Bookstore's focus: Florida

Books and artwork featuring almost all things related to the Sunshine State are the specialty at a new shop in Dunnellon.

By JORGE SANCHEZ, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 17, 2003

If you're on a quest to learn more about Florida, from the its most scenic back roads to the best way to cook alligator meat, head to Our Florida Books & Art.

The small bookstore in the Dunnellon Historic Village stocks only Florida books and artwork. Owner Jean Tullis said bookstore experience in Lakeland led to the niche market concept.

"When we owned the other bookstore, Florida books were by far our best sellers, so that's why we decided to carry only Florida books and art," she said.

The store also carries prints of wildlife art, along with ceramic pottery by Rasa and Juozas Saldaitis of St. Petersburg.

"They're flying out the door," Tullis said of the vibrant-hued pottery.

For a grand opening party on Saturday, Florida folk artist Ruby C. Williams will be the guest of honor. Several of her colorful and charming works are on display at the store.

Our Florida Books & Art is deep in field manuals about nearly everything of interest in Florida. Books about Florida's insects, alligators, turtles, birds and fish are plentiful.

You can find guides to area dockside dining spots, Florida's best country inns, lighthouses, and Key West writers and their homes.

Cookbooks such as The Gourmet Gator list various ways of cooking alligator meat, while others feature compilations of Tampa Bay recipes and traditional Florida dishes.

Florida's best-known authors are well represented. Cry of the Panther, by James P. McMullen, is a must-read for anyone who wants to understand the relationship between humans and the animals and plants of Florida, specifically the Everglades.

Carl Hiaasen fans will find several titles, including a compilation of his best columns, and his new children's book Hoot. Other Florida authors are Randy Wayne White, Jimmy Buffett, photographer Clyde Butcher and Connie May Fowler.

The books and artwork should be enough to grab the interest of anyone thirsty for knowledge of the Sunshine State, but there's one more piece, a fossil collection. The centerpiece is the skull of a saber-toothed tiger. There are also arrowheads, sharks' teeth and assorted bones, all from the private collection of Stuart Tullis, Jean's husband and a lifelong fossil hunter.

Special guest

Florida folk artist and vegetable farmer Ruby C. Williams will greet visitors and talking about her life and artwork from 1 to 5 p.m. at Saturday's grand opening of OurFlorida Books & Art.

Miss Ruby, as she's known, operates a small vegetable farm and roadside produce stand in Hillsborough County. But she's also known for her brightly colored folk art, paintings that use alligator shapes or strawberries and usually carry a short message. Among the works at Florida Books & Art is one titled I Sing Because I'm Happy, inscribed in a childish scrawl.

The grand opening will also feature a children's story time from 2 to 2:30, followed by a fossil dig in a sand mound. Food includes gumbo and hot dogs.

At a glance

Our Florida Books & Art, 20709 W Pennsylvania Ave., Dunnellon. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday. Call (352) 489-3114 or e-mail rumrunner@earthlink.net.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright