CONTRIBUTORS Riley Benson, Josh Bradley, Maggie Duffy, Kyla Fields, Jennifer Ring, Julia Saad, Suzie Townsend, David Warner, Chelsea Zukowski
PHOTOGRAPHERS Dave Decker
POLITICAL CARTOONIST Bob Whitmore
FALL INTERNS Riley Benson, Anthony Ozdemir
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SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
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MARKETING, PROMOTIONS AND EVENTS DIRECTOR Leigh Wilson
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Circulation
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Michael Wagner
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Kelsey Molina
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DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL CONTENT STRATEGY Colin Wolf
ART DIRECTOR David Loyola
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Jaime Monzon
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EDITORIAL POLICY — Creative Loafing Tampa Bay is a publication covering public issues, the arts and entertainment. In our pages appear views from across the political and social spectrum. They do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher.
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The newspaper is produced and printed on Indigenous land belonging to Tampa Bay’s Tocobaga and Seminole tribes.
Thanks to Raymond James Stadium, the Bay area gets to welcome popular college football teams to Tampa for bowl games. There are two contests this year, and the first arrives this weekend. The Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl pits the pitiful Florida Gators (sorry, at least you’re better than FSU) against the Green Wave of Tulane, which finished second in the American Athletic Conference. The big bowl, however, happens on New Year’s Eve when No. 11 Alabama takes on Michigan. The tilt is a rematch of last season’s College Football Playoff semifinal where the Wolverines sent Nick Saban into retirement before winning the national championship a week later.
Union Home Mortgage Gasparilla Bowl: Friday, Dec. 20. 3:30 p.m. $25$125. Raymond James Stadium, 4201 N Dale Mabry Hwy., Tampa. gasparillabowl.com—Ray Roa
Out of time
In case you’ve been too busy trying to keep your own life from falling apart in these times, Christmas is less than a week away. That means some of you need to buy last minute presents. Thankfully, there are a bunch of ways to get that done while supporting local makers and markets. A Tampa Heights procrastinator’s market happens in the backyard of Shuffle on Saturday, and amile-and-a-half away is an oddity-centric market happening at Deviant Libation. If Tampeños need to start shopping earlier, Seminole Heights’ Common Dialect Beerworks has a Dec. 19 market happening in the parking lot. Those in Pinellas County should make plans to stop by Morean Arts Center’s “Small Wonders” show and sale, which runs six days a week through New Year’s Eve. The exhibition showcases small and affordable artwork across all mediums, most priced under $100. Bananas Records’ 22nd Avenue N location has a Sunday, market, too. And if you need someone to help you wrap all of it, the lovely folks at the Gulfport Senior Center stage a donationbased wrapping service on Dec. 23. Get links to all this goodness via cltampa. com.—Ray Roa
Let it glow
In Tampa, the natives do boat parades, and this weekend brings two of them to the Hillsborough River. The first, on Saturday, is the City of Tampa’s largest lighted boat parade featuring hordes of motorized vessels sailing from the southern tip of Davis Islands, and north up the river to Tampa Armature Works before concluding at Sparkman Wharf where the boats will be judged as part of a competition. Not everyone has a boat, however, and some people just wanna float and connect with the water. That’s why one of the city’s longest-running boat parades is also back on Sunday. The 24th Annual Holiday Boat Parade on the Hillsborough River—Tampa Bay’s only paddler-friendly holiday event—welcomes ‘yaks, canoes, paddleboards, and small power boats to the northern end of the Hillsborough for a regatta that launches and lands back at the Lowry Park boat ramp. A safety boat and Tampa police will help keep the paddlers away from the powered boats, which will be at the back of the parade. Get details on both parades via cltampa.com.—Ray Roa
Popping off
The Florida Orchestra’s Holiday Pops performances are sold-out at Tampa’s Straz Center so anyone hoping to take in one of the best holiday traditions in the Bay area will have to catch one of the other four shows happening in St. Petersburg at Mahaffey Theater (Saturday) and Clearwater’s Ruth Eckerd Hall (Sunday). On tap, according to TFO, which is performing alongside The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay, are classics— ”Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker,’ ‘Polar Express,’ Handel’s ‘Messiah,’ ‘Sleigh Ride’ and more.” Read more on p. 45.
The Florida Orchestra Holiday Pops: Friday-Sunday, Dec. 20-21. $23-$75 (kids tickets, ages 5-18, available for $20). Various venues. floridaorchestra.org Ray Roa
Something important
Tampa Theatre’s Holiday Classics series won’t wrap until next month, but the Jan. 5 showing of “Frozen” is beyond sold-out. That means you have just two more chances to soak in the spirit inside the city’s historic theatre. Starting Thursday, “It’s a Wonderful Life” stages a six-screening run that includes matinees on Sunday and Monday. After the 1946 black-and-white film, is “Home Alone,” which plays just once on Sunday, Dec. 29 If your kid hasn’t seen Macaulay Culkin’s finest performance, then now is the time to show them just what fuck around and find out means.
Tampa Theatre Holiday Classics ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’: ThursdayMonday, Dec. 19-23. $10. Tampa Theatre, 711 N Franklin St, Tampa. tampatheatre.org—Ray Roa
Walking out
It’s your last chance to take in Clearwater Arts Alliance’s monthly public art walks, which ends its run of third Sunday strolls this month. The docent-led walks lead participants through downtown Clearwater, where they’ll see about 20 public artworks, from murals to sculptures to art-wrapped signal boxes and painted storm drains (Ernesto Maranje’s Coachman Park mural is pictured). Highlights on an Oct. 2023 art walk preceding Clearwater’s inaugural Art in the Park event, included several signal boxes wrapped in art, Tony Krol and Michelle Sawyer’s “100 Years Before J. Cole” mural along the Pinellas Trail, multiple Cecilia Lueza murals, and several sculptures installed in the Cleveland Street District as part of the city’s Sculpture 360 program. Clearwater Arts Alliance Public Art Walk, Sunday, Dec. 22. 10:30 a.m. $10-$15. Meet at Clearwater Main Library, 100 N Osceola Ave., Clearwater. clearwaterartsalliance.org—Jennifer Ring
$3,000
“ …they’re using medicine so they can be functional human beings in life again.”
Rescue me
Judge rules in favor of Hillsborough paramedic fired for using medical cannabis.
By Mitch Perry/Florida Phoenix
AHillsborough County judge has ruled in favor of a paramedic and medical marijuana patient who was suspended by the Hillsborough County Fire and Rescue Department in 2019 after testing positive for cannabis use.
Judge Melissa Polo ruled last Tuesday that Hillsborough County is prohibited from discriminating against and must provide accommodations to employees with valid medical marijuana cards who test positive for the drug—as long as there is no evidence the employee was using illegal substances at work, on county property, or in county vehicles, or reported to work under the influence.
She also ruled that the plaintiff, Angelo Giambrone, is entitled to back pay, compensatory damages, and attorney fees and costs associated with his case.
Florida’s medical marijuana statute does not require an employer to accommodate the medical use of marijuana in any workplace or any employee while working under the influence of marijuana but is silent about whether employers must accommodate off-site or off-work use of marijuana.
Officials with Hillsborough County issued this statement last Wednesday about the decision: “Following the recent court ruling involving a former employee of Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and the use of medical marijuana, Hillsborough County is carefully evaluating possible next steps related to the case.”
Democratic lawmakers have filed bills in recent sessions to give employees who are medical marijuana patients legal protections at work, although they haven’t moved in the GOP-controlled Legislature.
Disability
In her written opinion, Judge Polo said the “undisputed facts” established that Giambrone suffered from anxiety and a sleep disorder that “significantly impacts his day-to-day life when unmedicated.”
She noted that the definition of disability in the Florida Civil Rights Act includes both physical and mental ailments; that the 2016 Florida Constitutional Amendment legalizing medical cannabis requires that “qualified” patients are allowed to use medical marijuana offsite; and that employers are required to make accommodations.
affected his ability to live day to day without being medicated,” Minardi said.
WEED
“So, he was considered to be a disabled individual under the Florida Civil Rights Act and therefore employers are required to give those employees accommodations just like anybody else currently is for any other prescription medication or people who can’t stand on their feet too long, where they have to have a chair at work.” he continued. “The only thing we’re asking for is they accept a positive medical marijuana test or medical marijuana card the same as they would any prescription medication.”
Random test
Giambrone had worked for Hillsborough County Fire & Rescue as a paramedic since 2008. On Feb. 26, 2019, he was asked to take a random drug test and tested positive for cannabis use on March 1, 2019. He showed his superiors his medical marijuana card, but the department was unmoved and placed him on administrative leave without pay that same day.
Giambrone’s positive urine test was reported to the Florida Department of Health, which conducted an investigation but dropped it for lack of probable cause.
“It’s finally what I think the people voted for in 2016 for medical marijuana coming to fruition,” said Tampa attorney Michael Minardi, who defended Giambrone in court. “We think this is obviously a correct verdict and hopefully allow marijuana patients to stop being discriminated against when they’re using medicine so they can be functional human beings in life again.”
“Therefore, the Court finds that Plaintiff is entitled to protection under the Florida Civil Rights Act and the County violated the [sic] by not making an accommodation for Plaintiff to use his medical marijuana off-site.”
“He had anxiety, insomnia, and PTSD that
Polo noted in her opinion that Hillsborough County Fire & Rescue acknowledged that there was no evidence Giambrone had used cannabis on work premises, before or during work hours; or that he had possessed cannabis on work premises or during work hours.
He then filed a complaint on June 5, 2020, alleging violation of the Florida Civil Rights Act because he said that the county was required to accommodate him as disabled individual; that he was wrongfully terminated because the county refused to accept his state-issued medical marijuana card as justification for his positive test results; and that the county had failed to update its Drug Free Workplace Policy pursuant to the Florida Civil Rights Act.
Additionally, he alleged breach of contract for violation of the Drug Free Workplace Policy and Collective Bargaining Agreement.
Hillsborough County argued that Giambrone was not a disabled person “because he never requested an accommodation or self-reported his confidential medical information to his employer.”
Of the 38 states that have legalized medical cannabis, about half address anti-discrimination for medical cannabis patients. Significantly fewer require employers to carve out accommodations for these patients, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.
CIRCUIT CITY: Outside the Thirteenth Circuit Courthouse in Hillsborough County
Party’s over
Tampa’s State Rep. Susan Valdés switches to Republican Party.
By Jim Turner/News Service of Florida
Elected four times to the state House as a Democrat, Tampa lawmaker Susan Valdes last Monday added to Republicans’ supermajority.
Valdes announced she had become a Republican, saying she expected to be “welcomed and treated with respect” by her new party. The move, which drew a rebuke from House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa, came a week after Valdes lost a bid to become chairwoman of the Hillsborough County Democratic Executive Committee.
In a statement posted on X, Valdes said she didn’t want to “waste” her final two years in the Legislature “being ignored in a caucus whose leadership expects me to ignore the needs of my community.”
“I so rarely get to send a communication solely in my role as Republican leader, but I am thrilled today to announce that Representative Susan Valdes has changed her voter registration from Democrat to Republican,” Perez said in an email. “We all know Susan as a fierce advocate for her community, and a person of uncommon common sense. She will be a great asset to our Republican team.”
Driskell, in a statement, called the move “especially egregious,” as Valdes ran last week for the county Democratic leadership post and “lost by a substantial margin.”
ELECTIONS
“I’m tired of being the party of protesting when I got into politics to be part of the party of progress,” Valdes said.
Valdes also pointed to a “vision” laid out by House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, that “focuses on empowering House members to work on real problems facing our communities.”
Valdes added that she didn’t expect to agree with “my fellow Republicans” on every issue, but “that in their caucus, I will be welcomed and treated with respect.”
Perez hailed the move, which expanded the GOP supermajority to 86 members in the 120seat House. It was another blow to Democrats, whose hopes of cutting into the supermajority were dashed in the Nov. 5 elections.
Last month, Valdes was re-elected in Hillsborough County’s House District 64, defeating Republican Maura Cruz Lanz by 4.8 percentage points. It was a rematch of a 2022 contest, when Valdes won by 6.6 percentage points.
“Susan should have trusted her constituents, not pulled a bait-and-switch after the fact,” Driskell said Monday.
Driskell said Valdes has “elevated her own aspirations” and “has consistently and publicly shared that she feels the Republican Party does not adequately represent her constituents or beliefs.”
Valdes, a former Hillsborough County School Board member, was first elected to the House in 2018 and was re-elected three times. She will be forced to leave the House in 2026 because of term limits.
SWITCHEROO: Valdes was re-elected by 4.8 percentage points.
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OPENINGS & CLOSINGS
RESTAURANTS RECIPES DINING GUIDES
Buzzkill
Hooch and Hive is closing, plus openings from across Tampa Bay.
By Ray Roa and Kyla Fields
Hooch and Hive has spent the last six years working on a well-earned reputation for being a surefire spot to catch local and touring bands on nearly any night of the week. That work ends on Jan. 1
In a statement to Creative Loafing Tampa Bay, Hooch and Hive’s “Spiritual Janitor” Dean Rosenberger wrote that the venue finds itself unable to continue in its current location. “Unfortunately, as the saying goes, ‘money talks,’ and we’ve reached a point where it is no longer sustainable to host live music here,” he added.
Hooch’s last show before the new year will be the Brokenmold Entertainment Annual Holiday Party set for Friday, Dec. 27. There are just two shows announced at Hooch for 2025, and they will have to find new venues.
“We want to extend our deepest gratitude to all the amazing artists, musicians, poets, creatives, party-goers, fans, and family who have made Hooch such a special place. To our staff past and present—thank you for your passion, resilience, and for fighting the good fight. It was a great run battling and winning in spite of road closures, covid and more,” the statement said. “While this chapter may be coming to a close, the memories we’ve created will live on. Thank you for being part of our journey and for supporting the magic of live music and community.”
New owners of the venue at 1001 W Cass St. have not been confirmed, but there is a rumor that it is Green Iguana Restaurant Entertainment Group LLC, which also runs Hula Bay, Green Iguana, and The Retreat near University of Tampa. A rep for the company would not yet comment.
Hooch and Hive’s imminent closure is another bruise on the downtown core’s live music scene. While there are small venues and bars like The Hub that host live music downtown, none did it like Hooch and Hive, which featured one of the best sound systems in Tampa, and a killer kitchen, and a bar staff that made one hell of a paloma, among other libations. Now, the next closest, small-ish, live music venue is Crowbar, less than three miles east in Ybor City. After that, live music goers looking for a small-to-mid-size venue would have to go to New Brewery’s music hall in Sulphur Springs, or Orpheum and Skipper’s Smokehouse—both 11 miles away.
“We still have time to celebrate everything that Hooch has stood for! We encourage everyone to take full advantage of the incredible shows, events, and happenings we have left on the schedule. Let’s make these final moments together unforgettable,” Rosenberger added.
Pin on Cafe relocates Asian fusion restaurant to St. Pete’s Grand Central District
A downtown St. Pete favorite has reopened its doors with the same Asian fusion menu that its loyal regulars love.
Laotian and Vietnamese favorites, perhaps Pin on Grand’s best deal is its mix-and-match lunch special that ranges from $12-$16.
While smoothies, matcha, coffee and teas are on the restaurant’s current drink menu, a full spread of cocktails are expected to launch sometime in the future.
Pin on Cafe served the last customers out of its former Edge District restaurant on Nov. 17 and soft opened its much larger, relocated restaurant a few days later. Pin on Grand is now open out of the former Valhalla Bakery space, which closed last year after consolidating with neighboring business Valkyrie Donuts.
Pin on Grand owners Som and Roger Rattanachane also operate Thai-Japanese restaurant Pin Wok & Bowl at 445 Central Ave., which they opened in 2017. The duo opened Pin
The recently-rebranded Pin on Grand is now located 2458 Central Ave. adjacent to other Grand Central restaurants like Casita Taqueria, Salty Nun and The Floribbean. Despite the relocation, Pin on Grand boasts the same menu of onigiris, sushi burritos, pho, ramen, stir fried noodles, sushi rolls, curries, fried rice, papaya salads and more.
A few of the restaurant’s specialties include its prized pineapple fried rice, Hainanese chicken and rice, and a fried whole snapper. While its entire menu is stacked with Thai,
on Cafe in the Edge District in 2021, offering a slightly different menu than their flagship fusion spot.
St. Pete Rising says that the Rattanachanes had to relocate Pin on Cafe because its original space will be “razed later this year for phase two of the EDGE Collective mixed-use development.”
Head to @pinongrand on Instagram for the latest updates on Pin on Grand’s menu, operating hours and more. Pin on Grand is now open from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4 p.m.-9 p.m. MondayThursday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 4 p.m.-10 p.m.
on Fridays, 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturdays and 11:30 p.m.-9 p.m. on Sundays.
Cybel, a new French-Moroccan restaurant, is now open in St. Petersburg
Cybel soft opened last month at 2735 5th Ave. N, and is now serving its beloved French tacos and more out of its debut brick and mortar location in St. Pete’s Historic Kenwood district.
The French-Moroccan eatery is the first restaurant from Taoufik Abdelmoula aka Chef Touf, who runs Cybel with several members of his family.
The building was formerly home to Sammy + Paco, a bakery and cafe from the owners of Lolita’s Wine Bar. It closed its doors shortly after opening in 2021, but continued as a catering space for Lolita’s and its sister concepts.
The vaguely Mediterranean restaurant pulls culinary inspiration from African, Moroccan, and French influences, offering familiar dishes like hummus, falafel and chicken kabob alongside unique fusion options like build-your-own French tacos and seafood-filled Moroccan egg rolls.
Cybel’s customizable French tacos–which Chef Touf first introduced to St. Pete while operating his ghost kitchen inside of Foodie Labs—comes with French fries and your choice of grilled meats, vegetables and sauces.
The newly-opened restaurant offers a few familiar starters like Moroccan ratatouille, labneh and a variety of salads alongside entrees like chicken shawarma served with garlic sauce, parsley rice and a Mediterranean salad, beef or chicken kabobs, lamb chops with a garlicpomegranate sauce and a slow-cooked lemon chicken tagine.
Sides include baba ganoush, smashed potatoes, fries, coleslaw, side salads, hummus and parsley rice.
From 7 a.m.-3 p.m. each day of service, a Cuban-style coffee bar called Brewed Awakenings sells specialty lattes, cold brew and matcha out of Cybel’s restaurant space. The two businesses have hosted a couple of collaborative, BYOB brunches over the last few weeks, with its next installment still TBA.
Foodie Labs—home to the first iteration of Cybel—is a virtual food hall, small business incubator and event space in the Warehouse Arts District. When the space first opened its doors in December 2023, Chef Touf’s Cybel was one of its first tenants alongside Bagel Babe and The Toasty Bros. He just recently ended his
continued on page 26
STAGE EXIT: Roxx Revolt & the Velvet plays Hooch and Hive in Tampa, Florida on Jan. 13, 2024.
Taste the Sunshine:
Foodie Labs lease to open the brick and mortar in Historic Kenwood.
Cybel is now open from 5 p.m.-11 p.m. TuesdayFriday, 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and is closed on Monday. Head to Cybel’s Instagram at @cybelrestaurant for the latest news on The ‘Burg’s new French-Moroccan restaurant.
Jimmy’s Tacos in Ybor City will open a second location in St. Petersburg
Ybor City restaurant, Jimmy’s Tacos, has plans to open a second location in St. Petersburg’s Grand Central District. According to Tampa Bay Business Journal, the popular Mexican eatery will be opening at 2536 Central Ave. which is currently home to Buster’s antique studio.
Jimmy’s Tacos originally started out in Los Angeles but moved to Ybor City in 2018, where they were mainly serving food at festivals and out of trucks, and opened its location at 1604 N 17th St. a year later.
Jimmy’s is known for its birria tacos, birria pizza, shrimp tacos, churros and iced horchata, which is all served out of a small, yellow little window, in downtown Ybor.
The new location is expected to open next year in August 2025, and owner Jimmy Nunez told TBBJ that his St. Pete spot will also serve green, red, and chocolate mole.—Riley Benson
New ‘90s-themed restaurant Sunshine City Tavern opening in St.Petersburg next month
Skiadioti, who is the owner of Craft Kafe— an entirely gluten-free restaurant that has locations throughout the St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay area.
original spot, is set to open on Monday, Dec. 23, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
OPENINGS & CLOSINGS
Ted Dorsey wants to bring St. Petersburg back to the ‘90s. Last week, the local chef announced his latest concept, Sunshine City Tavern, located at 4351 4th St. N, in the former Oaks on 4th building, which closed after less than a year in 2023.
Not a lot of details were provided, but the restaurant is in partnership with Teddy
Dorsey has been at the helm of quite a few popular local restaurants, including the Sonata Restaurant at the Mahaffey, The Mill, Ciro’s Speakeasy & Supper Club, Boca Kitchen Bar, Market Copperfish Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar, and Nash’s Hot Chicken on Central, which closed in 2023.
Construction is already underway, and the tavern is planned to open in January of 2025.—RB
Downtown Tampa breakfast spot First Watch reopens this month
Demolition can’t stop breakfast. Downtown Tampa’s new First Watch 4,000-square-foot location at 400 N Tampa St., one block south of its
The previous location was on the first floor of the Dohring building, which was demolished in early 2023. Kolter Urban, the new owners paid over $11 million for the parcel where they have started construction of the Tampa One condo tower.
As previously reported, the breakfast chain is known for their rotating menu and healthy meal options including sandwiches, omelets, pancakes and their famous “million dollar bacon.” The menu also includes vegan and gluten-free options. The franchise, based in Bradenton, has just under three dozen in the greater Tampa Bay Area and 535 locations throughout the country. The new store will open as all others, seven days a week, from 7:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m., according to the chain’s website. VIP registration for the pre-opening event in the downtown Tampa location is available via firstwatch. com.—Julia Saad
WATCH OUT NOW: Downtown Tampa gets a new, old, breakfast spot this month.
JULIA SAAD
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“ …inside the library, we found moments of calm and connection.”
MOVIES THEATER ART CULTURE
State we’re in
Love your local libraries and indie bookstores.
By Chelsea Zukwowski
Two days after Hurricane Milton swept through the area, fatigued locals found peace, commiseration and air conditioning inside the Largo Public Library.
People brought tangles of charging cords to give their electronics more juice while enjoying warm meals brought in from whatever fast food joint they could find open. In the wake of the worst storm Tampa Bay has seen in a century, survival mode also fostered empathy—a virtue this world desperately needs more of.
some of the lowest SAT scores in the country.
One of the best things you can do to support your community and literacy is to sign up for a library card. Even if you don’t use it, you add to the tally of registered users, which helps the library system maintain its budget.
BOOKS
Parents brought kids to enjoy the reading nooks and gaming tables. Every available seat was filled, but library patrons hunted for open electrical outlets for those looking for a place to plug in. Library staff even pried open the closed outlets in the middle of the floor for others to use.
Outside, the world was filled with downed power lines, toppled trees and poor cell service. But inside the library, we found moments of calm and connection—to each other and the rest of the battered Tampa Bay area.
It’s hard to put into words just how important local libraries are to a community—during hurricane season and not. Libraries are among the few places on Earth where you don’t have to spend money to enjoy their products and services. They’re one of the last great equalizers—class and economic status don’t exist inside a library.
Still, libraries are deeply political even as they remain nonpartisan. The act of reading, the existence of books and libraries, and the ability to access them are rooted in progressive ideals about the right to access information. Accessing libraries and their ideally robust and diverse collection of materials is fundamental to a healthy community and democracy.
At a time when book bans are on the rise and millions of people voted into the White House a political party that has championed the removal of texts that don’t align with their fear-and-ignorance-based beliefs, supporting local libraries is more important than ever. Book access and literacy are also major issues in America, especially in Florida where we rank at the top for book banning but continue to have
As nonprofits, libraries don’t have revenue numbers to show their value. Instead, they point to the number of new and active users as proof of interest and use. The number of library cards, people who use them, items that get checked out, and new library card signups are crucial to maintaining and even expanding library budgets.
Libraries aren’t just for books. Many libraries around Tampa Bay offer rentals of video games, movies, power tools, photo and video equipment and board games as well as free passes to more than a dozen museums in the area. Both Hillsborough and Pinellas library systems offer ukelele classes and kits. Plus, libraries are communities’ go-to places for free adult and child education programs, services for people with disabilities and genealogy and historical research resources.
You can even access free ebooks, audiobooks and magazines without ever leaving your house by connecting your library card to Libby, Hoopla and OverDrive.
All of this for zero dollars, and it directly supports an institution that is the lifeblood of a culturally vibrant community.
By the numbers
Pinellas has 25 local libraries, which saw 2.4 million visitors in 2023. In Hillsborough
County there are 28 branches that welcomed 2.28 million people last year. Library card holders are up to 443,427 people in Pinellas, while 44% of households—or an estimated 600,000 people have library cards in Hillsborough. Library cards are available via pplc.us or hcplc.org.
Extra reading
Some library systems in Florida and other states offer non-resident cards—some for free, but most for a fee. Having multiple library cards allows you to connect them to services like the Libby app to get access to more ebooks and audiobooks. It’s also a flex. I personally have four library cards, including one from a recent trip to Huntsville, Alabama.
Other county library systems around Florida where you can get a non-resident card include: Bervard, Broward, Citrus, Manatee, Orange, Sarasota, and St. Johns.
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2024 | 5–8 PM
At Art After Dark, enjoy discounted admission and exclusive programming, including engaging docent-led tours, thought-provoking lectures, film screenings, and more. Explore the galleries after hours, soak in the distinctive ambiance, and experience art in a fresh, captivating way. It’s the perfect night out for everyone to enjoy!
The best new Florida books to get you through this year, and perhaps the next.
By Chelsea Zukowski
If there ever was a good time to disassociate using books, the end of 2024 is it. After a stressful hurricane season and a rage-inducing election, it’s hard to remember that this year wasn’t all bad. Many great works came out this year, including dozens by Florida authors or set in the Sunshine State. And there are many more reads to look forward to in 2025. See an extended version of this listing via cltampa. com/slideshows.
Fiction
‘Bluebird’ by Chris Kneer Local banker Chris Kneer’s debut novel is the first in a new series of Cigar City Thrillers. The book’s main character is a banking security expert and discovers his boss is running a tax fraud scheme for one of the wealthy clients. He’s blamed for the fraud and has to go on the run from the FBI, taking the reader to iconic locations around Tampa Bay. For fans of: Financial thrillers and stories with Tampa Bay Easter eggs; $16.99, Spartan Entertainment
‘Blind Squirrel’ by Dave Mishkin Anyone who’s spent a couple hours in their car listening to any of his iconic play calls knows that Dave Mishkin is a walking, talking embodiment of emotion. For 22 years, he’s been the voice of the Tampa Bay Lightning—giving life to the careers of so many athletes and painting pictures of the team’s most iconic wins—but for many fans, Mishkin’s first novel came out of nowhere like a Nikita Kucherov no-look-pass. The Yale alum started the book about a talented athlete with a lot of hang ups about two decades ago, but wrapped it in a 14-week flurry after the 202122 Stanley Cup Finals. Hockey looms large over “Blind Squirrel,”—and it’s especially fun to read Mishkin slowdown the play call as he lets us into the head of minor-leaguer Noah Nicholson—but the heart of the work is an unabashed acknowledgement of (and invitation to talk about) the insecurities, guilt, and sadness we walk around with on so many days of our lives. For fans of: Tampa Bay Lightning, “The Hockey Sweater,” Ken Dryden’s “The Game”; $17.95, St. Petersburg Press—Ray Roa
place amidst the growing glamour and crime of post-war America. The next book in the series, Vegas Girls, arrives on Jan. 1, 2025. For fans of: Coming-of-age historical fiction inspired by true events and meticulous research; $4.99 Kindle, $18.59 paperback, indie-published
‘The Great State of West Florida’ by Kent Wascom The Pensacola-raised author’s second book is, as he says, sort of a “punk-rock Southern gothic” tale set in the near future. The speculative story is narrated by 13-year-old Rally, who longs for family and community but finds violence and adventure with his absent professional gunslinger father. For fans of: The author’s “The Blood of Heaven,” “The New Inheritors” and “Secessia”; $17, Grove Press, Black Cat
BOOKS
‘The House on Biscayne Bay’ by Chanel Cleeton Bestselling author Chanel Cleeton’s latest historical fiction set in South Florida is rife with glamorous mysteries. A wealthy industrialist and his wife built a fabulous estate on Biscayne Bay and became the talk of Miami’s post-war society. Years later, estranged sisters reconnect at Marbrisa only to uncover the mansion’s dark legacy. For fans of: The author’s “Next Year in Havana” and page-turning beach reads; $29, Berkley
‘Lake County’ by Lori Roy Central Florida author’s newest novel is a Southern noir reimagining of the Marilyn Monroe/Norma Jeane Baker story. This alt-history tale follows Monroe’s teenage niece, who dreams of escaping her small Florida town for a more glamorous life in Hollywood. In the way of her freedom are her criminal boyfriend, an obsessive stalker photographer, Tampa gangsters and plenty of small-town secrets. For fans of: The author’s other books and Gilbert King’s “Devil in the Grove” $28.99, Thomas & Mercer
the 1990s and stories about life after being locked up; $28, McSweeneys
‘Florida Girls’ by L.L. Kirchner Former Creative Loafing Tampa Bay contributor L.L. Kirchner’s debut historical fiction novel is set in St. Petersburg in 1944. Kirchner said this book “began in response to watching Brett Kavanaugh bro his way onto the Supreme Court.” The first in the author’s Queenpin Chronicles follows Thelma and Kathleen as they fight for their
‘The New Couple in 5B’ by Lisa Unger The local thriller author’s latest is set in New York City, where a couple inherits a historic luxury apartment building with a dark past. The tenants seem welcoming, but the couple questions the number of cameras and the gruesome crimes that have occurred there. And then one of the neighbors turns up dead. For fans of: Haunted houses, psychological thrillers and all of Unger’s other books; $28.99, Park Row
‘One Deadly Eye” by Randy Wayne
White
The author’s latest Doc Ford novel follows the eponymous character trying to stop a gang of mercenaries and prison escapees while a category five hurricane aims for Florida’s Gulf Coast. For fans of: The other Doc Ford novels and
‘Oye’ by Melissa Mogollon The author’s debut novel is structured as a collection of onesided voicemail messages from the youngest daughter in a large Colombian-American family. When a hurricane heads to Miami, narrator Luciana desperately tries to convince her grandmother Abue to evacuate. During and after the storm, their bond strengthens through shocking revelations, family secrets and medical diagnoses. For fans of: Raw and real family drama and coming-of-age tales; $29, Hogarth
‘Penalties of June’ by John Brandon
The author’s newest McSweeneys-published work follows a young man fresh out of prison and trying to start a new life. This short Florida noirish thriller takes readers through some of the darker places in Tampa Bay as Pratt faces crime bosses, drug dealers and maybe a chance at love. For fans of: Southern gothic tales set in
‘Say Hello to My Little Friend’ by Jennine Capó Crucet Dubbed “Scarface” meets “Moby Dick,” “Say Hello to My Little Friend” features a failed Pitbull impersonator on a mission to become a modern Tony Montana. When Ismael “Izzy” Reyes meets a captive orca named Lolita at the Miami Seaquarium, his journey becomes a surreal exploration of Izzy’s childhood in Cuba and his family’s and city’s murky legacy. For fans of: South Florida weirdness with a strong thread of heartbreak and hope; $27.99, Simon & Schuster
‘Summers at the Saint’ by Mary Kay Andrews Queen of beachy lit-fic Mary Kay Andrews published a twisty summer read with a dash of romance this year. Set at a hotel off the coast of Georgia, “Summers at the Saint” follows the historic resort’s widowed owner as continued on page 35
SMALL TOWN SECRET: St. Petersburg author Lori Roy.
she struggles to revive the place and find another chance at love. For fans of: The author’s other books and armchair traveling; $29, St. Martin’s Press
Nonfiction
‘An Unflinching Look: Elegy for Wetlands’ by Benjamin Dimmitt A book from late 2023 that has resurfaced since its author is at Tampa’s Oxford Exchange to sign books this Christmas Eve. Benjamin Dimmitt, a Clearwater photographer and Eckerd graduate who spent much of his life in Pinellas County has given Floridians—and any environmentalist, really—an astonishing lens into the past. “An Unflinching Look: Elegy for Wetlands” demonstrates the ecological consequences of climate change on Florida’s wetlands, specifically in the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, about 60 miles north of Tampa. Photographs in black and white depict tangled underbrush, rippling waters and flat scrubby landscape. Some are presented as diptychs—two photos taken decades apart are presented side by side, clearly showing the consequences of rising sea levels on this wetland ecosystem. Over the course of four decades the surrounding vegetation has dramatically thinned, once lush landscapes now only sparse grass and dying palms. For fans of: “Voices of Booker Creek,” “Dry Tortugas: Stronghold of Nature,” Ansel Adams, Clyde Butcher; $34.95, The University of Georgia Press—Suzanne Townsend
‘Do I Know You?’ by Sadie Dingfelder The holidays are a good time to share important life news with family, and a few years ago Sadie Dingfelder told her dad that he might have a rare neurological disorder known as prosopagnosia, also known as faceblindness. Pops, a former Tampa City Councilman (and in full disclosure, this writer’s middle school science teacher), brushed it off as Sadie being “spacy” and reminded her that you don’t have to know who someone is to have a conversation with them. That was enough to get Sadie—a musician, former Creative Loafing Tampa Bay intern, science journalist and former features editor at the Washington Post—and she dive into the science and emotion of the condition in this work. For fans of: “Memory’s Last Breath,” NPR’s Science Friday; $32, Little, Brown Spark—RR
‘Dry Tortugas: Stronghold of Nature’ by Ian Wilson-Navarro Everything about this work from Key Largo native and photographer Ian Wilson-Navarro is beautiful, from its backstory (he was approved for an artist residency program that allowed him to stay on Loggerhead Key and document the Dry Tortugas), the embedded essays (by pals with intimate knowledge of the UNESCO biosphere reserve) and photos themselves (from 30-second exposures of the raw, night sky to aerials of the fort and dozens of underwater captures). But there’s baked-in
brutality, too. Wilson-Navarro captures the enchanting magic of the Dry Tortugas, but surrenders that outside forces—manmade, and otherwise—could very well render what readers see unrecognizable in just a generation or two. A must-have volume for any lover of the Sunshine State. For fans of: coffee table conservation conversations, National Geographic, passport stamps; $34.95, University Press of Florida—RR
‘Florida Springs: From Geography to Politics and Restoration’ by Christopher F. Meindl From golf courses on state parks, to exploratory oil drilling near the Apalachicola River, and enshrining the so-called “right to fish and hunt,” Florida’s natural wonders were atop of headlines a lot in 2024. Christopher F. Meindl’s latest dives into a very specific part of the state. The associate professor of geography and director of the Florida Studies Program at the University of South Florida’s St. Petersburg campus doesn’t dance around the fact that springs can be political, but his book is focused on the elusive truths around them and what
BOOKS
‘The Florida Vegetarian Cookbook’ by Dalia Colon Multimedia journalist and host of WUSF’s local food podcast “The Zest” Dalia Colón published her first book “The Florida Vegetarian Cookbook” earlier this year, and it features over a hundred recipes as well as commentary on Florida food culture. In addition to the variety of Southern-inspired vegetarian recipes, Colón’s recently-published cookbook also includes a dozen essays about Florida’s “cherished food traditions” and issues impacting its current food and produce industry. For fans of: cooking vegetables, trying to eat healthy, Florida farms; $32, University Press of Florida—Kyla Fields
‘The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony’ by Annabelle Tometich Journalist Annabelle Tometich’s memoir of growing up in suburban South Florida as a mixed-raced Filipina includes answering a call from her mother, who’s in jail for shooting at someone for “messing with her mangoes.” It’s an intimate exploration of one family, a saga with universal themes and love letters to Filipino-
scientists and researchers have found so far. The text is fair, and dense with information on the geographical makeup of springs, their histories from the 1500s, and yes, the policy and state “restoration” of the precious sites. There’s plenty about the Bay area—south to Lithia, north to Tampa’s Purity, Sulphur and Uele springs—mixed in, too. For fans of: Florida history, freshwater science, facts; $38, University Press of Florida—RR
Americans and Tometich’s mother, Josefina. For fans of: Rebecca Renner’s “Gator Country” and Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’ “Cross Creek”; $30 Little, Brown and Company
‘Sharks Don’t Sink’ by Jasmin Graham Mote Marine scientist Jasmin Graham’s memoir is about her journey to becoming a “rogue shark scientist” after finding the traditional path to marine biology didn’t work for her—and many other young scientists of color. “Sharks
Don’t Sink” is just as much about her work to co-found Minorities in Shark Sciences as it is about learning form and respecting misunderstood and vulnerable sea creatures. For fans of: Relatable stories about paving your own path and embracing independence amid stifling traditions; $28, Pantheon
True crime
‘Carrie Carolyn Coco’ by Sarah Gerard In a way, “Carrie Carolyn Coco” is an anti-true crime book. So many true crime stories sound the same. A man kills a young woman. He’s caught. Then, the media and courts comb over his interests, his upbringing, his “psyche” for some clue as to why he did it. The victim is given stock treatment. She’s always a “beautiful soul,” someone who “lit up the room.” The only remarkable thing about her, it seems, is that she was killed. Sarah Gerard interrupts this narrative with her new memoir, “Carrie Carolyn Coco” which covers the life and murder of poet Carolyn Bush. A St. Pete native, and Gerard’s friend, Bush was living in New York City and an active member of the literary scene when, on Sept. 28, 2016, her roommate Render Stetson-Shanahan stabbed her seven times for no apparent reason. Much of Gerard’s book goes to examining the life of Carolyn and the dozens of people who were affected and grieved for her loss. Bush emerges as a complex character, someone who took her art seriously and hustled to make ends meet. A self-proclaimed witch, she made several appearances in her friend’s dreams post-death, chain-smoking and pissed as hell. For fans of: The author’s “Sunshine State,” scoffing at true crime; Zando Projects, $28—Caroline DeBruhl
‘Guilty Creatures: Sex, God, and Murder in Tallahassee, Florida’ by Mikita Brottman A sordid tale about two couples who are seemingly the best of friends until one man disappears on a duck hunting trip and is presumed dead. Years later, the other husband divorces his wife and remarries the widow. More than a decade later, the truth of what happened to Mike Williams and the friendship between the Williamses and the Winchesters. For fans of: The author’s “An Unexplained Death” and true crime stories the way only Florida can tell them; $28.99, Atria/One Signal Publishers
History
‘Florida Spectacular: Extraordinary Places and Exceptional Lives’ by Cathy Salustri Beyond the Florida Man stories and embarrassing politics, Florida is full of lesserknown figures, history and beautiful locations that aren’t beaches or theme parks. Author Cathy Salustri—a former CL A&E editor, and current publisher of Gulfport’s Gabber newspaper—explores centuries of state lore, legends and legacy, including the Black community at Eatonville, a Seminole woman who escaped continued on page 37
TREE HUGGER: Annabelle Tometich’s exploration of family is a straight-up love letter.
captivity, leaders behind better transportation and tourism, influential environmentalists and modern-day people fighting to make Florida a better place. For fans of: The author’s “Backroads of Paradise” and people-focused journalistic history; $26.95, University Press of Florida
‘From Saloons to Steak Houses: A History of Tampa’ by Andrew T. Huse A comprehensive social and cultural history of our favorite Cigar City. Author, librarian, and past CL contributor Andrew T. Huse uses extensive research including local newspaper archives and interviews to paint a sweeping picture of Tampa’s history beginning with its modern founding in 1887. It’s the story of Tampa through community spaces like theaters, bars, gambling halls, clubs, restaurants and more. For fans of: The author’s books on The Columbia Restaurant and the Cuban sandwich; $24.95, University Press of Florida
‘Hotels, Motels, and Inns of Florida’ by Kristen Hare Journalist and Poynter faculty member Kristen Hare explores the living history of the most famous, infamous and under-theradar hotels and resorts in the Sunshine State. These buildings are works of art, museums, luxury destinations and historic landmarks. For fans of: Florida history and for those who want a little more out of their hotel stay than room and board; $27, Reedy Press
about famous buildings and architecture, historic churches and hotels, waterfront parks, the world’s largest shuffleboard club and more. For fans of: Local history and impressing out-of-town vacationers with your knowledge of Spa Beach and the Manhattan Casino; $17, Reedy Press
‘Tampa Bay: The Story of an Estuary and Its People’ by Evan P. Bennett Florida Atlantic University history professor Evan P. Bennett explores the environmental history of our Bay area, home to the largest open water estuary in the state. Starting with the human part of the 2,000-year-old bay’s ecology, the author charts Tampa Bay’s evolution as a vital natural resource for flora, fauna and humans. Bennett also highlights the people and groups fighting to protect our precious coast. For fans of: Environmental histories with tips for how to better protect marine ecosystems; $26.95, University Press of Florida
BOOKS
‘Motion Picture Paradise: A History of Florida’s Film and Television Industry’ by David Morton Florida may not host many moviemakers these days, but the state was once an ideal location for pioneering filmmakers. This comprehensive text explores iconic films shot in the Sunshine State, favorite filming locations, experimental filming techniques underwater and legislative policies that have impacted Florida’s position as a desirable filmmaking hub. For fans of: Moviemaking, television history and old Florida culture; $85, University Press of Florida—RR
‘Sunshine State Mafia: A History of Florida’s Mobsters, Hit Men, and Wise Guys’ by Doug Kelly Writer and private investigator Doug Kelly gives a juicy history of organized crime in the Sunshine State—from money laundering and drug running to bootlegging and hidden histories of the mob. Kelly uses newly released archival material, interviews with police and FBI and his own anecdotes and experiences. For fans of: “Cigar City Mafia” and “Organized Crime in Miami”; $28, University Press of Florida
‘St. Petersburg, Florida: A Walk Through History’ by Monica Kile Local historian and tour guide Monica Kile (in full disclosure, wife of past CL contributor Jon Kile) gives a walking tour of the Sunshine City in the pages of her new book. The former Executive Director of Preserve The ‘Burg offers photos and details
‘Tampa Spring Training Tales: Major League Memories’ by Rick Vaughn Rick Vaughn knows baseball up and down, inside out. He was a pitcher at George Mason University and on the ground floor leading the Tampa Bay Rays’ communications department before the team’s first game ever. He most recently skippered former Rays Manager Joe Maddon’s Respect 90 Foundation as Executive Director and in 2022 released the book “100 Years of Baseball on St. Petersburg’s Waterfront – How the Game Helped Shape a City.” Perfect for baseball nerds who love digesting nuggets of insider information about the game, his latest explores his connections to the Grapefruit League—which go back to ‘85 when he landed at Al Lang while working for the Orioles—plus stories about the 1913 Chicago Cubs. For fans of: Sports-related Americana; the word “Tampeño”; $24.99, History Press—RR
Romance
‘The Art of Catching Feelings’ by Alicia Thompson Local author Alicia Thompson is back with another swoony Florida-ish inspired rom-com. This one stars a professional baseball player falling for the woman who ruthlessly heckled him. This book is inspired by Thompson’s deep dive into the weird, petty and nerdy culture of baseball, including the Tampa Bay Rays. Tombolo Books and the publisher even teamed up with the baseball for the book’s launch party at Tropicana Field last June. For fans of: The author’s ‘With Love From Cold World’ and ‘Love in the Time of Serial Killers’; $19, Berkley, Penguin Random House
‘Morbidly Yours’ by Ivy Fairbanks A Texas animator loses her husband and treks across the pond to escape her grief and guilt. There, she falls for an introverted, demisexual Irish mortician. Their slow-burn romance is adorably tender and rooted in them bringing out the best in each other. This is Tampa Bay
author Ivy Fairbanks’ debut novel, which was picked up by Penguin Random House earlier this year. For fans of: Abby Jimenez and the friends-to-lovers and marriage-of-convenience tropes; $19, Putnam, Penguin Random House
Fantasy and science fiction
‘Absolution’ by Jeff VanderMeer Surprise! The Southern Reach trilogy is a series now thanks to the surprise fourth book, Absolution. It turns out that there were some unanswered questions about Area X and important perspectives readers didn’t see—until now. The book’s three parts tell another twisty narrative through never-before-read expeditions into the mysterious Area X, a land inspired by the flora, fauna and climate of coastal Florida. For fans of: VanderMeer’s Southern Reach series and other dark purple prose speculative sci-fi; $30, MCD Books ‘State of Paradise’ by Laura van den Berg Central Florida author Laura van den Berg is back with another psychological mystery with
a touch of thrilling science fiction. During the pandemic, a ghostwriter returns to her childhood home and faces a mercurial sister addicted to strange virtual reality tech, her mother’s involvement in a cult, missing townspeople and a reality-bending rainstorm. For fans of: The author’s “The Third Hotel” and Delilah S. Dawson’s “The Violence”; $27, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
‘The Veiled Heir’ by S.T. Fernandez Former Floridian S.T. Fernandez penned her second novel this year—a slow-burn romance that reimagines the lore of the mythical city of Atlantis. “The Veiled Heir” is set partially in the Keys and through a fae fantasy explores the impacts of climate change on the oceans. For fans of: The author’s “The Legend of Gasparilla,” “The Little Mermaid” and “Atlantis: The Lost Empire:; $17.99, indie-published and available on Kindle Unlimited
See even more of 2024’s best Florida books via cltampa.com/slideshows.
OPEN WATER: Florida Atlantic University history professor Evan P. Bennett connects readers to Tampa Bay.
DAWN YAP
Page age
Tampa Bay was also part of the new bookstore boom.
By Chelsea Zukowski
Equally important as libraries to our bookish community is the presence of bookstores. Thanks to thriving online reading communities, the publishing industry has been having a bit of a renaissance since the pandemic broke out in 2020. In the last few years, hundreds of new bookstores have opened around the country. Bookish behemoth Barnes & Noble is also having a comeback after opening more than 60 new stores this year.
In the Tampa Bay area, we’ve welcomed several new bookstores, including Black English Bookstore and a new location for The Book Rescuers. There’s also Bookends: Literature and Libations, which is still anxiously awaiting permit approval to open a storefront in a cozy, historic Ybor City bungalow. The newest indie store in the area is Steamy Lit, the Tampa location of the romance-only bookstore that celebrates sex-positive stories and BIPOC and queer authors.
Christmas rom-coms and galaxies far, far away.
Here are six 2024 updates for our list of independent bookstores in Tampa Bay..
The Book Rescuers The Book Rescuers do what their name implies—rescue books and other mixed media and direct them to new homes. They get new and pre-loved inventory from local shops and libraries as well as donated personal collections. Most of their books cost $1-$3. In 2024, The Book Rescuers finally opened in a new indoor (air-conditioned) location with more room for their thousands of books. 8325 Ulmerton Rd., Largo. werescuebooks.com
Bookends: Literature and Libations
BOOKS
Like the library, indie bookstores are community hubs. Yes, there is the expectation of spending money, but many local bookstores host free book clubs, children’s storytime and silent reading events. That’s on top of author signings and midnight release parties, which are also having a major comeback.
This year, local stores like Tombolo Books, Oxford Exchange and The Gilded Page have hosted authors like Jeff VanderMeer, Ivy Fairbanks, Danielle L. Jensen and L.L. Campbell. Portkey Books threw an entire fantasy ball to celebrate the release of “House of Flame and Shadow” by Sarah J. Maas. The Safety Harbor bookstore will also throw another Fourth Wing release party next month, this time for the third book in the series, “Onyx Storm.”
While they anxiously await permit approvals to open in a historic Ybor bungalow, Bookends is busy connecting with the Tampa community through a mobile bookstore. Find them at pretty much every weekend festival and market, and keep track of their schedule on their Facebook and Instagram pages. Book club gatherings are typically held at Gasparilla Distillery around the corner from the under-construction shop. 2208 E 2nd Ave., Ybor City. @bookendsybor on Instagram
The Gilded Page The cozy-cool small bookshop in downtown Tarpon Springs boasts both classics and the newest popular releases. The Gilded Page, like any successful and beloved indie, is also a literary community space with events every week—from silent book clubs and kids storytime to local author events and collabs with other local small businesses. 123 E Court St., Tarpon Springs. thegildedpagebookstore.com
“In the last few years, hundreds of new bookstores have opened around the country.”
These indie bookshops add to our growing list of more than a dozen local bookstores in the area and surrounding counties. For Indie Bookstore Day this year, my answer to the question “What does the Tampa Bay area need in the next four years to be a better place?” with “More bookstores, please.” And keep them coming.
Reading, visiting the library and patronizing local bookstores continue to be some of the easiest ways to fight oppressive conservative politics and policies. Reading quite literally exercises your brain, builds empathy and fosters a sense of progressive moral resilience. Yes, even the stories about dragon riders, sweet and spicy
Steamy Lit The women-owned, South Florida-based Steamy Lit collective expanded north with its first Tampa location. The romance-only bookstore is focused on showcasing authors of color, queer and nonbinary writers and exploring and celebrating sexuality and self-love. As bookish communities have boomed since 2020, so has the want for more genre-specific bookstores like Steamy Lit. The Tampa bookstore has romance of all subgenres—from contemporary rom-coms and ultra-popular romantasy to young adult and dark romance. 2832 S MacDill Ave. Unit C, Tampa. steamylit.com
Pressed Founded in 2021, Pressed got new owners in 2024, and Mack and Kaylin Fowler aim to expand the store’s reach even further. Besides selling books and being a beloved “third place” in the community, Pressed partnered
with Ethos Coffee Roasters, Honeycomb and Bandidas to have a coffee bar and offer locally made baked goods. 213 E Bay St., Lakeland. pressedlkld.com
Little Bus Books The Pippen family brings its Little Bus Books mobile store all around the central Florida community. Inside the mini airstream are new and used books from local authors, popular national writers and curated collections based on current events and interests. The bus frequently guests at many Polk County markets and also has a storefront location at The Nectary. 1047 E Main St., Lakeland. littlebusbooks.com
SILVER LINING: Publishing has been having a bit of a renaissance since the pandemic.
Friday, December 20 / Doors @ 7:00pm, Show @ 8:00pm
Free w/ RSVP Before Midnight GA (Guaranteed Entry) - $10 bit.ly/boiler1221
Saturday, December 21 / 12:00pm - 4:00pm
Melodies from 7th Gospel Brunch @ 7th & Grove
1930 7th Avenue, Tampa
Free w/ RSVP Before Midnight • GA - $12
VIP up to four people - $100 melodiesfrom7thdec.eventbrite.com
Saturday, December 21 / 12:00pm - 4:00pm
Ybor Saturday Market @ Ybor City Saturday Market
1901 N 19th St, Tampa
Free Admission for People & Pets https://ybormarket.com/
Sunday, December 22 / Doors @ 7:00pm, Show @ 8:00pm
Jingle Rock TAMPA @ Crowbar
1812 N 17th St, Tampa
Advance - $13 • Door - $20 https://www.crowbarybor.com/calendar/#/events/115484
NOW through Monday, December, 23 / All Day
12 Days of Barrio @ Barrio Tacos + Tequila + Whiskey 1822 E 7th Ave, Tampa
Food & Drink specials all week long https://www.facebook.com/barrio.yborcity
Friday, December 27 - Sunday December 29
Steve Brown @ Funny Bone Comedy Club
1600 East 8th Ave, C-112, Tampa
Tickets start at $17 • See website for doors and showtimes https://tampa.funnybone.com/shows/
Try Out These Restaurants: Places To Visit:
LARA - Opening Soon 1919 East 7th Avenue https://www.tampalara.com
Barterhouse 1811 N 15th Street A, Tampa https://www.barterhouseybor.com
The Candle Room at Barterhouse 1811 N 15th Street A, Tampa (next to Barterhouse) https://www.candleroomtampa.com/
Bread On The Bay Sandwicheria
951 E 7th Ave, Tampa https://www.breadonthebay.com/
Sky Puppy Brewing 1313 E 8th Ave, Tampa
Check out local photographer Michael Johnson’s exhibit currently on display. New artist every month. New brews tapped & wines released every Friday https://www.skypuppybrewing.com/
Picker Place Market 1402 E 2nd Ave, Tampa
Vintage, upcycled, industrial, shabby chic, Old Florida, Americana, pop culture of yesteryear and just an all-around love of all things old. https://pickerplace.com/about/
Black Radish Bodega
2923 North 12th St, Tampa
Vegan Grocer filled with delicious treats and tasty eats! https://www.blackradishgrocer.com/
Bring it home
Coderre Conservation needs help to score $25K grant.
By Maggie Duffy
Rachel Coderre remembers the moment she knew she wanted to be an art conservator. She was working at the Tampa Museum of Art as a preparator when she noticed a scratch on a painting. She felt an inherent responsibility to fix it, being that she’d previously worked with a restoration company and had “fallen in love with conservation.” But it’s a competitive field so she hadn’t pursued a degree. Seeing the scratched painting was the catalyst for her to apply to graduate school for a conservation program in Cardiff, England, where she was accepted.
That anecdote helped Coderre nab a $10,000 grant from Women’s Net, a national organization that awards monthly grants to female entrepreneurs. In October, she received its Startup Grant for her brand-new company, Coderre Conservation.
“Conservation is the marriage between science and art,” she said. “I feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing and genuinely feel like this is my thing. I’m so lucky to have found my thing because a lot of people don’t.”
At 31 years old, that’s an accomplishment in itself. Coderre has been known in the Tampa Bay arts scene, throwing shows like 2014’s Pop Secret: 9:00 to 5:00 at her father’s office building while she was a student at USF. She was a fixture of the area’s blended arts and music scene, playing drums for the band Broom Closet.
LOCAL ARTS
The Women’s Net grant she received made starting her company possible, especially since she returned to Tampa just after Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed more than $32 million in arts and culture grants from next year’s budget.
Now Coderre has the opportunity to win an additional $25,000 Amber Grant from Women’s Net. Every year, the organization chooses one grantee to get the additional funds, partially based on how many votes they get. Voting runs through Dec. 20 via ambergrantsforwomen.com.
Coderre told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay she fell into conservation after getting her BFA in sculpture from USF. She found a job at the restoration company in Denver, where she honed her skills. After returning to Tampa and having that a-ha moment at the museum, she went to Cardiff University and recently completed her master’s degree of science in conservation.
Being fresh out of school, she didn’t have startup money, Coderre said. Conservation materials run the gamut between specialized items to things you can buy from Home Depot.
“I’m so lucky to have found my thing because a lot of people don’t.”
While Coderre mainly focuses on conservation projects with private collections, she recently did a job for the Dalí Museum and is in talks with The University of South Florida.
It was important to her to start the business in Tampa, instead of New York where she’s had opportunities. She thinks having more conservators in the area gives Tampa credibility.
“I feel like it’s something to celebrate,” she said. “I’m coming back to where I’m from specifically to engage with our shared cultural heritage.”
SHOW HER THE MONEY: Rachel Coderre needs votes to win a crucial award.
REVIEWS PROFILES MUSIC WEEK
Musical muscle
They
run, they ride, they pitch, they swim—and they also play in The Florida Orchestra.
By David Warner
If you attend one of The Florida Orchestra’s five Holiday Pops concerts this weekend, consider this: The players onstage are athletes. Not only is a professional orchestra job physically challenging to begin with, TFO’s ranks include musicians who are runners and cyclists, swimmers and hikers—even a former professional softball pitcher. I talked to five of them. Also I asked: Don’t they ever get a leeetle bit tired of Christmas music? See our short interviews below.
Chelsea Gallo: Resident Conductor
Her initial plan...and pivot: Pay for college tuition through sports. Then she tore her ACL. So she pivoted to music: She’d been playing violin since the age of four. “My folks made sure I never had to choose between music and sports.” In Vienna, she did both; while studying for her master’s in conducting, she pitched for a Team USA satellite that played all over Europe.
instrument is to playing a sport,” says Holcombe, who’s in the middle of his seventh season with the orchestra. For wind and brass players, it’s the facial muscles that have to be trained, with exercises like “lip slurs” and “long tones.”
Ride the distance: An avid hiker when he was working in the Pacific Northwest, he switched to biking when he moved back to his home state of Florida. He rides “4,000-8,000 miles a year,” sometimes in 100-mile charity rides. But, “I’m not going to be riding 200 miles on the week of Holiday Pops.” Because, “Brass works harder on Pops weeks. Especially in movie scores like ‘The Polar Express Suite’ by John Williams. That piece has a lot of long tones, a lot of brass melodies. I know I’ve got to save myself for that piece.”
On physical challenges: “I have a worn-out, old, broken-down, darn-right-terrible right shoulder. That really makes things annoying.”
On stamina: She’s leading approximately 50 concerts for TFO this season plus 15 or more with other orchestras in the U.S. and Europe. “For stamina, you never really realize you’re tired. You get tired, but you never get tired of it. I remember playing a doubleheader in Slovakia and finishing game two and thinking I could go five more bouts no problem. It wasn’t until the next morning I realized how wrong I was.”
Tired of Christmas music? “Not at all! And on the Christmas Pops show we are going to be adding some fun twists and surprises.”
Favorite holiday musical tradition: The orchestra’s New York Yankees-sponsored concerts for public school children. “Every year it becomes more and more rewarding. A huge aspect of that concert is that it highlights the parallels between sports and music.”
Ross Holcombe:Associate Principal Trombonist
Train your mouth: “I think one of the things people don’t realize is how similar playing an
He took his trombone on his honeymoon: “I had an important concert [coming up].” He met his wife, “a wonderful French horn player,” in the Spokane Symphony. His favorite music to play: “I have probably played the Star Wars score 200 times, and every time I feel like I’m 12 years old again.”
Anna Kate Mackle: Principal Harpist
What’s it like to play the harp: “It’s like playing a piano vertically and against gravity while resting a 90-pound instrument on your shoulder, and while pulling strings that exert 2,000 pounds of pressure on the neck and soundboard of the instrument,” says Mackle, who has served as principal harpist of the orchestra since 1999.
Why she runs: “Running gives me a release from the stress of everyday life… [It’s] something I can do on my own time and feel a sense of accomplishment.” Last month she ran a half-marathon.
“Since playing in a symphony orchestra is a sedentary lifestyle, running gets me moving and gives my arm and hand muscles a break.”
What she listens to when she runs:
“Definitely NOT harp music! I have different playlists I choose from, ranging from ‘80s music to rap.”
Do you ever get a little tired of Christmas music? “I’ll be honest: yes. I never get tired of ‘The Nutcracker,’ but some other holiday music……
UNDER PRESSURE: The 90-pound harp exerts 2,000 pounds of pressure on the neck and soundboard of the instrument.
Her favorite musical Christmas tradition: “When I was growing up, my parents always played the original cast recording (on vinyl!) of ‘Amahl and the Night Visitors’ while we decorated our tree. I can still sing all the words to this day.”
Victor Minke Huls: Associate Principal Cellist
The tall guy: “I’m six feet and something,” says Huls, who joined the orchestra as associate principal cellist in 2023. He attributes his excellent posture to the Alexander Technique. As an undergrad, the technique helped him to overcome performance-related injuries like golfer’s elbow—or rather, cellist’s elbow.
Dad’s advice: His father was a longtime violinist with the Jacksonville Symphony. “One of my dad’s favorite quotes was ‘big muscles before the small.’ Backstage you’ll see me jumping up and down and doing stretches like an athlete before playing scales.”
His favorite exercise: “Swimming. It makes the body feel engaged, strong, but also relaxed. Hiking, too—in general I just want to be outside. I’m always happy to be in nature.”
He’s a conductor as well as a cellist: “Both require a solid sense of grounding in your feet—you need to be firmly planted.”
Tired of Christmas music? “No! Pops weekend may seem grueling, because we have to play the same show so many times, but in a way it’s easier because we rehearse it a little bit and then get to share it with an audience. If I had to play it over and over in a vacuum I’d go insane.”
The reason concert halls are so cold: “When I play cello or conduct I get very hot.
We’re in our coats and exercising in front of you, so they keep the AC low.”
Jeffrey Multer: Concertmaster
The way he moves: Multer is known for his passionate, highly physical mode of playing. But he’s never been injured: “No matter how well you play, if you are susceptible to repetitive motion injury you will get it playing the violin. I’m lucky that I don’t have that in my genetic makeup.”
He doesn’t get shin splints, either: Even though he’s a “pretty serious runner” (and had just finished a four-mile run before our phone conversation).
Why the violin is physically challenging: “It’s a very unnatural position you put yourself in to play. The tendons are all elongated.”
The sport it’s most like: “I tell my students, ‘Violin is so much like tennis. You’re just using smaller muscles.’”
On being one of the older players (he’s 59): “We all kind of laugh with each other about the kids, how easy it is for them. You just wait.”
His exercise music of choice: “When I go to the gym to get on the stairs, I bring the music—my ‘70s classic rock playlist. I’m not listening to St. Matthew’s Passion.”
He’s not playing Holiday Pops: “January through April is so stressful that I find that doing extra holiday concerts is a bad idea.” That irks his husband. “He gets mad when I take Pops off, ‘cause he really likes it,” he said.
His favorite holiday music: “The Messiah”
TAIL LIGHT REBELLION
THU 19
C Albert J. Robinson (album release) w/Psych Montano/Zeta the Babe/ Nico Sweet and Pharaoh Unchained/ Goodview/G’on Git After a 14-year journey, Robinson has decided that he is content with how much he has accomplished musically. The homegrown rapper started his journey in 2010 after writing his first song in a halfway house, following mental health issues that caused severe self-harm. From there, Robinson formed a friendship, and released nine studio projects, with fellow rapper and Long Islander-turned-Tampeño Psych Montano. Albert J describes his final album Welcome —due the same day as this stacked farewell show—as a project “sequenced to tell a story about spiritual growth and finding love through painful experiences.” Some of those experiences include a harsh breakup, the death of his mother, and a fall from grace. (The Bricks, Ybor City)
C Andy Brey’s Holiday Hootenanny
There’s no shortage of holiday concerts happening across Tampa Bay, but the best ones to check out are helmed by locals like Brey—a geologist and multi-instrumentalist who rocks a schizophrenic 21st century southern gothic sound. For this hootenanny, he welcomes friends to help bring to life to singles like the rollicking “Milky Way” released last summer. (Biergarten at New World Brewery, Tampa)
FRI 20
C New Aesthetics w/In Transit/Thin Spaces/Makeup Remover/Second Rodeo Queer hardcore jams meet good deeds thanks to homegrown emo supergroup New Aesthetics. Members of Such Gold, Awkward Age, and Wolf-Face headline this set by plugging a new, absolute banger of a two-track cassette (yes, cassette) recently leased on Euclid Place Records. All food donations brought to this last-Fridaybefore-Christmas party go to Feeding Tampa Bay. (Deviant Libation, Tampa)
Mindi Abair w/Lindsey Webster/Marcus Anderson This year has been a big fat reminder that Tampa, for all its ills, has cultivated some musical giants. Blake High School graduate Doechii is up for three Grammys, indie-rock singer-songwriter Aidan Bissett toured with Coin earlier this year, and St. Pete’s own Mindi Abair can powerfully channel just about any saxophonist you can imagine. Expect a total holiday-themed shindig, which will undoubtedly include Abair’s song “I Can’t Wait For Christmas.” Oh, and if you’re one of those people who gets depressed this time of year, you can take part in a wine tasting with Ms. “Pretty Good for a Girl” herself for an extra $89. (Bilheimer Capitol Theatre, Clearwater)
C Mountain Holler & The New Dawn w/The Groves Friends, I’m here to tell you that there was a time when St. Petersburg’s 600 Block had multiple music venues on it. The spirit from that fruitful epoch of the Bay area music scene is revived in a Christmas miracle that sees expat cosmic-folk songwriter Mark Etherington come home to revive his Mountain Holler project. To open the no-cover outdoor show, another revered songsmith, J.T. Brown—who plays in the Holler’s “New Dawn” configuration—once again finds himself fronting vaunted local Americana heavyweight The Groves. (The Ale and the Witch, St. Petersburg)
C A Very Crowbar Christmas: Pusha Preme w/Kristopher James/Shelby Sol & J.IN.X/ Shevonne/Sgammato Music School Bands
There are plenty of opportunities throughout the year to indulge in a barrage of local talent in one sitting, but not many events showcase it better than Crowbar’s annual holiday show. Along with New Granada’s Xmas concert, this is another perfect opportunity to take your weird, out-ofstate relative who vows to move to the free state of Florida out to see what the local music scene will be like, should they move down to God’s waiting room. And can you really call yourself a Tampeño—transplant or not—if you’ve never cried while soulful songwriter Kristopher James crooned onstage? (Crowbar, Ybor City)
SAT 21
C The Crystal Method w/Rabbit In The Moon Even the most casual electronic dance music fan can tune their ear to big beat, and The Crystal Method, a pioneer of the subgenre on the heels of the band’s 30th anniversary, is back to celebrate a unique sound rooted in hip-hop, soul and pop. Rabbit In The Moon, which put Tampa Bay on the map with a theatrical show driven by breakbeats and trance, plays support. (Jannus Live, St. Petersburg)
C The Fuss w/Liam Bauman/April Showers Anyone jonesing to see the best young artists Tampa Bay has churned out as of late has a tough decision to make on Saturday. Nashville’s Leon Majcen is back home for one of Hooch and Hive’s last concerts ever, but so is Graham Bhuyan, a now Los Angeles-based guitarist, producer and filmmaker who makes up one half of The Fuzz, a genre-bending rock duo which released a devastating and soulful single, “Fortune Teller,” to kick off the year. The band closes out 2024 at one of the Bay area’s most intimate venues alongside its ridiculously-talented friends including also-expatriated songwriter Liam Bauman and still-locally-based April Showers, who channels Lucy Pearl, Frank Ocean and Tracy Chapman on a November single, “What If.”
(The Far Forest, Tampa)
C Leon Majcen w/Roc Helton As hot of a take it may seem, it would do every musician some good if they spent at least a year living
THU DEC. 19–WED DEC. 25
and gigging in either Nashville or New York City. Tampa Bay expat Leon Majcen has lived in both places (with a current home base in the capital of Tennessee), and he’s had a busier year than ever. He released his salt-air, sophomore, eponymous album last summer, and the cigarette he smokes in the promo video for his week-old single “Grey Hairs On My Momma’s Head” probably added some salt and pepper to his own mom’s dome. Hooch and Hive ends a six-year run as one of the Bay area’s best live music venues this month, so why not make your last show there a homecoming gig? (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)
SUN 22
C Buck Sands w/Jeff Brawer When it comes to the Tampa music scene, it doesn’t get more blue collar than Buck Sands. The Flat Stanley and Former Contenders frontman plays hard-nosed Americana and punk, and will be supported by another (albeit all-black clad) working class hero, Tampa’s gravel-throated punk poet Jeff Brawer. (Deviant Libation, Tampa)
C Jingle Rock Tampa: Pet Lizard w/ Earthgirl/Discord Theory/The Forum/ Antro Banks Local sound guy-slash-Hollyglen guitarist Justin Reed (who just got home from a quick run of shows with Taking Back Sunday) is the new bassist for Pet Lizard, and recently lost physical control of his fourstring at a recent St. Pete gig. The axe flung behind Reed after being detached from the strap, and somehow only minimal damage incurred. If you head to this all-star holiday gig, don’t forget to be heads up when Reed goes nuts on bass. Or, if you have a little extra leftover from your holiday bonus, straplocks aren’t an expensive gift for a member of your favorite band. (Crowbar, Ybor City)
C Noan Partly Songwriter and music educator Patty Kenoly gets comes home, five months after she packed up to continue studying music therapy in North Carolina. Kenoly, who plays a sharp blend of folk and jazz under the Noan Partly moniker, brings a duo to this no-cover gig where we 100% expect to hear the lowkey holiday classic “My Holiday.” (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)
WED 25
C New Granada Records 30th Anniversary: Pohgoh w/Bad Bad Things/Dave Decker/Same Day Delivery Orchestra It’s hard to overstate how important New Granada’s more-or-less-annual Christmas night concert has been for anyone who cares about Tampa music. The gig lets locals bring their loved ones to see the best of homegrown talent inside the city’s beloved venues. The show—now in its 30th year—used to happen at the since-relocated Ybor City location of New World Brewery, then Crowbar, and marks three years at the soon-to-close Hooch and Hive. Making noise are second wave emo pioneer Pohgoh, rowdy Tampa rock band Bad, Bad Things, and CL’s senior photographer, Dave Decker who’ll play a solo set of acoustic punk alongside cellist Melissa Grady. Grady—who was in the Candy Bars lineup when she had a different last name—also plays bandleader with her Best of the Bay-winning orchestral cover band, which this year tackles the music of her now-legendary and long-defunct local outfit Candy Bars, which NPR said was ushering in an indie-music “renaissance.” (Hooch and Hive, Tampa)
See the complete version of this abridged listing via cltampa.com/music.
By Josh Bradley & Ray Roa
C CL Recommends
Leon Majcen
Some of the most iconic photos to come out of Hooch & Hive’s six-year run in the West River district are from the November 2023 show by masked instrumental-rock band Daikaiju. The band literally had the place on fire, and while this show won’t happen at Hooch (more on p. 23), the Alabama outfit is coming back to Tampa first thing next year.
Seeing the unhinged surf-rock quartet in person is a rite of passage for any self-respecting live music fan. Part deathdefying sideshow, part-concert, a show from Daikaiju is a theatrical experience, sweaty as it is scary and sensational, as the band moves from the stage to anywhere in the venue it’s safe to strike a match. With 25 years of bandom under its belt, there’s still no other touring rock act like kabuki maskwearing Daikaiju.
Tickets to see Daikaiju play the music hall at New World Tampa (fka New World Brewery) on Thursday, Jan. 9 are on sale now for $20.
See Josh Bradley’s weekly rundown of new concerts coming to Tampa Bay below.— Ray Roa
Rick Springfield w/Richard Marx Thursday, Feb. 27. 8 p.m. $42.75 & up. Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater
Infekt w/Distinct Motive/Inaktiv Friday, Feb. 28. 10 p.m. $15 & up. The Ritz, Ybor City
They Might Be Giants Friday, Feb. 28. 8 p.m. $37.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Knock2 Saturday, March 1. 8 p.m. $35 & up. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Tommy Dorsey Orchestra Tuesday, March 4. 7 p.m. $67 & up. Mahaffey Theater, St. Petersburg
The Stews Saturday, March 8. 8:45 p.m. $15. Crowbar, Ybor City
Maoli Thursday, March 27. 7 p.m. Prices TBA. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
The Bright Light Social Hour Saturday, April 5. 8:45 p.m. $20. Crowbar, Ybor City
Lydia Can’t Breathe w/The Dood/ Re-Birth/Red Calling/SkinHarvest Saturday, April 5. 7 p.m. $10. Brass Mug, Tampa
Shannon and the Clams w/Being Dead Wednesday, April 9. 7 p.m. $30. Crowbar, Ybor City
Barely Alive w/Rated R/Myr Friday, April 11. 10 p.m. $10. The Ritz, Ybor City
Chiodos w/ Hawthorne Heights/ Emmure/The Callous Daoboys Tuesday, April 15. 6 p.m. $39.50. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Strfkr Friday, April 18. 8 p.m. $24.50 & up. Jannus Live, St. Petersburg
Rüfüs Du Sol w/Neil Frances Thursday, May 1. 7:30 p.m. $108 & up (resale only).
MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa
Sessanta 2.0: Primus w/Puscifer/A Perfect Circle Thursday, May 8. 8 p.m. $40.50 & up. Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheatre, Tampa
Elderbrook w/Eli & Fur/Jerro Saturday, May 10. 7:30 p.m. $41 & up. The BayCare Sound, Clearwater
12/20
Winter wanderland
By Caroline DeBruhl
Dear Oracle, I love my mom. We’re very close, and I do love spending time with my family during the holidays. However…she has always been horrible with time management, and it gets worse during the holidays. She’ll show up multiple hours late to things, invite people over, run out for a “quick errand,” and not return until an hour after they’ve arrived, insist on cooking dinner but not start preparing until close to 8 p.m., etc. My siblings and I have tried talking to her, but she gets incredibly defensive. I don’t want to parent my mom, but it’s so stressful, especially now that there are grandkids! How do we talk to her about her time management?—All I Want For Christmas is You (To Be Punctual)
Cards: The Seeker, The New Moon, Five of Wands (reversed), Eight of Swords Dear Punctual, there is an old pop-psychology adage that people have difficulty listening to those closest to them. It might be bullshit, but it certainly seems to be the case when talking to one’s parents. I think there is a double minefield when talking to one’s folks because 1.) they’re used to being the authority, and 2.) their love for you makes any criticism feel a thousand times worse.
With both The Seeker searching for divine origins and The New Moon representing the Great Beginning (unique to my deck, “Pagan Otherworlds”), I think this issue is much deeper
than just your mom running late. It might be that you are either looking consciously or unconsciously for the reason why she doesn’t seem to notice the stress it causes her family, why it feels worse now that grandkids are in the mix. It might be that you don’t feel valued or your concerns are minimized, but there’s something deeper at play, and I encourage you and your siblings to talk about how it makes you feel and, possibly, also talk to a therapist about it.
I don’t think following the old playbook (telling her how you feel) will work. The reversed Five of Wands suggests that y’all are in different camps about this issue and at an impasse. Wands are also a suite of passion, so it would not surprise me if these conversations lead to far more fights than any real soul-searching on your mother’s part.
On a final note, time blindness is a very real and serious side effect of ADHD. As someone who has it (and several daily alarms set on her phone) some of your mom’s behaviors seem familiar to me. That might be a far trickier conversation, but if you think your mom might be open to seeing a therapist, it might be worth suggesting.
Dear Oracle, I’ve never been someone who got the winter blues, but everything feels really heavy this year. I’m fighting with my partner more than ever, I feel overwhelmed, and the world just seems really dark. What can I do to bring light to this time of the year?—Drowning in The Dark
ORACLE OF YBOR
Send your questions to oracle@cltampa. com or DM @theyboracle on Instagram
With the Eight of Swords, it feels like nothing will change. But that trapped feeling is an illusion. There are ways out—you just have to find it. It might take some creativity and an open mind, but you and your siblings are adults. You have power in the relationship. Perhaps that looks like boundaries, taking separate cars to events, or ordering dinner for the kids at 6 p.m. Talk together (and, again, possibly with a therapist) to see if you can come up with a collective plan of action.
Cards: Nine of Cups (reversed), Nine of Swords, The Star, Five of Cups (reversed)
Dear Drowning, the literal darkest time of the year is often a metaphorical one as well. The pressure on the holidays, being cooped up in the house, or just the lack of sun can make even those with the sunniest dispositions dim. I’m sorry that you’re going through this.
The stillness of winter can also show us what we’ve been too distracted to see in the warmer months. You mention fighting with your partner more. Both the Nine and Five of Cups are reversed, suggesting that perhaps issues with the relationship have been building for some time. The Nine often sees things with rose-colored glasses, whereas the Five can be the opposite— seeing only the negative and ignoring the good. This might be a good time to explore how you
feel in your relationship, either with a therapist, journaling, or some other reflective measure. I suggest solo exploring before discussing as a couple because with the Nine of Swords, I wonder if you’re feeling stuck in your relationship and, if so, if this is a new feeling or not. The Nine of Swords can sometimes be a card of transformation, and paired with the cups, it suggests that one or both of you have changed since the beginning. This might cause anxiety on either end and lashing out, so it’s important to look below the surface.
Your true feelings probably lie somewhere between the fantasy relationship of the Nine of Cups and the distraught melodrama of the Five. When you find the truth, then you can bring it into balance with your life, as guided by The Star.
Perhaps you are giving more than you’re getting now, and conversations could improve your relationship. Perhaps couples counseling might be the answer. Perhaps this relationship has reached a natural end. I don’t know—and I’m not sure you do either. So, take time to explore how you feel and see if you’re distorting (for good or bad) your feelings.
With the guidance of the Star, you can also see how you might bring other parts of your life into balance. Perhaps you need more rest right now. Perhaps you need more activity, and something like volunteering would help. Feeling connected to something larger than yourself in the outer world might help you sift through your inner world. However you decide to go about it, I hope you’re able to find the light. Take care, my dear. See more from Caroline, and learn about her services at carolinedebruhl.com.
Out and about
By Dan Savage
I’m a 45-year-old cis woman. I’ve been married to a cis man for almost 20 years. About a year and a half ago, I made out with a woman at a party, and everything clicked. I realized something was missing in my life, and I started exploring my attraction to women with my husband’s blessing. I had always felt attracted to women but didn’t fully acknowledge it, thinking it was normal for “straight” women to be attracted to other women while only dating men. (I’ve since learned about compulsory heterosexuality.) I met a wonderful woman, and we dated for over a year. While I was with her, I realized I’m gay. We spent a lot of time together, I had the best sex of my life, saw shows, went out to dinners, had sleepovers, met each other’s kids. It was a real relationship. But she ended things because I wasn’t ready to make major changes in my life—she wasn’t included in our large family gatherings, as some family members don’t know about our open marriage. My husband has a girlfriend now, and I’m happy for him, but he feels certain family members wouldn’t understand. This made my girlfriend feel deprioritized, despite my reassurances and all the time I spent with her.
marriage. Companionate marriages are valid marriages! So long as there’s mutual respect and real affection, marriages like yours can work and often thrive. If you wanna stay together for the kids and/or stay together because you actually do (platonically!) love each other and/ or stay together because divorce is an expensive hassle, you have my blessing!
most of our families don’t get it until after we come out to them
If you want to be who you are—if you want to live authentically—you have to be willing to make some people uncomfortable, WTLA, and that includes your husband.
SAVAGE LOVE
Where you lose me, WTLA, is when you talk about not being able to “integrate” your girlfriend into your life because “certain” family members wouldn’t understand. I get it. You’re staring down some very real fears: fear of judgment, fear of rejection, fear of losing people you care about. But every out gay or lesbian or bisexual person that came before you—and every openly non-monogamous couple that came before you—had to confront those same fears.
How do partnered-but-monogamish people identify each other and get things going? I’m a 42-year-old bisexual woman, happily married to my husband for 15 years. My husband and I are monogamish and have dabbled here and there, the biggest dabbling being an on-off relationship I had with a woman for nearly a decade. I was able to start that because my former lover was loud (and proud) about her open relationship, and brought it up to anyone who had a set of ears. Aside from her, the other sexual partner my husband and I had was a very close friend who we were able to bring it up to.
notes under their neighbor’s doors with “I want to be your girlfriend” or “I don’t want to be your girlfriend” written on them next to boxes to check. And sensible monogamish people typically don’t hit on neighbors who’ve never signaled any interest or availability because sensible monogamish people—like sensible single people—don’t shit where they eat. Unless the sexual tension is off the charts and the signals are unmistakable and you’ve controlled for dickful/twatful thinking, NEIGHBOR, sensible people don’t hit on their coworkers and/or the parents of their children’s friends and/or their next-door neighbors. Because if it turns out that person isn’t interested in you—or if they are interested but things end quickly and badly—your workplace, your children’s playdates, and your backyard will become almost unbearably awkward.
I love my husband dearly, but our relationship is platonic, and we’ve stopped being intimate. We have three amazing young children, and our lives are deeply intertwined emotionally, financially, and where our families are concerned. While I feel I need to live authentically as a lesbian, I’m terrified of the fallout—hurting my husband, my family, blowing up my life, etc. The plan was to keep our family together and slowly integrate my girlfriend into my life, but that wasn’t enough for her. My husband wants to stay married, and I wanted to stay married. Should I get a divorce instead? What should I do?—Wanting To Live Authentically
You wanna live authentically, WTLA, and I wanna respond authentically. And if I’m gonna be authentic—if I’m gonna be honest—my first impulse after reading your question was to find you and your husband and figuratively slap you both upside your metaphorical heads. On the off chance your email found me in an ungenerous mood, WTLA, I set your question aside for a few days. But I had the same reaction—the same metaphorical impulse to do figurative violence— the second time I read your email.
Zooming out for a second…It’s totally fine— not a problem at all—that it took you decades to realize you’re a lesbian. Compulsory heterosexuality is a helluva drug, WTLA, and lots of queer people don’t figure themselves out until later in life. And it’s totally fine—not a problem at all—that you wanna stay married. You’re not letting down the lesbian side by staying in your
And the people you and your husband are so afraid of—your families of origin—don’t have any real power over you. Yes, they might not understand. Yes, some might judge you. Yes, they might say shitty things. But they can’t throw you out of the house (you have your own place!), they can’t cut you off financially (you make your own money!), and they can’t force you into conversion therapy (you are not minors!). All your judgmental family members can do, again, is say shitty things to you. But one of the best parts of being an adult, WTLA, is that you don’t have to show up for Christmas or Kwanza or Hanukkah—you don’t have to do whatever holiday your families celebrate—if your family can’t be kind to you and the people you love.
I understand why your girlfriend dumped you. She doesn’t want to be abandoned on holidays for the comfort of people who don’t fully know you—people you don’t fully trust—but people whose comfort you’ve decided to prioritize over her safety and comfort. And while she may be comfortable being with a woman who’s married (companionably!) to someone else, she doesn’t want to feel like your lowest priority either. Perhaps she should’ve been more patient—you’ve only been out for a year and change—but if she’s close to your age, WTLA, she may not feel like waiting until your husband comes around is the best use of her time at this (grownup!) time of her life.
Look, your family might not understand at first—mine sure didn’t—but if all the gays and lesbians who came before you waited for our families to somehow magically “get it” before we started coming out, no one would’ve come out at all, ever. While some queer people these days are lucky enough to come out to supportive families who already got it, WTLA,
I have a crush on my neighbor, who is 10 years my senior. She is married to a man and I’m pretty sure she’s bisexual. However, I’m not really friends with her, and I don’t know how I would go about approaching this if I wanted to make something happen. We live in a close-knit neighborly community and if I were to ask her out, she would interpret it as being purely friendly. I don’t want to make her feel uncomfortable in any way if she was not into the idea, but it would be a shame if she would go for this, but we just can’t cross the chasm. How would I go about getting this started, if it is possible at all? Would it be wise to test the waters for potential by asking a third party to feel her out in some way?
In general, how do monogamish people identify each other and get things going outside of apps?
Need Expert Insight Getting Hot Babe Over Regularly
Even if your neighbor is in an open marriage— and even if she’s bisexual and even if she’s into you (and that’s a lot of ifs)—sending someone to ask her if she might wanna mess around doesn’t say, “Your neighbor is a mature adult woman that you might enjoy fucking.” It screams, “Your neighbor has the emotional maturity of a second grader and people like that are risky fucks.”
You’re a grown-ass woman, NEIGHBOR, and grown-ass women don’t send their best friends to ask out their crushes for them during recess. Grown-ass women also don’t slip
To answer your question, NEIGHBOR, here’s how sensible partnered and monogamish people find each other: they go places—online and off, separately and together—where partneredand-monogamish people gather. They get on a dating apps and hookup apps like Feeld and #Open, they go to local swingers’ clubs and sex parties, and if they run into their neighbor in one of those places—Yahtzee!—they get to use one of these all-time great pickup lines: “Do you come here often?”
“Fancy meeting you here!”
“What’s a nice next-door neighbor like you doing in a place like this?”
Now, if you put yourself out there—apps, clubs, parties—and you never cross paths with your neighbor, NEIGHBOR, that doesn’t mean she’s not bisexual, isn’t in an open marriage, and isn’t masturbating about you right now. But instead of sending a friend to pump her for information about her marriage, you could get to know your neighbor a little better—you could do a little platonic socializing—and then, once you’re friends, open up to her about your life and your marriage.
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Start of a canine
Richard at Bosworth Field
Mites and ticks
Second showing
How birds think?
Org. with many specialists
Hungarian sheep dog
Lovin’ Spoonful hit, “Darling ___ Soon”
On the Waterfront, for example?
City in Italia
Dean’s pal
Cross between a peach and a gourd?
Scale divs.
Horny old goat
Use a wooden pointer?
Subj. for 35 Down
Quickly, quickly
“... for the grace of God, ___”
Hope symbol
Thinker famous for slugging people who didn’t agree with him?
Sleepy town?
Cover a wall again
Judge in the
and such
Homepage info
Ms. Hagen
Not a bus.
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