Review–Fringe Florida
Disclaimer: I received this book free from University Press of Florida in exchange for an honest review. I did not receive any form of compensation.
Having grown up in Florida, I was quite interested in receiving this book. I have known quite a few people who have lived various alternative lifestyles and I was interested to see what the author’s take would be on some of the various fringe cultures down here.
The first subculture that Lynn describes is the exotic pet owner. I had never considered myself as an exotic pet owner, but apparently I am. I used to own an iguana. I also dated a guy who had a whole reptile set up on his back patio. It included snakes, lizards, iquanas, and many other reptiles. My friend Judy & her husband John own rats as pets. These are all things that I consider normal. I know people who had talked about getting sugar gliders. I don’t know if they ever did or not though.
The next section is about strip clubs. Apparently, Florida has the most strip clubs in the United States. That wasn’t something that I was even aware of. Interestingly enough, one of the most renowned strip club owners in Florida is also a major social activist. He sued on behalf of the gay rights movement when Hillsborough County had tried to ban any mention of Gay Pride Week. He has also allowed Occupy Tampa to use his land to hold their protests. He has even protested Westboro Baptist. These were all things that I hadn’t known even though I used to live in Tampa and know exactly where that strip club is located.
These were just two examples of some of the things in this book. I learned so much about that state that I was born in just by reading this book. These are things that you won’t learn in school. But they will definitely allow you to see Florida in an entirely different light.
Fringe Florida: Travels among Mud Boggers, Furries, Ufologists, Nudists, and Other Lovers of Unconventional Lifestyles: Lynn Waddell: 9780813044934: Books
Comments