Gloria Jahoda (October 6, 1926-January 13, 1980) was an author of fiction and non-fiction, including literature for young readers. She is best known for her journalistic history of Floridian folk culture in the 1960s. Jahoda, in her book The Other Florida, presents a collection of essays about parts of north-central Florida which were, by the late 1960s, largely neglected or at least not written about by historians. Her essays include a description of Dr. John Gorrie's quest to make ice in the Florida Panhandle, the story of Natural Bridge where the Confederate Army had their final victory, the inspiration composer Fredrick Delius received from Black native music in Florida and various local fishermen, turpentine tappers, preachers, and other characters whose rural lives defined the area for generations. Jahoda also included hundreds of descriptions of flora and fauna in the book.
Jahoda is also the author of Annie, Delilah's Mountain (novels) Trail of Tears and The Road to Samarkand: Frederick Delius and His Music. Her River of the Golden Ibis, part of the Rivers of America Series, was voted "Best History Book" in 1973 by the Society of Midland Authors. She was a native of Chicago and was educated at Northwestern University where she took a BA in English and an MS in Anthropology. She came to Florida in 1963 when her husband, Gerald Jahoda, was appointed professor of Library Science at the Florida State University. In 1973, Jahoda was honoured by the Florida Senate and was also awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of West Florida for her services to Floridian culture and history as a writer and advocate.
Contents |