Author Talk with Florida Storyteller Cathy Salustri

Join Wild Space Gallery and Cathy Salustri for a presentation and signing of her newest book Florida Spectacular, uncovering centuries of forgotten Florida lore—from the Everglades to springs, ranchlands, and scrub habitats—and revealing the state's environmental wonders and unique human stories.

After her presentation stick around for refreshments and our new exhibit Breaking Barriers: Nature in Focus.

About Cathy Salustri:

Cathy Salustri writes about Florida lifestyles and history. Her portfolio includes USA Today, Flamingo Magazine, Visit Florida, regional magazines, the Tampa Bay Times, Creative Loafing, and other Tampa Bay press.

In late 2016, UPF published her travel narrative about retracing the WPA-era driving tours of Florida, Backroads of Paradise, and the New York Times featured it in its travel section. She next wrote Florida Spectacular: Extraordinary Places and Exceptional Lives ( 2024) to remind Floridians exactly how wonderful their state is.

Every week, Cathy Salustri and co-host and Florida author Rick Kilby celebrate Florida travel, history, and culture on their podcast, Florida Spectacular.

About Florida Spectacular:

Journey with Salustri through centuries of forgotten Florida lore, into the Everglades and through the springs and over ranchlands and scrub habitats to discover a state rich in environmental wonders and unique human stories. Florida Spectacular lifts the curtain on multiple facets including the legacy of Zora Neale Hurston and the Black community at Eatonville; the bravery of Emateloye Estenletkvte, a Seminole woman who escaped from captivity back to her homeland; the two “frenemy” Henrys, Flagler and Plant, and their projects in transportation and tourism; the three “Marjories,” the influential environmentalists and writers; and people working to solve issues facing the state today, such as those who have used Florida’s hurricanes to make storm forecasting better for the whole world and those who have helped show the critically endangered Florida panther a path back from extinction.

Along the way, Salustri brings to light lesser-known moments from Florida’s history that help illuminate the state’s significance in American and world history. Salustri tours readers through the hidden-in-plain-sight Florida, the overlooked treasures, the cultural complexities, the environmental challenges and successes. Her stories show that with curiosity and an eagerness to learn, it doesn’t take much to discover the spectacular in Florida’s past and present.

Host or Publisher Florida Wildlife Corridor