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Hear the grand and sometimes crazy story of Florida through the eyes of a native daughter whose ancestors helped settle Florida, kill off its pesky Indians, enslave some of its inhabitants, clear its forests, lay its train tracks and pave its roads. In the 1970s and 1980s, Florida looked as though it was finally going to drag itself out of the Old South into the New Sunbelt. Forward-looking governors such as Reubin Askew, Bob Graham and Bob Martinez cleaned up state government, put money into education, worked toward civil rights and continued the good environmental work that had begun under Gov. Claude Kirk. Alas, it’s been a long time since Florida government had a vision for the state. Now Florida is about to elect a new governor. Will Florida separate itself from its unfortunate history and embrace 21st century thinking? Presenter: Diane Roberts was educated at Florida State University and Oxford University. She is the author of four books, including Dream State (an historical memoir of Florida) and Tribal: College Football and the Secret Heart of America. She is also a journalist and broadcaster, a former member of the “Tampa Bay Times” Editorial Board and an essayist for NPR. She is Professor of Literature and Creative Writing at Florida State University. Cost: $25/$35 Coordinator: Duane Meeter