Patrick Davis Smith (1927–2014) was an American author known for historical fiction vividly portraying Florida’s cultural and environmental history. His works were nominated multiple times for the Pulitzer and Nobel Prize in Literature, earning him induction into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame (1999.)
Born in D’Lo, Mississippi, Smith earned a B.A. (1947) and M.A. (1959) in English from the University of Mississippi. He worked in public relations before transitioning to full-time writing, focusing on Florida’s pioneers, Seminole culture, and social issues.
His début novel, The River is Home (1953,) explores life along the Pearl River in Mississippi. He gained recognition with Forever Island (1973,) depicting a Seminole elder’s struggle against land development, followed by Allapattah (1979,) another Seminole-focused novel. His Angel City (1978,) about migrant labor exploitation, was adapted into a CBS movie (1980.)
Smith’s most celebrated work, A Land Remembered (1984,) chronicles three generations of a Florida pioneer family, winning the Florida Historical Society’s Tebeau Prize. His later works include The Seas That Mourn (2003,) a Merchant Marine saga, and A White Deer and Other Stories (2007.)
More: Wikipedia • READ: Works by Patrick D. Smith
All I’m trying to tell you is to be strong. Don’t ever let nothing get you down. Don’t be afraid or ashamed to love, or to grieve when the thing you love is gone. Just don’t let it throw you, no matter how much it hurts.
—Patrick D. Smith
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