of those items. That’s what it means to live in paradise, I suppose. Our same-old same-old is someone else’s dream vacation. Our day at the beach is someone else blowing their whole savings account.

The visiting bloggers included Jessica Bowers of “Suitcases and Sippy Cups,” Keryn Means of “Walking On Travels,” Kristin Luna of “Camels and Chocolate,” Christy Woodrow of “Ordinary Traveler,” and photojournalist Spencer Spellman of “TheTraveling Philosopher.” They spent a few days in Panama City Beach exploring and filling out their own bucket lists, and sharing their experiences with their multitude of fans.

The group has been “posting some great shots and video, and because of the number of followers that they have, they’re reaching a huge audience,” said David Demarest of the CVB. “A sunset photo one of the bloggers posted early in the trip quickly reached over 200,000 views, and that’s just one of the five bloggers sharing their experience.”

The term “bucket list” has always bugged me because it’s about trying to get some things done before you kick the bucket. I prefer Spellman’s use of the term “life list” on his blog, as that’s what it’s really about — getting the most out of this life.

When I remember to look at it from the outsider’s perspective, I realize again how lucky I am to live here, and I hope you feel the same.

Peace.

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(This is my Undercurrents column for PanamaCity.com and The News Herald this week.)

How to support downtown businesses

(Contributed Photo)

PANAMA CITY — Have you been downtown recently? Besides the new businesses opening, there’s the sound of music in the evening air.

And it’s easy to support this springtime resurgence, as explained by Erin Haray of Estate Treasures, 500 Harrison Ave. Writing in this month’s Downtowner newsletter, she suggested three things locals can do:

l Find them on Facebook. Like the businesses’ pages, share their photos and events, comment on their posts. Social media is today’s “word of mouth” advertising.

“The more you interact with a business page, the more they will be seen by others and the more exposure they get,” she said. “You may connect someone with a small business they didn’t know about.”

l Shop downtown. This may seem obvious, but take a second to think about all the different kinds of businesses you’ll find: salons, galleries, dance studio, arts cooperative, cupcake shop, award-winning restaurants, antique stores, saltwater aquarium shop, boutiques, music stores, skate supply shop, theater and Civic Center, furniture stores, hardware and major appliances, and more.

“Downtown is a community in itself, and you will feel that when you are here,” Haray said. “Shopping in locally owned businesses ensures that part of the money you spend gets filtered back into the local economy. When you shop locally, everyone benefits.”

l Attend events. Friday Fest fills Harrison Avenue with food vendors, local organizations, car clubs, live bands and more on the first Friday of each month through November. Hogs & Grogs brings motorcycle enthusiasts to the street on the second Thursday of each month through September. Vintage Market, with its mix of antiques and collectibles, opens the first Friday and Saturday of the month through November.

Downtown also regularly hosts other events, like Festival of Nations, Oktoberfest, Dickens of a Christmas, concerts in McKenzie Park and more. (See our calendar pages and the online events calendar at PanamaCity.com for details.)

“In addition to attending events, find out about volunteering,” Haray suggested. “Some of the happenings downtown take quite a bit of setup, takedown, planning, organizing, etc. Get in touch with the Downtown Improvement Board (PCDIB.com) and find out which events need volunteers.”

Multiple restaurants and shops downtown are now hosting live music nights under the “Music Matters” banner. The musicians are not being paid by the venues, however; they’re playing for tips, so don’t forget to “Tip the Talent,” as the signs at each venue suggest. For more info, check out Facebook.com/MusicMattersPCFla online.

“Live local music talent is being offered at several venues on Wednesday nights downtown,” Haray said. “Go to as many as you can and let others know about them — that goes back to sharing on Facebook.”

As Haray points out, some of the best benefits of patronizing a small business are the personal touch and unique experience. The shops offer items you’re not liable to find in a big box store or an online retailer, and customers can count on receiving as much personal attention as they desire.

Peace. 

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(This is my Undercurrents column for this week's PanamaCity.com and News Herald insert.)

Give me the usual

Robbie and Ellen at St. Andrews Coffee House

PANAMA CITY — Recently, I left my hat behind after lunch at the St. Andrews Coffee House. That afternoon, I received an email with the subject line “CAPtive.”

The message stated: “We have your hat. Instructions for its safe return to follow.” A second email said, “Report to 1006 Beck Ave. between the hours of 7 a.m. and 2 p.m. Approach the skinny blonde and say ‘the usual.’ ”

Now, sometimes it’s nice to go somewhere nobody knows you. Just to walk into a shop or café and not be met by sentences that start with “Don’t you work for…” or “Aren’t you…” Usually those beginnings result in nice talks or tips for articles, but there’s always that moment of hesitation when you wonder what’s going to happen next.

Even so, the opposite situation has even more appeal.

For instance, as a family, we’ve visited Charlie Coram’s Place on 23rd Street enough times that the waitresses ask us if we even need a menu; they know how we want our burgers, what condiments we use, and if one of the kids orders Heavenly Hash, they know what extras to put on the side. They also take for granted that a certain number of people will be in our group, so they’re surprised when one is missing or an extra face joins us.

If you’re of a certain age, then you recall the theme to the TV series “Cheers” — after all, it was a top-40 radio hit at one point — and you probably understand the feeling that sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name.

That’s what “the usual” means to me.

You don’t get a “usual” unless you’re a creature of habit. You have to go to the same place at about the same time every week and order the same item. (A voice in my head goes, “Same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.”)

Some people like to change things up all the time. My experimentation ends when I find something I like, though I might be dangerous some weeks and have white bread instead of wheat.

Also, I don’t think you can ask to have a “usual.” It’s something that has to be bestowed. I just came in the coffee house door one morning and was asked, “You want the usual?”

And yes, I did. In fact, it was more important to me, in that moment, to know that I had “a” usual than it was to actually eat the thing.

In the past year, I had taken to eating lunch there weekly, often in the company of friends who join me to talk about books, movies, TV shows, writing projects, film making, zombies, or whatever else might come up. Our conversations must confuse and occasionally terrify people at other tables, but we’ve not yet had a complaint.

One such week, my friend Nick, hearing Ellen and Robbie ask if I wanted “the usual,” said he wanted to have a “usual” of his own. I told him it was possible, but more likely that his would be an “unusual.”

I had to say it before somebody else said it about me.

And one morning, I noticed that the ladies had set a missing place at the counter. One of the stools had been removed, and a plate was set there with specific condiments for a regular customer — who had died unexpectedly.

It was a simple gesture, and beautiful. I didn’t ask many questions, because the statement was clear: He was part of their lives, and he would be missed.

It’s comforting to know that such a connection is part of the usual around here.

Peace.

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(This was my column for PanamaCity.com and The News Herald this week.)

Connecting the Dots

PANAMA CITY — I try to notice when the universe starts speaking. Unfortunately, I seldom understand what it’s trying to say, but I’m learning to live with the mystery.

Regular readers of these columns may recall that I have admitted before how reason and faith are comfortable companions in my brain. This mystifies both my spiritual and atheist friends, which of course amuses me.

Look, I know we live in a random universe, but I continue to believe in signs, seeing meaning behind events that have no obvious connections — what others might call “coincidence.” Maybe it’s just magical thinking, but I can’t help opening myself to any deeper meaning when synchronicity smacks me upside the head.

It happened earlier this week, but all I know for sure in retrospect is that I was where I was supposed to be at that time. Abiding, one might say.

I came to the coffee shop to conduct an interview. The coffee of the day was “approved by The Dude,” according to a drawing of a bearded man wearing sunglasses that had been scrawled on brown paper behind the counter.

(You might recall The Dude in the film “The Big Lebowski” being accosted by the Nihilists, who tell him, “We believe in nothing.” I was thinking, right then, I believe I forgot my sunglasses today, and then recalled The Dude exclaiming, “Careful man, there’s a beverage here,” as I picked up my order.)

A few minutes later, I was talking to young singer/songwriter Kristen Barkuloo about songs that speak to us. She said she wanted her music to remind people of meaningful times in their lives. I mentioned that there are a few songs that do so for me, and one artist in particular.

Seconds later, David Bowie’s “The Man Who Sold the World” began playing over the sound system and goosebumps rose on my arms. (Bowie released his latest music video, "Valentine's Day," on Tuesday, the day following this interview.)

Barkuloo talked about a song she was inspired to write after a young friend died in a car wreck, and I thought of my own history with similar tragedy. She talked of getting into theater productions and studying under Bruce Taws, and I further connected that to my son, a songwriter and singer who did theater with Bruce years ago, and whose best friend died in a car wreck.

So now we talked about linkages, connections.

She mentioned that she also wrote fiction, and I encouraged her to visit Writers Gallery, a monthly open mic for writers hosted at Chez Amavida that will reconvene in September after a summer hiatus. I told her it was organized a couple of years ago by local author Nick May, and then I looked to my left and saw Nick opening the café door.

Greetings all around followed, and more talk of strange connections. As The Stranger said, “I don’t know about you, but I take comfort in that.”

Peace.
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(This is my Undercurrents column for PanamaCity.com and The News Herald for this week.) 

Making the best of it

PANAMA CITY BEACH — For many in the Panama City/Panama City Beach area, torrential rainfall made for a miserable Fourth of July weekend.

As Valerie Garman reported this week, the beaches area received more than a third of its average annual rainfall amount in just two days. It overwhelmed the stormwater drainage systems, backed up into homes and businesses, made roads impassable.

Fireworks and attendant festivals were delayed, vehicles were stranded in standing water or damaged by wash-outs, and folks living in low-lying areas lost furniture, wallboards, carpets and priceless personal possessions.

But as in many disasters, human beings try to find a way to smile. Those fortunate enough not to be faced with a struggle to preserve their lives and property sometimes found some joy or humor in the weather.

You may have seen the videos being shared on Facebook of two folks kayaking along Jenks Avenue, using what appeared to be planks of wood for paddles, or the person wakeboarding in a residential neighborhood, pulled behind a pickup truck.

We made the mistake of trying to go to a shop on Thursday, and were turned back by a police blockade on Front Beach Road that probably saved us from being stranded.

People standing in a rainy line at a Redbox kiosk that afternoon joked about seeing animals gathering two-by-two, as sprinklers buzzed and spat alongside a nearby overfilled retention pond. Someone driving a golf cart draped with plastic walls surveyed the neighborhood.

Even the subjects of a TLC reality series got into the soggy fun, wading up to their knees along Front Beach Road. (That's them in the photo above.)

Last Friday, I saw three boys making running leaps into the shallow ponds that had covered the golf course along Delwood Beach Road, and thought back to rainy days of my own childhood that were spent splashing in shallow branches that had swelled into creeks.

I would have loved to do the same, except that these days rainy weather is more apt to make my joints swell and creak.

Peace.
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(This is my Undercurrents column for The News Herald and PanamaCity.com for Friday, July 12.) 

Living in a better time

NewsHerald.com photo

PANAMA CITY — Banjo mixed with the smell of barbecue in McKenzie Park on Monday, as the people of Bay County gathered to mark a birthday milestone.

>>See video of the event here<<

The event played out under threatening gray skies, with gusts of wind kicking up the moss and palmetto fronds, and knocking over banners printed in patriotic colors. Deep South Bluegrass played music, and folks from the Historical Society of Bay County led tours of the Sapp and McKenzie houses. Public Eye recorded videos of old timers telling their personal histories, and J.R.’s Rib Shack served burgers (with Sugar Boogers providing cupcakes).

The ghost of 100 Fourth of July gatherings moved through the crowd, as familiar today as it was in 1913. Exactly 100 years prior, the public had gathered in what was then called City Park to hear political speeches and live music, eat barbecue and celebrate the birth of a new county.

As I wandered the park and watched the people in their folding chairs and Hoverounds, I wondered what those folks of olden days would make of our current world if they could have traded places with us for the day.

A lady sitting under a palm tree talked of how the crowd of 100 years ago probably would not have complained about the heat or humidity, since they had yet to be spoiled by air conditioning. But aside from technological marvels, they probably would wonder why things haven’t changed that much.

For the past several weeks, I’ve been gathering clippings of articles from newspapers of the day, including the Panama City Pilot and the Lynn Haven Tribune, to post on The News Herald’s online Centennial page. And it shouldn’t be too surprising to learn that the Bay Countians of that time were concerned about much the same things as today’s residents.

They thought their government was ineffective. They looked forward to a brighter future, and beheld much of the past as some kind of Golden Age before the world turned so dark and dangerous.

But there were also elements of their personalities expressed in those news pages that are glaring in this age. To put it mildly, let’s just say that, at their best, they treated women and minorities as second-class citizens.

I looked around an integrated crowd on Monday and realized that we had at least that much on our forefathers. It makes me glad to be living today rather than 1913.

After all, it doesn’t matter how old you get, so long as you’re growing and improving. It’s not the years, after all, but the impact you have during them.

Peace. 

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(This is my "Undercurrents" column for The News Herald and PanamaCity.com this week.)

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Centennial Events

A couple more official events are planned this summer to commemorate the Bay County Centennial:

l The Visual Arts Center Centennial Exhibit will open July 12 and run through Sept. 6, showcasing photographs and artifacts from the past 100 years. Contact Bonnie Jones (769-4454 or bonnie@bonniejonesphoto.com) if you have photographs or items you would like to share for this exhibit. They are also looking for exhibit sponsors. The Visual Arts Center is at 19 E. Fourth St. in Panama City.

l The Bay County Centennial Gala will be 6 to 11 p.m. on Aug. 17 at the Panama Country Club, 100 Country Club Drive, Lynn Haven. Enjoy fine dining and entertainment while celebrating Bay County’s proud past and bright future. (Reception 6 to 7 p.m.; four course dinner 7 to 8:30 p.m.; dancing to the sounds of SolShine 8:30 to 11 p.m.) Details: 248-8277.

Signs of Summertime

PCB Sunset

PANAMA CITY BEACH — On assignment a few days ago, I was complaining to myself that the AC in the car I had borrowed for the day couldn’t keep up with the heat, and it was only the middle of June. Then, as I exited the car and the humidity slapped me in the face, my sunglasses fogged up.

“It must be summertime,” I thought, apologizing to the AC for underestimating its power.

Temps have already climbed into the 90s regularly this month, and seemingly so has the water in the community swimming pool in my neighborhood; it’s more like climbing into a hot tub rather than a blue hole spring like it felt a month ago.

Yes, Friday is the first official day of summer, but locals don’t really need a calendar to tell us the season has arrived. You know how you can tell it’s summer in Panama City and along Panama City Beach? Here are the clues some Facebook friends pointed out:

Traffic! — Melissa

Afternoon thunderstorms with lightning popping all over the place. — Julie

Fresh red, swollen tramp stamps on the little girls, stopping for gas on their way home to Alabama. — Denise

Local weather report the same every day: Hot, humid, chance of thunderstorms. — Helen

When I can put my babies to bed before dark. — Renee

Humidity! — Don

Fleas. — Ali

A sudden influx of abandoned children at Pier Park ordering “fraps.” — Jason

The winter sandals have been discarded, and nearly everyone is sporting NEW flip-flops or sandals. Yay. — Lynn

Dog flies. — Curtis

Crickets! — Pat

Young ladies dressing like Daisy Duke. — David

Not getting stuck behind a school bus on my morning or afternoon Walmart runs. — Donna

Out of town relatives start coming in waves. — Alisa

I’m heading to the farmers’ markets and making blueberry jam, banana bread, peach sangria and all sorts of goodies! — Marissa

All the school kids are out and about. — Aaron

Mosquitoes. — Kristin

The pier rats show up. These are mostly boys, as young as 8 or 9 years old. Their folks drop them off each morning with some serious fishing gear and, hopefully, a sandwich or two. By 12 these kids are some of the best fishermen on the gulf. I always bring a few extra sodas and sandwiches for the pier rats. If you share your cut-up watermelon, expect it to taste like bait. — Denise

How about you break a sweat walking out the door at 6 a.m.? — Tracy

Beach time. — Ray

All the little white lizards are gathering at night on the back porch! — Bonnie

Jameson is back in town. — Jameson

You take the pool cover off, and invite friends and family for a barbecue. — Michael

The preponderance of beach and sunset photos on Facebook. — Lou

The no-see-ums are out in force. — Wayne

Waiting for a table at any restaurant for dinner. — Randy

The out-of-state tags. — Brandon

Unfortunately, yellow flies. — Dolores

The June grass seaweed and bikinis. — Keith

(I guess the lesson here is that we have to take the bad with the good, eh, Keith?)

Peace.

(This is my Undercurrents column for PanamaCity.com and The News Herald for this week.)

Artists monkeying around downtown

PANAMA CITY — More than 200 handcut and handpainted apes will dangle from trees, poles, awnings — and anywhere else they can find to hang from — Saturday in downtown Panama City.

It’s a “public art” project spearheaded by Heather Parker from CityArts Cooperative. Like their tiny toy counterparts, the foam apes are shaped with hooked arms and tails.

“We chose this shape, from Hasbro’s ‘Barrel of Monkeys’ for several reasons,” Heather said. “A childhood connection (many adults had them or saw them as a child), their arms link together to form a chain (great alone as one monkey, but can connect with each other and have a big impact, kind’a like people, huh?), and well, they’re monkeys!”

Heather was joined by many people intrigued or amused by the project. Adults, children, school groups, professional artists, Friday Fest visitors, business owners and bunches of “regular people” helped make monkeys, she said.

“We’ve had at least 100 hands in the barrel helping to make this happen, from purchasing foam, donating paints, meticulously hand-cutting monkeys, or just dropping by to quickly add a splash of paint,” she said. 

“Some of the monkeys are impressive one-of-a-kind works of art.”

Heather pointed out that Wikipedia defines “public art” as works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all. Such cultural interventions have often been realized in response to creatively engaging a community’s sense of “place” or “well-being” in society.

“Imagine a downtown that is a place you want to be,” she said. “Would it be lively, colorful, lighthearted, joyful, playful, entertaining, filled with talent, self-expression and creativity? Mine would. So for one day, I’m filling it with colorful monkeys.”

Heather hopes this and other public art events will bring more people downtown and expose them to the possibilities of art. She would like downtown Panama City (along with St. Andrews) to become a regional art hub, and to make art a “living, breathing way of life” for everyone.

The day promises to be a full one in the downtown district, with Vintage Market 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., an artist meet-and-greet at Main Street Gallery 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., a paper-cutting workshop at CityArts 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the Art-Tique “tour” 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Monkey installation is from 6 to 9 a.m., if anyone wants to help Heather hang the monkeys. Display will be 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., after which the monkeys will be removed.

“We expect some to fall throughout the day, which is why they are all handcut from lightweight Styrofoam,” she said. “If a monkey falls on your head, you’ve got a great story, but no injury: ‘One time, I was downtown, you’ll never believe this, but a ...’ ”

Art is about more than murals and painting, Heather told me once. It’s about exploring, laughter and joy.

Peace.

(This is my column for PanamaCity.com and The News Herald for this week.)

Undercurrents: You gotta love it

Stirrup Cay in the Bahamas

PANAMA CITY BEACH — I was wading in the shallows of a cove on a private island in the Bahamas on Thursday of last week, and thinking of home. The water was cool, the sand grainy, spongy, full of rocks. And I thought, St. Andrews State Park is nicer than this.

When you live where we do, there really is no place like home.

You’ll find that theme running through the responses people gave to two simple questions I asked them this week (Link to the article coming soon.). But you’ll also find some very personal connections.

Folks agree on many of the same things to love about this area, like the beaches, lakes and creeks, the arts and entertainment events, historic places, and the basic kindness and helpfulness of the people. They’ve also found individual niches that enrich their lives — art groups, writing/reading groups, dance groups, theater groups and so forth.

One of these folks is Bunnie Hibbard, whom you may have seen on stage or working behind the scenes of productions at The Martin Theatre downtown or Kaleidoscope Theatre in Lynn Haven. I caught up to her early this week on what she described as a “spectacular day,” enjoying the sunny, 60-degree day on her porch — birds chirping in the trees, and Harley Pummil (who often co-directs plays with her) on the radio.

“I’ve never been good at picking my favorite thing about anything,” she said. “And I think that’s why I love this area so much — the variety it offers.”

Bunnie said she will re-route her regular drive if she’s had a rough day just so she can drive past the beach.

“I can be in a wooded section with birds in a second, or take a weekend at the springs. If you’re not in an outdoor mood, then we have theater (of course) anything from kids, community, to off-Broadway. I love the music festivals in the parks — many talented musicians in this area — or catching a 3-D movie at the IMAX.”

She said the allure of the area boils down to this: “Panama City has the class and elegance of big cities, but with a small town, homey feel. I’ve not lived in any other place like it.”

Her particular niche is in the theaters, and she wanted to talk about the upcoming Kids Kamp at Kaleidoscope, the 11th annual. There are many summer camps in the area, including several that focus on theater, but she pointed out the Kaleidoscope camp is an all-volunteer effort.

“None of us at KT are lining our pockets with it,” she said. “I take my vacation to volunteer to direct and teach the kids every June. Harley, Lois (Carter) and I and several others have watched a lot of these kids grow up, and there’s nothing more I look forward to. Not even Christmas. Harley writes the shows for my group, and many times, since he knows the kids so well, will incorporate their personalities into the show.”

In a week’s time, these kids form bonds that last over the years. Some of them have even stayed with a local friend so they can attend the camp after their families moved to other states.

“One recently enlisted (in the military), and he ‘dropped in’ to hang with the group, even though he’s too old to attend,” she said. “Harley wrote him into the show at my request.”

Peace .

This is my column for PanamaCity.com and The News Herald this week.

The State of the Art

Meet the Artists

What: Reception for the Panama City Artists Association show and sale

Where: CityArts Cooperative, 318 Luverne Ave., Panama City

When: 4-6 p.m. Saturday

More information: Here or here

PANAMA CITY — The art community in Panama City is “very healthy,” according to members of the Panama City Artists association, who are celebrating their creative vitality in a members’ show on display through April 27 at CityArts Cooperative.

“There are lots of active professional artists and a fair amount of opportunities for shows and workshops,” said Marie Brusher, chairwoman for the current exhibit. “We’ve grown so much since I moved here (in the 1970s). It’s amazing.”

She listed PCA as an active group, as well as CityArts, the Visual Arts Center and Marina Civic Center as supportive venues, and gave a shout out to the Beach Art Group and its programs and exhibits at the Palms Conference Center.

The public is invited to meet the PCA artists during a reception 4-6 p.m. Saturday at CityArts (a second reception will be 4-6 p.m. April 20). The show, exhibiting the work of 21 local artists, opened March 6.

“It’s not a large show, but some very exciting work, I think,” Marie said, adding the mediums explored include collage, water color, acrylic, oil and jewelry.

The Panama City Artists Association is open to artists based in the Panama City/Bay County area, providing a place to pool their talents and resources, and an opportunity to enrich themselves and the community, according to information on the group’s website, PanamaCityArtists.net.

“Not being a native Floridian, I see that for a small town, we have a large arts community, which is highly diverse,” said Roxanne Lourcey, PCA president. “Our arts community ranges from the emerging to the professional artist, and then there are those who simply need an outlet, of which I believe art is the best one there is, and the outcome is based on personal value and enrichment.”

Roxanne came from a business background and uses art as therapy. She believes PCA is a springboard that helps emerging artists learn from the more seasoned ones (and sometimes vice versa). Founded in 2002, the organization has about 100 members, including professional artists, teachers, hobbyists, enthusiasts and patrons. Monthly meetings are at 6:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of every month at CityArts, and guests are welcome.

Both women encouraged visitors at the reception to take the time to view all of the fine art on display at the Co-op, and to support other artistic endeavors in the community.

“There are many other artists and arts groups in the area that PCA doesn’t encompass but is highly supportive of, such as the performing, literary artists and digital artists, and other visual arts groups,” Roxanne said. “We should all support each other in whatever our artistic endeavor is and see not only the piece in front of you, the one you listen to or read, but should have complete admiration and appreciation for what it took for that artist to give it to us to enjoy.

“They are giving us a piece of them, of their soul.”

Peace.

(This is my Undercurrents column for the March 15 edition of PanamaCity.com/The News Herald.)