Tallahassee writer hosts panel of award-winning Florida writers at Word of South
- The Word of South festival will take place in Tallahassee, Florida, from April 4-6.
- Writer Paula Walborsky will moderate the Midtown Reader Stage, discussing the Florida Book Awards with award-winning authors.
- Walborsky is a local author, known for her essay collections and contributions to the Tallahassee Democrat.
Tallahassee is once again abuzz with talk about the upcoming Word of South festival, taking place on April 4- 6. Each year, the city hosts a unique blend of musicians and writers, exploring their relationship on stage together.
Amidst the chatter and strategizing about who everyone wants to see, I had the pleasure of visiting with writer and Word of South alumnae Paula Walborsky. I spoke with Walborsky in her home, over coffee, and under the watchful eye of her distinguished tuxedo cat Figaro.
Literature takes the stage
Walborsky has called Tallahassee home for decades. She was given the choice to attend one of the two Florida colleges that existed at the time and decided to attend Florida State University. “I chose FSU because Tallahassee had an airport, and my father said he did not want to be schlepping me back and forth,” she said.
This year, Walborsky will moderate the Midtown Reader Stage, discussing the Florida Book Awards with writers who have won the award. The guests converging won awards for best work by authors for nonfiction. Among those are silver award winner Barbara Drake-Vera, for her book "Melted Away." Joining her is fellow silver award winner for Florida nonfiction, Evan Bennett, who wrote "Tampa Bay: The Story of an Estuary and its People."
Walborsky is especially excited to talk with gold award winner Raymond Arsenault about his book, "John Lewis: In Search of the Beloved Community." “He’s such a brave man,” said Walborsky. “He really tells it like it was.”
The life of a lit lover
In addition to the notable group of authors Walborsky will be moderating at Word of South, I asked her what other books she had been reading lately. “Anne Tyler and Ann Patchett,” she said. “I read everything I can find by both of them.”
While we’re on the subject of great female authors, Walborsky herself is best known for her essays "Unpacking Paula, Volumes 1, 2, and 3." The collections are not novels, she says, but collections that should be considered “pointillist writing.” They are collections meant for waiting. “For anything. The doctor, the dentist. Godot.” She has also been a frequent voice during public radio pledge drives and an occasional contributor to the Tallahassee Democrat over the years.
I asked if she is working on anything new. “I’m currently dealing with some minor Aphasia and probably won’t be trying to get anything new published. But I love doing readings for book clubs.”
When she’s not reading, Walborsky keeps herself entertained by doing water aerobics with fellow swimmers, The Clownfish Asylum. The group of friends have been active since 2012 and are currently preparing for an exhibition in the Senior Olympics at the Myers Park Aquatic Facility.
Also an avid cook, Walborsky has been known to share legendary recipes with family and friends that she says are basically “how to cook like a Jewish mama.”
She has also written her own obituary, at least three times. “The first one I wrote was sort of serious, and I realized it sounded like I was applying for a job in the afterlife,” she said. “Then I wrote one as if it had been written by my garden.” Apparently, the orchids in Walborsky’s garden think she’s doing a pretty good job. And we all know that orchids are not easy to please.
Penning topics of choice
After failing miserably at gaining acceptance by Figaro the cat, I was still allowed to take a peek at Walborsky’s eclectic art collection and vinyl records. There was a moment where we bonded over Bob Dylan.
“I adore Bob Dylan. His words are just poetry,” she said.
Much like how Dylan is fantastic at describing moments in time, I asked Walborsky about something she wrote in the Tallahassee Democrat on Thanksgiving in 2019.
Referring to the United States, she said, “For all its mistakes, this country wants to do the right thing, wants to let us be ourselves, has a Constitution for the majority and a Bill of Rights for the individual. I know we will endure.”
I asked her how she felt now, six years later. “My entire family came here seeking refuge. My father and grandfather fought for this country,” she said. “I do still believe in our country.”
Join Paula Walborsky and a panel of award-winning authors at the Midtown Reader Stage in Cascades Park. The authors and their respective books cover a variety of timely subjects, and the discussions will be a memorable experience. Check out the official Word of South schedule for all the event times and stages.
If you go
What: Word of South
When: April 4-6; Walborsky will be with the FBA Non-Fiction at 1:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 5, at the Midtown Reader Stage within the AC Hotel.
Where: Cascades Park
Cost: Free on Saturday and Sunday; Violent Femmes Friday Night – SOLD OUT
Contact: For more information and the complete schedule, visit wordofsouthfestival.com
Tracy Horenbein is a guest writer for The Council on Culture & Arts. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, COCA is the capital area’s umbrella agency for arts and culture (tallahasseearts.org)