Tag Archives: Florida Gothic Tim Gilmore

Eulogy for a “Heretic” at Collins Road Baptist Church

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It’s been 36 years since I’ve set foot in the church. I hadn’t expected a third of the congregation to be Mennonite. I hadn’t expected the eulogist to refer to the deceased as suspected heretic. I’d come to honor the memory of this smiling, wise, knowledgeable towering figure from my childhood who died from Covid-19. And for the memory of my childhood itself.

 

The Strange Florida Gothic Epic of Kelnepa

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The original house exists beneath the house poured on top. Raymond Saleeba remembers his grandmother’s Lebanese cooking and playing with his siblings here as the happiest times in his life. The strangeness came later, with the house redubbed “Tuscan River Estate.” The sports car bought with worthless stock. Multi-million dollar con jobs. Brides who had to find other venues for their weddings.