We are looking forward to hearing Cathy Salustri read at the Southeast Sister Cities Reading Tour coming up on Saturday, April 7th at 7 p.m. at Bab’s Lab. Earlier that day, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Salustri will sign books at San Marco Books and More.

Cathy Salustri is the Arts & Entertainment editor at Creative Loafing, where she writes about art, culture and Florida lifestyles. She also writes about Florida lifestyles and history. Her portfolio includes USA Today, Visit Florida, regional magazines and local press. In late 2016, UPF published her travel narrative about retracing the WPA-era driving tours of Florida, Backroads of Paradise, and the New York Times featured it in its travel section.

Cathy studied radio and television broadcasting as an undergraduate, earning a BA in Communications from the University of Tampa. She also has an MLA in Florida Studies from the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. As a graduate student Cathy studied Florida history and culture under Drs. Gary Mormino and Ray Arsenault. Her research focused on the WPA’s Federal Writer’s Project Guide to the Southernmost State.

Cathy is a frequent lecturer at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Eckerd College. She’s president of the Gulfport Historical Society, speaks frequently for Wordier Than Thou, and volunteers as a municipal liaison with National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). Her non-writing resume includes giving tours at Walt Disney World, ground crew for an aerial banner towing company, kayak tour guide, sailboat crew, and stage managing local productions.

She lives in Gulfport with her fiancé, Barry, their two hound dogs, two cats who may or may not have a sugar addiction and, most likely, a frog the cats brought in as a present that no one has discovered yet. You can reach her at cathysalustri@icloud.com, at cathysalustri.com, or on various social media platforms as @cathysalustri.

The Southeast Sister Cities Reading Tour concept is simple. Our writers read in your town. Then your writers read in our town.

A group of Jacksonville authors visited St. Petersburg for the first event. In turn, a group of St. Pete authors will read in Jacksonville on April 7th. Everybody wins!

Visiting writers from St. Pete include: Tiffany Razzano, Cole Bellamy, Gloria Munoz, Wayne Lemmons, and Cathy Salustri. PLUS, hear Jacksonville poet Lynn Skapyak Harlin.

You won’t want to miss it!

Free and open to the public.

This event is co-presented by Wordier Than Thou and Scribbles, with thanks to Bab’s Lab. It is part of Public Art Week 2018 – Building a Better Community.

Public Art Week (PAW) is an annual, week-long initiative that celebrates Jacksonville’s public art and highlights the benefits that are created when investments are made in art that is accessible by all. It is led by the Cultural Council of Greater Jacksonville to encourage residents and visitors to explore and engage with works of art that comprise Jacksonville’s rapidly developing artistic and creative landscape. In addition to advancing the community’s awareness of and engagement with the City of Jacksonville’s official public art collection, PAW also showcases public art initiatives led by private entities and individuals.

PAW supports the Cultural Council’s role of ensuring broad accessibility and public engagement with the arts culturally, socially, educationally, and economically. It also supports the Cultural Council’s role of advocating for public and private financial support for Jacksonville’s arts and cultural sector.

Residents and visitors of Jacksonville are encouraged to explore their artistic side during Public Art Week by capturing images of their favorite murals, sculptures, mosaics, or memorials and then share them through social media. Remember to use #JAXPAW2018 when sharing your photos and tag the Cultural Council (@moreartculture).