Theodore Pratt: A Florida Writer's Life

Theodore Pratt (1901-1969) was the author of fifteen books about the Sunshine State, earning him the informal title of “Literary Laureate of Florida.” He portrayed the culture of South Florida from its pioneer days to the middle of the twentieth century, especially in his “Florida Trilogy,” which includes his most famous book, The Barefoot Mailman (1943). He also wrote vividly about the Florida Keys in Mercy Island (1941), theEverglades in Escape to Eden (1953), and Chief Osceola in a novel and a play both called Seminole (1953/1954). Writing in the golden age of Hollywood, his books were made into movies, most notably The Incredible Mr. Limpet, a beloved live-action animated comedy starring Don Knotts. Pratt also embraced the paperback revolution of the 1950s along with fellow Florida writer and friend, John D. MacDonald. Additionally, Pratt’s career intersected with such famous Florida figures as Harry Crews, Ernest Hemingway, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Zora Neale Hurston, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, and Burt Reynolds. Taking a lively and nostalgic tour through vintage mid-century Florida, this biography is for fans of the Sunshine State as well as lovers of literature and film.