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Artists: Patrick D Smith |
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A three-time Pulitzer Prize and six-time Nobel Prize for Literature
nominee, Patrick Smith is the noted author of six novels: The
River is Home,
The Beginning, Forever Island, Angel City,
Allapattah, and A Land Remembered. Mr. Smith's
lifetime work as a writer has earned him top prizes from many
organizations, among them the National Society of Daughters of the
American Revolution and the Florida Historical Society. In 1990, Florida
PBS-TV released a documentary, VISIONS OF NATURE - Patrick Smith's
Florida, which portrays his work as a writer. Mr. Smith is also
the author of numerous short stories, essays and articles. For the past
fifteen years, he has served on the professional staff of several annual
writers' conferences and has given over 1,000 lectures. Patrick D. Smith was born in Mendenhall, Mississippi, on October 8, 1927. He earned a B.A. degree from the University of Mississippi in 1947 and an M.A. in 1959. He worked in public relations for several colleges and universities in Mississippi until 1966, when he moved to Florida and became director of public relations at Brevard Community College. He retired in 1988. In his own words, Smith’s books reflect “the plight of the underdogs in life.” The River Is Home focuses on “swamp rats” who lived along the Pearl River in Mississippi and Louisiana at the beginning of the 20th century, while The Beginning highlights the struggles of poor whites and blacks in the South during the civil rights movements in the 1960s. After his move to Florida, Patrick Smith’s fictional focus likewise shifted. Forever Island and Allapattah both feature the Seminole Indians struggling to cope with the modern world, while Angel City zeroes in on virtual slavery among modern-day migrant workers. Smith lived among the Seminoles and in several migrant camps as part of his research prior to writing the books.  On
August 1, 1948, Patrick Smth married Iris Doty and later had a son named
Patrick D. Smith, Jr. Throughout his life, Smith has been a member of
many organizations. He has been a member of the following
organizations: American Association of Community and Junior Colleges,
American College Public Relations Association, Council for the
Advancement and Support of Education, Authors Guild of American, Authors
League of America, Florida Association of Community Colleges, and Cape
Canaveral Public Relations Association. Patrick served as a member on
the professional staff of the annual Rollins College Writers' Conference
in Winter Park.Patrick Smith was named Mississippi's Outstanding Man of the year and was also awarded a Distinguished Service Award from Mississippi Junior Chamber of Commerce. In 1977, Smith received a high honor of recognition as Alumnus of the Year at Hinds Junior College. In addition to the state of Mississippi claiming him as a native son, the state of Florida claims him as one of its most famous authors. He was inducted into the 1999 Florida Artists Hall of Fame, only the second author to be inducted during his lifetime. Four of his novels are set in Florida. His novel, A Land Remembered, won the Florida Historical Society's Tebeau Prize as the Most Outstanding Florida Historical Novel. It is a story of the MacIvey family who lived in Florida from 1858 to 1965. In May 2002 Smith was the recipient of the Florida Historical Society's Fay Schweim Award as the "Greatest Living Floridian." The one-time-only award was established to honor the one individual who has contributed the most to Florida in recent history. Smith is the author of seven novels: The River Is Home, The Beginning, Forever Island, Angel City, Allapattah, A Land Remembered, and The Seas That Mourn, and a story collection, A white Deer. He is also co-author of the non- fiction book The Last Ride and author of the non-fiction book In Search of The Russian Bear. Today Smith live on Merritt Island, Florida, and in his spare time, he enjoys boating, gardening, and exploring wildlife. |
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Patrick D Smith
Florida Artist
Florida Author
A three-time Pulitzer Prize and six-time Nobel Prize for Literature nominee, Patrick Smith is the noted author of six novels: The River is Home, The Beginning, Forever Island, Angel City, Allapattah, and A Land Remembered. Mr. Smith's lifetime work as a writer has earned him top prizes from many organizations, among them the National Society of Daughters of the American Revolution and the Florida Historical Society. In 1990, Florida PBS-TV released a documentary, VISIONS OF NATURE - Patrick Smith's Florida, which portrays his work as a writer. Mr. Smith is also the author of numerous short stories, essays and articles.
DOB: October 8, 1927 00:00:00.000
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