Rookery Bay’s Lunch and Learn Series Showcases Florida’s History and Culture

For more than a decade, journalist Art Levy has traveled the state, interviewing prominent Floridians for a Florida Trend magazine feature called “Icon.” On the upcoming November 5, 2021 Rookery Bay Lunch and Learn Series Lecture, Levy will speak about the interviewees and tell stories about his journey across Florida based on his book, “Florida History & Pop Culture Series – “Made in Florida: Artists, Celebrities, Activists, Educators and Other Icons in the Sunshine State.”

You don’t want to miss:  If you are curious about the State’s history and culture, this is a lecture you don’t want to miss. According to reviewers and readers of his book, Art Levy is often described as a “masterful interviewer” and the book as “inspiring, compelling.”

In anticipation of the lecture, I reached out to Art Levy with a few questions of my own!

What makes an Icon in the Sunshine State? 

Levy:  So far, I've interviewed more than 130 people for Florida Trend's Icon feature. My first one was with Ferdie Pacheco, Muhammad Ali's fight doctor, way back in 2007. In 2019, the University Press of Florida published a compilation of 90 of the interviews in a book called "Made in Florida: Artists, Celebrities, Activists and Other Icons in the Sunshine State." The book's long title gives you some idea of the diversity of people I've interviewed. When I go looking for someone to interview for the feature, I look for prominent Floridians who have achieved success in their field and have interesting/important stories to tell. I try not to be rigid, though, which is probably why the list includes so many types of people, from a well-known actor such as Burt Reynolds to Louise Gopher, a Seminole Tribe educator."

Any notable icon or icons for this era?

Levy:  "Over the years, some of the interviewees were fairly elderly – snake researcher Bill Haast was nearly 100 when I interviewed him in Punta Gorda in 2008, for example – but all of the interviewees are from the current era. I've even interviewed a few people in their 30s and early 40s!"

Do you have a list of icons you would like to add to the list you already have - and why?

Levy:  "I always have a working list of people I've either approached or plan to approach, but I'm always open to input and new ideas. I hope the attendees at the Rookery Bay event will have some suggestions of people they'd like to see interviewed for the feature."

Save the Date: November 5, 2021 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. FREE online Via Zoom or attend in person at the Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center for $20 (cost of catered lunch from Carrabba’s). Registration is required. Go to rookerybay.org for the calendar to reserve. The expert speaker will present from their office elsewhere in Florida, using Zoom technology and be projected onto the big screen in the Environmental Learning Center Auditorium. If you choose to join in person, the $20 registration fee includes lunch and admission to the Learning Center. You can also join virtually for free. Both methods will allow for interaction with the guest lecturer, where questions from the audience are encouraged.

December 8, 2021 Lunch and Learn Lecture will feature:” Florida Soul” by John Capouya. This presentation looks at the people and the music that define Florida soul, from Ray Charles to Sam and Dave; James Brown to Bobby Purify and many more. The State of Florida’s rich, but under-appreciated musical heritage comes to life in music, words, and vintage photos.

According to Athan Barkoukis, Executive Director for the Friends of Rookery Bay, this is the fourteenth year for the Lunch and Learn Series partnering with the Florida Humanities Council, providing resources and speakers, and supporting arts and humanities in Florida.

The Friends of Rookery Bay support the Reserve by connecting people to Southwest Florida’s coastal environment by focusing on outreach, advocacy, volunteer recruitment and fundraising. To date, Friends of Rookery Bay has over 300 volunteers who help support the activities of the Reserve staff and their mission. Feel free to reach out if you have spare time to volunteer.