Island Hopper Songwriter Fest SUN, SAND AND SONGS Protesters outside the Miami Beach Convention Center during the 1972 Republican National Convention Where Where You in ’92? from p7 around Miami Beach with his cousin, hoping to take part in a grand protest that never quite materialized. He had a number of adventures, at one point throwing a projectile at a cop (“it was the only violent thing I did”) and get- ting sprayed in the eyes with mace for his trouble. Looking back on the experience, Ka- plan could see that “a lot of the agitation was really about get- ting attention, acting on a grand stage.” But he still made the argu- ment that “the period was one of compas- sion, where people were seeking some greater good. At least the rhetoric was good rhetoric.” Kaplan himself What I often sense in Josie is a kind of would go on to launch the beloved Books & Books bookstores in Coral Gables and around Miami and helped found the Mi- ami Book Fair. He has become one of the most revered literary citizens in America. It’s possible, in other words, for good rhet- oric to be matched by good deeds. I think here, too, about my own daughter, Josie. At 15, she’s already a member of our lo- cal town government, an organizer in the Sunshine Movement, a passionate activist who routinely gets me off my ass and off to lo- cal political rallies. And she wants to start an underground newspaper at her school. Why bother flipping the inky pages of a big, bulky tabloid when you could just pop online and “do your own research”? fragile idealism. She has come of age in the era of political tumult, in which aggression and paranoia have infected the national bloodstream in ways more profound than any time in our history, aside from the Civil War. The results have been grim and pervasive: an attempted coup, a cy- cle of senseless gun vi- olence, the outlawing of female bodily au- tonomy, and a suicidal negligence when it comes to climate change. And yet Josie con- tinues to deepen her political engagement. On better days, she be- lieves that the demo- graphic shift to a younger, more diverse electorate will usher in an era of progres- sive change in which it becomes possible, once again, to address the crises we face as a nation and species. Her central aca- demic interest is his- tory. She understands, in a way that took me much longer to figure out, that only by look- ing back can we see the way forward. Steve Almond was a staff writer at Miami New Times in the early 1990s. Now a novelist, essayist, and political commentator, he lives outside Boston with his family. All the Secrets of the World, his first novel, was published ear- lier this year by Zando Projects. [email protected] 3 9 Headliner Gary LeVox from Rascal Flatts SEPTEMBER 16–25, 2022 As the sun goes down, the nights heat up at Island Hopper Songwriter Fest. Catch 10 days of free shows at Southwest Florida’s premier live music event, taking place in venues throughout Captiva Island, downtown Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach. There’s still time to get tickets to a poolside concert with singer-songwriter Gary LeVox, legendary vocalist from Rascal Flatts. Sink your toes into white sand, sing along to your favorite songs and discover the stories behind them. Good days include great music. Check out the lineup of over 70 BMI artists at IslandHopperFest.com | #IslandHopperFest Stay up to date with the latest festival events. Download the Island Hopper mobile app for iOS and Android devices. miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | miaminewtimes.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | NEW TIMES MIAMI NEW TIMES SEPTEMBER 8-14, 2022 MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 Photo by Archive Photo/Getty Images
