Back to Reality

November 6, 2019



Meg Cabot and Roz Brankenbury







Back to Reality

Coming down from the surreal experience that is Fantasy Fest week is always tough, for one I am always just simply exhausted from the sheer amount of hours out and about, rushing around town, trying to balance my work schedule with all the events that I attend until the very early hours of many mornings. I usually just want to cocoon away at home with Kathy and our pets and be lazy.











The thing is though is that Fantasy Fest, is actually just the beginning of what is a frenetic rollercoaster ride that is season in Key West. The busiest part of the year lie just ahead and the island begins to really shift into the high gear where there is always something, often multiple somethings going on all the time.









I begin this week with something that is actually coming to a close and that is the Key West High School football season. I attended almost all of the home games this year and it was a fun and moderately successful season as the Conchs finished 5-5 and made the playoffs (they face an early elimination against the #1 ranked team this Friday). I really had a good time watching them this year even though they faded somewhat down the stretch against some top quality opposition.

Logan and Tiffany









This week was one of the biggest at Key West High and for the city really as it was the annual Homecoming game. They really do homecoming up here and I was able to document this year’s ceremony from the opposing sideline where I always watch the games. It is all sorts of pageantry and excitement as the homecoming queen candidates are escorted by their father before being handed off to an escort for the ceremony.











I always see friends and their children at the game and this year was no exception, many of the kids that Kathy once taught at Key West Preschool Co-op are now (yikes) in high school and it is always cool to see what awesome young adults these kids have turned out to be. The same night as the game, I attended the opening of a wonderful new exhibit by the Key West Art and Historical Society at the Custom’s House about the Literary History of Key West.

Mark, Michael and Nan



Brewster



Cori, Brewster and Lynn

It was an impressive exhibit highlighting the myriad of writers, authors and poets who have a strong Key West connection. The first art opening of the season was well-attended and a few of the featured writers were even on hand. My association with the Key West Literary Seminar has given me the opportunity to know personally many of the famed writers and I feel so fortunate for that. It is worth a visit to the Customs House and will be on display through January.



Kirby





Meg Cabot

One of the authors featured in the exhibit, our friend Meg Cabot had a reading and book signing for her latest book, “No Judgements”, which is set in a fictional island community that very much resembles Key West as a hurricane approaches. Kathy and I and much of the literary community of Key West was on hand for the reading, which was wonderful. Meg is no only a talented writer, but a funny speaker and you should go see her if you get a chance, in the meantime just buy the book and try to figure out if you might know the real people the characters are based on.