Oil Blot Gull

At this time five years ago, BP's Deepwater Horizon had been spewing uncontrollably into the pristine waters of the Gulf of Mexico for almost 3 months. The flow wouldn't be stopped until July 15, 2010.

Our book -- UnspOILed. Writers Speak for Florida's Coast -- had coincidentally just been published within weeks of this tragic environmental disaster. For those of you unfamiliar, here is a taste from a still-relevant anthology of beautiful and personal stories about Florida's coasts and why they are worth protecting. 

unspOILed_cover

At the time of the big spill, we were literally "speaking out" across the state at book release events: readings, slideshows, and signings.  

Unspoiled Shrimpers & Pelicans

Oil Blot Oystermanoystering off St. Vincent Island

Each story is headed by an "oil blot" that I created from my photographs, some included here.  And for many of our presentations, I made a slideshow using quotes extracted from the book.  Take a peek...

Unspoiled Bird Flight Oil Blot Shrimp Unspoiled Amgel Wings Unspoiled Swimmer Oil Blot Girls Unspoiled_blog_SC Unspoiled Monarchs Oil Blot Monarch Unspoiled Beach Oil Blot Beach Scene Unspoiled Ibis Trip Oil Blot Burrfish Unspoiled Dock Oil Blot Horseshoe Crab Unspoiled Water Oil Blot Fisherman Unspoiled Waterline Oil Blot Kayaker Unspoiled Wave Oil Blot Jellyfish Unspoiled Dolphin Oil Blot Dolphin Unspoiled Dunes Oil Blot FiddlerWakulla Beach morning and evening Unspoiled Skimmer Oil Blot Skimmer