The Wide Brim
Early Poems and Ponderings of Marjory Stoneman Douglas
., and scores of short stories, Douglas devoted over ninety years to her career as a writer. Her fascinating and little-known work as a journalist began as a columnist for the Miami Herald.
The Wide Brim
presents a collection of her best articles–many of which were preceded by a poem of her own composition–from her daily column "The Galley," which ran from 1920 until 1923. The selections reflect Douglas's many voices, which made her a distinctive commentator of the time: nature lover, South Florida booster, political analyst, woman, social progressive, intellectual, and philosopher and observer of human nature. With the same passion and eloquence that she became famous for in later years, Douglas maneuvered gracefully from one topic to the next. From straightforward commentary to witty prose, from harsh criticism to infectious humor, from biting sarcasm to whimsical verse, from glimpses into nature to those into human nature, the rich and vibrant voice of Marjory Stoneman Douglas in her 30s is now readily accessible.Because Douglas's columns engage matters of the day, the pieces collected in this volume provide insight not only into her maturation as a writer and civic-minded citizen of South Florida but also into the intellectual, cultural, and political world of Miami in the early stages of its development. For today's reader, her columns combine literature and history at their most informative and entertaining.
Jack E. Davis, Pulitzer Prize-winning author, is professor of history and the Rothman Family Chair in the Humanities at the University of Florida.
