Doing Crime the Florida Man Way with Craig Pittman and Tamara Lush

Two Florida writers discuss how Florida and its history of kooky crimes have affected both crime-writing and the state's reputation.

Tamara Lush is a Florida-based author and journalist. She’s an RWA Rita finalist, an Amtrak writing fellow and the winner of the George C. Polk award for environmental journalism. For more than a dozen years, she was a reporter with The Associated Press in Florida, covering crime, alligators, natural disasters and politics. Under her real name, Tamara Lush, she writes contemporary romance. Under the name Tara Lush, she writes quirky and sweet cozy mysteries, including her coffee lover’s mystery series.

Craig Pittman is a native Floridian. He was a reporter and columnist for the Tampa Bay Times for thirty-one years before becoming a weekly columnist for the Florida Phoenix. His nonfiction titles include “The Scent of Scandal,” “Oh, Florida!,” “Cat Tale,” and “The State You’re In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and Other Wildlife.”

Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.