Passionate letters of gratitude poured in from all over, from the Caribbean to the Arctic Circle, though Willie Browne never traveled further than the Georgia state line, never had a phone, nor electricity. He did, however, have countless friends. When he died alone in his cabin in the woods in 1970, he left to the Nature Conservancy hundreds of acres of marshes, hardwood forest and bluffs overlooking the St. Johns River. Though he would never have chosen it, his became the face of the conservation movement in much of the South, beloved of environmentalists and hikers, artists and writers. Half a century later, more people know Willie Browne than ever. And they still say they can feel his presence in these woods. This book is his story.
Tim Gilmore is the author of The Wilderness and Willie Browne (2024) and 23 other books, including The Mad Atlas of Virginia King and Devil in the Baptist Church: Bob Gray’s Unholy Trinity. He’s the creator of jaxpsychogeo.com, a 12-year project (so far) that tells nearly 800 “true story portraits” of his hometown. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Florida and teaches writing at Florida State College at Jacksonville, where four of his plays have been staged. He writes regularly at timgilmore.substack.com. He writes about the haunted South and how the South haunts America.
Book Launch and Signing
Thursday, Dec.,12, 6- 8 p.m.
Unitarian Universalist Church
7405 Arlington Expwy