P. Scott Cunningham – författare

Writers spanning genre and geography come together to show the strength and diversity of Florida’s literary landscape todayIn recent years, a rising generation of Florida writers has joined forces with established legends to create a literary renaissance. All This Beauty introduces this community, making the case that Elizabeth Bishop’s “state with the prettiest name” is also one of the best at producing and nurturing talent. This book demonstrates the depth and extent of Florida’s literary genius.Edited by Kristen Arnett and P. Scott Cunningham, this expansive anthology brings together poems, short fiction, and essays from 66 writers. Yael Valencia Aldana, Derrick Austin, Frankie de la Cretaz, Patricia Engel, Dionne Irving, Amy Suzanne Parker, Avni Vyas, and many others conjure widely varying experiences of the state, from Gulf beaches to South Florida nightlife, from muscadine grapevines to college gamedays and Major League Baseball. Together, they present a Florida that is more than the stereotypes of “weird” or “wild”—it is messier, deeper, and far more compelling.This anthology shows that between the headlines, Florida writers continue to affirm the beauty, complexity, and culture that make the state unique. In these pages, people who truly love Florida claim the privilege of defining it. All This Beauty invites readers to see Florida as its contributors do: a place of contradiction and connection, alive with imagination and possibility.Funding for this publication was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.

A lyrical rendering of the real Miami beneath the myths, crafted through stories of the city’s artists and creatorsMiami is often seen as a leisure destination with bright sunshine, turquoise beaches, and palm trees; a glamorous metropolis with a flashy nightlife; and a cosmopolitan crossroads. In Everything Is the Sea, P. Scott Cunningham explores the city’s cultural richness. Through lyrical essays, Cunningham weaves his own life as a Miami resident with the stories of others to portray Miami’s dynamic cultural scene through the words of those who have created it.Cunningham introduces readers to an activist who cleans up trash off the ocean floor, artists who hand out umbrellas to their neighbors, and a famous poet who bags groceries at a supermarket. He also shares a fuller picture of people readers have already heard of: pop singer George Michael, designer Gianni Versace, and playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney, co-creator of the Oscar-winning film Moonlight. Through intimate interviews, historical research, and firsthand stories, this book reveals that Miami’s cultural life is much deeper and richer than commonly presented.Combining profile, criticism, and memoir, including details of Cunningham’s fifteen years producing literary events and public art projects in the city, Everything Is the Sea argues for Miami’s consideration as one of the country’s most vibrant cities, a place where world-class artists are trained and important work is made. Cunningham intertwines the stories of the people of Miami to create a nuanced portrait of the city he loves.