Crossing the Ditch: North Florida Fiction

"If human beings took over the moon, they'd probably turn it into Florida." - Douglas Coupland. An experienced St. Johns River bar pilot washes up on a Duval County Florida beach, discovered by two beach walkers. A restauranteur considers his failed experiment, the repurchase of his family seafood restaurant and his failed attempt to franchise it nationally. Are the two events related? A beachside community mourns an adopted son with a paddle out ceremony and a open mic. night at the local community center featuring musical tributes and covers of Jack Johnston, Katrina and the Waves, and Red Hot Chili Peppers tunes. Weaving wildly between satirical scenes of NFL players taking surfing lessons and paranoid local residents calling the cops for an overflow of cars parked at a beach access, North Carolina author Obermeyer has fun with Florida observations and a poignant look at friendships both frayed and rewarding.