Letter to the Editor / COMMUNITY TREASURE

This year’s Key West Literary Seminar was outstanding and many of the repeat attendees thought it might be the best in 35 years.  There’s lots of credit for this success but it begins with Arlo Haskell, the wonderful Executive Director and Key West native, and this year’s Program Chair, Carey Winfrey, and their dedicated staff and volunteers.

The annual international event has become a symbiotic community treasure that benefits Key West, talented authors from around the globe (both famous and emerging ), appreciative audiences and local students, teachers and librarians.  Held at the historic San Carlos Institute on Duval St., the 2017 theme was “Revealing Power”, writers and literature that speak to us about politics. This year’s authors included: Robert Caro, Joe Klein, Calvin Trillin, Tom Mallon, Billy Collins, Jane Mayer, George Saunders, Dan Menaker, Gail Collins, Teju Cole, Joyce Carol Oates and others.

After two years of forced immersion in political warfare, from which it was impossible to avert one’s eyes, this at times brilliant, hilarious and erudite gathering was a perfect catharsis.