Florida Humanities celebrates 50 years sharing stories of our state

The mission of Florida Humanities is to help Floridians make sense of this complex, dynamic state by elevating stories about its culture, history and literature. A new book, "Once Upon a Time in Florida," celebrates the organization's golden anniversary. Florida Matters sat down with Dr. Nashid Madyun, executive director of Florida Humanities, and Jacki Levine, the editor of "Once Upon a Time in Florida" for a conversation about what went into the creation of this book. They talk about what Florida stereotypes are wrong, how much we don’t know about this vast, complex state, and how the humanities can provide a more complete picture of Florida during a time of rapid change. We also hear from some of the contributors to "Once Upon a Time in Florida": NPR TV and film critic Eric Deggans talks about how the stylized image of Florida in shows like Miami Vice affects the way others see the state, and how we see ourselves. WUSF’s Dalia Colon reads from her profile of former U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros Lehtinen, whose family sought refuge in Florida after fleeing Communist Cuba. Historian Gary Mormino muses on the demise of the once mighty citrus industry, and Pulitzer Prize winning author Jack Davis describes the "beauty and bluster" of the Gulf of Mexico and its impact on the state.