New book explores coastal Floridian ‘voices and visions’

A new volume from St. Petersburg Press features short stories and essays from several under-the-radar Pinellas County writers. Coastal Voices and Visions also includes original photographs, taken by the storytellers to illustrate their work.

“Like the tides, coastal voices and visions ebb and flow through this collection,” the introduction tells us.

Curated and edited by Suzanne Norman, Carlene Cobb and Doris R. Norrito, all of whom contributed original works, the book includes stories of imagination, history, adventure, humor, even romance – all of them tied in some way to the water, to the coastal Gulf, Tampa Bay, the Atlantic, even a spring-fed Florida river.

“Living on the coast influences you in some ways,” says Norman, whose two short stories open the book. “And we wanted to use that as our theme, because our stories were from people living on the coast.”

Norman’s “Carolina Undercurrent” is set in 1974 Charleston; beachgoing teenagers (including the narrator) make an unexpected discovery. It’s the only non-Florida story in the collection.

“Lady Blue” takes place (mostly) in a sailboat off the north Pinellas coast, a coast that sparkles and shines like a series of pristine Caribbean islands. “I had a good story that I knew would be important to tell,” she explains. “Because it was about a place before developers and golf courses came in.

“And in the spirit of John MacDonald and some of his writing, you want to preserve what’s there.

“Things I’ve seen have changed so much in my lifetime, both in South Carolina where I’m from, and in the Tampa Bay area – Dunedin was nothing when I first came here. So I guess it goes back to the story of how things were, how wild things were on the coast. And how they’re not so wild now, after development.”

Cobb’s “Cottage 15” wraps a married couple’s romantic weekend on North Redington Beach around memories of the real-life visit there from Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio in March, 1961; the author also contributes a spellbinding Pass-a-Grille family tale, “Seaside Gardener.” Which may or may not involve a little bit of magic.

Norrito, who died in 2023 as the book was being prepared, is represented by “Papa, What is the Sea?,” a meditation on war.

The original plan was to make Coastal Voices and Visions a collection of fictional short stories; Norman and her co-editors queried their creative writing friends, from the Bay Area Professional Writers Guild and other groups, and received a surprising amount of essays – first-person accounts of various Floridian adventures, on the water.

And so the project became half short stories, half essays. Going with the flow, as it were.

Barbara Sartor’s “First the Ferry, Then the Skyway” recounts the Bee Line Ferry, which carried automobiles – and people – between Pinellas and Manatee Counties, before the 1954 construction of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. In the 1930s, her father was captain of one of the Bee Line boats.

Sartor’s son, Henry E. Sorenson Jr., contributed “Canoeing with Mom on the Juniper Springs Run,” an hilarious recollection of a family canoe trip in the Ocala National Forest.

Both Sartor and Sorenson passed away before their work could be published. Through the book, Norman likes to say, Sartor, Sorenson and Norrito’s words – their voices – will live on.

Additional essays, with memories and observations, of Cedar Key, Safety Harbor’s Philippe Park, Gulfport and Weedon Island, were penned, respectively, by Rick Rhodes, Joan Girard Baptist, Kendel Ohlrogge and Louise Harris.

Coastal Voices and Visions is an eclectic collection, tied loosely together with a common thread.

“I want it to be on people’s nightstands, in a guest room or maybe on your coffee table,” Norman says. “Understand the stories of different people and different adventures in this part of Florida.

“It’s definitely got a vintage feel, but at the same time I think a young person could pick it up, read a story and say ‘Hey, I might want to do this or that.’ I think it has an appeal in that respect.”

Suzanne Norman, left, Carlene Cobb and Doris F. Norrito. Photo provided.