11 November 16-22, 2023 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com New Times | Contents | Letters | news | night+Day | Culture | Cafe | MusiC | miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | Locals Only Five South Florida authors to check out at the Miami Book Fair. BY CHRISTINE BORGES I t’s not hard to be inspired by our kooky corner of the country — after all, there’s a reason the Florida Man meme per- sists. Nobody perhaps knows this better than the scribes that call South Florida home. From poetry to nonfiction works, the Magic City remains a worthy muse. At this year’s Miami Book Fair, there will be at least 34 authors from across the Sun- shine State. That’s in addition to the hun- dreds of out-of-state literary powerhouses and more than 200,000 expected attendees during the eight-day festival. However, if your 305 ‘til you die, here are five local au- thors you want to make some time for during the literary extravaganza. Ana Menéndez Los Angeles-born Menéndez was raised in here, went to school here, and, though she’s lived all over the world (Egypt, India, Turkey, Slovakia, and the Netherlands), she calls Mi- ami home. As an associate professor at Flor- ida International University with joint appointments in English and the Wolfsonian Public Humanities Lab, she’s helping mold young minds. In her latest novel, The Apart- ment: A Novel, she tells a typical Miami story: the search for freedom and the power of com- munity that spans decades of residents in one Florida apartment. Intergenerational Stories: On Family & Resilience. With Patricia Engel, M. Evelina Galang, Cristina García, and Ana Menéndez. 2:30 p.m. Sunday, November 19, at Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus, 300 NE Second Ave., Miami (Room 3209, Building 3, Second Floor). Chris Potash and Joey Seeman The punk genre and its origins are often thought of as synonymous with New York and CBGB, but South Florida made some no- table contributions, too. Authors and Miami natives Joey Seeman and Chris Potash partic- ipated and documented the first, second, and subsequent waves of musicians, indie labels, DJs, and more throughout the years. Their book Punk Under the Sun: ‘80s Punk and New Wave in South Florida features never-before- seen photographs, dozens of fliers and other souvenirs, a discography, and a who’s who of people and places that created South Flori- da’s alternative culture. Miami: Punk Rock City. 3 p.m. Saturday, November 18, at the Magic Screening Room at the Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus, 300 NE Second Ave., Miami (Building 8, First Floor). Geoffrey Philp Jamaican novelist, playwright, and poet Geof- frey Philp relocated to Miami in 1979. He’s written a novel and six poetry collections so far, so his sev- enth, Archipela- gos, is his take on poetry dur- ing the onrush- ing global disaster. Philp’s poems span past and pres- ent, and his powerful po- ems will reso- nate with many readers. Voice of Jamaica: Exploring Race, Iden- tity & Memory. With Geoffrey Philp, Dale Mah- food, Safiya Sinclair, and Sharon Corinthian. 4 p.m. Sunday, November 19, at Miami Dade Col- lege Wolfson Campus, 300 NE Second Ave., Mi- ami (Room 8302, Building 8, Third Floor). Kenisha Anthony Miami native Kenisha Anthony is more than your typical Magic City influencer; she’s also a writer, philanthropist, and social worker looking to change Florida’s broken child wel- fare system. Anthony entered the foster care system here as an abandoned child of drug- addicted parents at the age of 4 and bounced from home to home, eventually aging out. Now a college graduate, she’s also an advo- cate for change in the child welfare system, and her book, Labeled: Ward of the State, is a memoir that shines a spotlight on life through the lens of a survivor. Changing the Narrative, Empowering Youth. 1 p.m. Sunday, November 19, at Miami Dade Collge Wolfson Campus, 300 NE Second Ave., Miami (Room 8203, Building 8, Second Floor). M. Evelina Galang While M. Evelina Galang wasn’t born in Mi- ami, she lives and teaches here. Her seventh book, When the Hibiscus Falls: Stories, fea- tures familiar figures from some of her other novels and stories, and it tells stories that are close to home for many Floridians: family, community, and the connection between generations of women that make the move from small Philippine villages to the hurri- cane-beaten coast of Florida. Intergenera- tional Stories: On Family & Resilience. With Patricia Engel, M. Evelina Galang, Cristina García, and Ana Menéndez. 2:30 p.m. Sunday, November 19, at Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus, 300 NE Second Ave., Miami (Room 3209, Building 3, Second Floor). [email protected] ▼ Culture ANTHONY IS MORE THAN YOUR TYPICAL INFLUENCER; SHE’S ALSO A WRITER, PHILANTHROPIST, AND SOCIAL WORKER. Kenisha Anthony will discuss her memoir, Labeled: Ward of the State, at the Miami Book Fair on Sunday, November 19. Miami Book Fair photo
