Matheson to host two book events in January

The Matheson History Museum will host two Florida literature events this month with authors Jeff Davies, Mike McGinness and Rebecca Johnston.  

The first event, at 4 p.m. on Saturday, will feature Davies and McGinness. The two started the Facebook Group “Florida: A History in Pictures” years ago, and the group has grown to more than 200,000 members with daily posts and engagement.  

The group shares photos of Florida from the earliest available to right before Walt Disney arrived. According to a press release, the two founders wanted to thank the members and decided to write a book.  

With the same name as the group, “Florida: A History in Pictures” released in September 2022. The book aggregates photos sent by individuals and institutions like the Matheson History Museum. 

The following weekend, at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21, Johnston will present “Writing a Florida Novel.” In January 2022, she published her own novel, “Not to Keep.”   

The book traces the lives of five North Central Florida friends through the First World War and the postwar environment, from the Bonus Army in Washington D.C. to the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935.  

Parking for both events is available at the Matheson History Museum, at Fold and Walker Law Offices next door or across the street at the Alachua County School District Administration Building.  

You can also watch the events virtually. Click here to register for “Florida: A History in Pictures” and here for “Writing a Florida Novel.”