Marjory Stoneman Douglas | Pen Like a Knife

Marjory Stoneman Douglas (1890 – 1998) was a journalist, writer, activist, environmentalist and feminist famously described as having “a tongue like a switchblade and the moral authority to embarrass bureaucrats and politicians and make things happen.” Especially dedicated to the preservation of the Florida Everglades, this collection of her fictional writings captures that surgical wit, technical skill and unbridled passion that became the mark of her writing.

Most of these short fictional pieces were published in the Saturday Evening Post and the Library Digest during the late 1920s and early 1930s. The topics were well ahead of their time, especially on matters of racial justice, the rights of women, and the natural world. The illustrations are vivid and beautifully executed as well. A few are manuscripts of unpublished works. All are worth reading for their craftsmanship, plot line and moral compass. In tribute to her work to preserve the Florida everglades, we accompany this portfolio with a work of fellow Floridian and conservationist, called "Everglades Pond" by A.E. Backus, c. 1950. We are grateful to the Florida Division of Cultural Affairs for making these works available on POBA.