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Karen Russell's 'Swamplandia' Explores Florida Everglades
Resume"Swamplandia!" centers around the Bigtree family, who runs an alligator theme park in Florida's Everglades. Their way of life begins to crumble after their mother and star attraction dies of cancer and a new theme park called "The World of Darkness" moves in nearby.
Russell, who grew up in Florida, told Here & Now's Robin Young that her state is being constantly encroached upon, both by invasive species like the Melaleuca tree, and by developers. She also explained why she loved Florida.
"It feels like a portal out of a fairy tale, there are mangrove channels, dead end rivers and dead falls, and it really does feel like a landscape out of an alien book," she said.
- Here & Now: Swamplandia Book Excerpt
- New York Times: Swamplandia Review
This segment originally aired in March.
Guest:
- Karen Russell, author
This segment aired on December 29, 2011.