Marcia Fine, award-winning author spoke about a “Sephardic Journey,” Monday, November 14th at 7 p.m. in the Flagler Room of the Old Ponce de Leon Hotel, on the Flagler College Campus in St. Augustine. Marcia Fine’s historical fiction The Blind Eye, has been chosen by the State Library of Arizona ONEBOOKAZ, a celebration of quality literature. The event is sponsored by the St. Augustine Jewish Historical Society as part of the quest to understand the behaviors of Converso Jews in hiding during the Spanish Inqusition. Conversos are thought to have been present in colonial St. Augustine. Award-winning author and speaker Marcia Fine has written seven novels. PAPER CHILDREN—An Immigrant’s Legacy has been a finalist for three national prizes. PARIS LAMB, her sixth novel, deals with anti-Semitism in the 1950s. She has also written the only satirical series about Scottsdale. Her next novel, HIDDEN ONES to be released in 2017, examines conversos in Mexico during the Inquisition. Marcia has a BA from Florida State University and a Masters from Arizona State University. The program was free. 

Restoring Understanding and Peace in a Divided Society 

Compassion In Action, an initiative of Compassionate St. Augustine, presented G. Scott Brown, author of Active Peace: A Mindful Path to a Nonviolent World. Brown worked in juvenile justice and other settings for years applying what he presented at the October 17 program at 6pm. He covered: Why do we do so much violence to ourselves, others and the Earth? What practices cultivate clarity, courage, happiness and resilience? In our divided country what works to build peace and understanding?

So First Coast.TV went to St. Cyprians Episcopal Church on 37 Lovett St,  St. Augustine to speak briefly with G.Scott Brown about his book Active Peace: A Mindful Path to a Nonviolent World.

On Wednesday, April 20, at 7 p.m. the community was invited to the Mission Nombre de Dios Museum, 27 Ocean Ave., St. Augustine, for a presentation by James Huffstodt, who performed in costume as a Hardin intimate recalling his life during a visit to Tallahassee following the General’s 1923 funeral in St. Augustine.

            General Hardin was a protégé of President Abraham Lincoln, son of Lincoln’s good friend killed in the Mexican War, Gettysburg veteran, Roman Catholic convert, defender of Washington during the 1864 Confederate Raid, and a 40-year winter resident of St. Augustine where he lies today in the National Cemetery.

            His widow, Amelia Hardin, refurbished and dedicated the historic chapel of Our Lady of La Leche to his memory in 1925. General Hardin’s step-brother, Father Clarence Walworth of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., was a missionary priest, author and donor of the sun dial affixed to the front wall of the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine. Come and learn more about the life of this distinguished general and his connection to our ancient city and the historic chapel of Our Lady of La Leche.

First Coast.TV got a chance to speak with the author of this remarkable book, James Huffstodt.

In Word Warrior , award-winning radio producer Sonja D. Williams draws on archives and hard-to-access family records, as well as interviews with family and colleagues like Studs Terkel and Toni Morrison, to illuminate Durham’s astounding career. Posthumously inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame in 2007, Richard Durham creatively chronicled and brought to life the significant events of his times. Durham’s trademark narrative style engaged listeners with fascinating characters, compelling details, and sharp images of pivotal moments in American and African American history and culture. Durham paved the way for black journalists as a dramatist and a star investigative reporter and editor for the pioneering black newspapers the Chicago Defender and Muhammed Speaks . Talented and versatile, he also created the acclaimed radio series Destination Freedom and Here Comes Tomorrow and wrote for popular radio fare like The Lone Ranger . Incredibly, his energies extended still further–to community and labor organizing, advising Chicago mayoral hopeful Harold Washington, and mentoring generations of activists. Incisive and in-depth, Word Warrior tells the story of a tireless champion of African American freedom, equality, and justice during an epoch that forever changed a nation.

First Coast.TV got the chance to talk with Sonja Williams about the book.

 As we ponder the future of the death penalty in our state of Florida, we learned firsthand what can go wrong. We heard the astonishing story of Sabrina Butler  —an exoneree and nationally known activist — she spoke this weekend at  the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, on 2487 A1A South, St. Augustine.

The Sabrina Butler Story

In 1989 a black teenage mother in Mississippi, Sabrina Butler, tried to revive her infant son, who had stopped breathing.  Then she rushed him to the hospital, where doctors also failed to revive him.    Because of bruising from her efforts,  she  found herself   convicted of murder and child abuse and was sentenced to death row.  In 1990  she was given a new trial, and  several years later she was exonerated of all wrongdoing. She is the only woman in the United States exonerated from death row.

Sabrina Butler has devoted her life to advocating abolishment of the death penalty. Today, Sabrina still lives in the same town where she was convicted, with her husband Joe Porter and three children. She speaks as often as she can to the public and media about her heartbreaking and moving story, and has recently published a memoir, The Sabrina Butler Story. Learn more about her ordeal at: ohttp://www.witnesstoinnocence.org/exonerees/sabrina-butler.html or order a copy of Sabrina’s book at: sabrinabutler.webs.com

First Coast.TV got the chance to speak with Caren Goldman, the author of several books in the spiritual genre. We met at a book signing which was well attended, and so in very noisy room

we attempted our interview with great success.