'In the Land of Good Living,' by Kent Russell
Subtitled "A Journey to the Heart of Florida," Kent Russell's book chronicles the unfolding of a very bad idea: He and two friends – Iraq War veteran Noah and "dad-bodied" Canadian Glenn – decide to walk 1,000 miles across the state of Florida. (Yes, a very bad idea, but what do you expect from a person who decides to spend a whole summer with us, writing about City Council meetings and <checks archives> free wifi?) As the three trudge south down the dread peninsula, they encounter beauty, sleaze, vapidity and sagacity – sometimes all at once, as when they interview a man who plays Jesus at the Holy Land Experience or a dancer at Tampa's famed Mons Venus.
1st: Epcot International Festival of the Arts disneyworld.disney.go.com
2nd: Orlando International Fringe Theatre Festival orlandofringe.org
3rd: The Winter Park Sidewalk Art Festival wpsaf.org
1st: Corsets & Cuties, a Burlesque Cabaret corsetsandcuties.com
2nd: Les Vixens lesvixens.com
3rd: The Ladies of the Peek-a-Boo Lounge instagram.com/ladiesofthepeekaboo
1st: SAK Comedy Lab sakcomedylab.com
2nd: Orlando Improv Comedy Club
3rd: Shit Sandwich Comedy Showcase bullandbushorlando.com
1st: Orlando Ballet orlandoballet.org
2nd: Phantasmagoria phantasmagoriaorlando.com
3rd: Central Florida Irish Dance centralfloridairishdance.com
1st: Florida Film Festival floridafilmfestival.com
2nd: Orlando Film Festival orlandofilmfest.com
3rd: Uncomfortable Brunch enzian.org
1st: CityArts orlandoslice.com
2nd: Mills Gallery millsgalleryorlando.com
3rd: Snap! Orlando snaporlando.com
1st: Orlando Story Club orlandostoryclub.com
2nd: Loose Lips
3rd: Functionally Literate burrowpress.com/fl
1st: Carlos Navarro iamcarlosnavarro.com
2nd: Ben Ptashinsky instagram.com/equityben
3rd: Laura Hodos laurahodos.com