This episode of Book Banter with Rayna takes you right into the buzz of a live event at Blue Cypress Books! We had the joy of sitting down with award-winning author Robert Fieseler to dive into his riveting new book, American Scare: Florida’s Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives. It was an unforgettable night of history, storytelling, and community.

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Robert W. Fieseler is a journalist investigating marginalized groups and a scholar excavating forgotten histories. A National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association "Journalist of the Year" and recipient of the Pulitzer Traveling Fellowship, his debut book Tinderbox won seven awards, including the Edgar Award, and his reporting has appeared in Slate, Commonweal, and River Teeth, among others. Fieseler graduated co-valedictorian from the Columbia Journalism School and is pursuing a PhD at Tulane University as a Mellon Fellow. His highly anticipated second book, American Scare: Florida's Hidden Cold War on Black and Queer Lives, has been declared a "masterwork" by ALA Booklist, and he lives with his husband on the gayest street in New Orleans.

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A vital exposé for both our history and our present day, American Scare tells the riveting story of how the Florida government destroyed the lives of Black and queer citizens in the twentieth century. Fieseler describes the heartbreaking ramifications for citizens of Florida whose lives were imperiled, profiling marginalized residents with compassion and a determination to bring their devasting experiences to light at last. A propulsive, human-centered drama, with fascinating insight into Florida politics, American Scare is a page-turning reckoning of our racist and homophobic past—and its chilling parallels to today.

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