If you've read any of Thomas Hallock's City Wilds columns for CL, you know he has a passion for the way Saint Petersburg's natural and social histories are inextricably — and often contradictorily — intertwined. He's not the only one with an interest in the area's history and environs, though; not by a long shot. And many find the story of Salt Creek — the narrow waterway that cuts, largely ignored, through south St. Pete from Lake Maggiore to Bayboro Harbor — particularly compelling. So Hallock has helped USF St. Pete and the Tampa Bay Writers Network put together a collection of stories and images dedicated to the subject: Salt Creek Journal.
This Friday, writers who contributed to the project (and several of them, it must be disclosed, have written for Creative Loafing) will convene at the hip 'n' homey Old Southeast Market, where they'll read from the book, share stories and laughs, and collect pre-orders for the volume, whose official launch date is January 19. Old SE Market has a killer porch and even more impressive selection of craft beer, along with other sippable and noshable amenities, so we're expecting this to be a laid-back, informative and entertaining good time. It kicks off at 6, and proceeds from book sales help enhance the abilities of both the Tampa Bay Writers Network and USFSP's English programming.
This article appears in Nov 2-9, 2017.