BOAORKT S
PAUL WILBORN’S
Remembrances of Ybor
By Aaron R. Fodiman
Paul Wilborn’s new book, Cigar City, Tales from a 1980s Creative
Ghetto, should be easy for me to write about since I’ve known
Paul from his days as a reporter and as a performer with his Pop
Tarts musical group. Paul was a trustworthy friend and the only
reporter to whom I would give a business story when the Kapok Tree
Restaurant closed in 1991.
Paul, who was raised in Tampa and later became a Knight-Wallace
Fellow at the University of Michigan, began his writing career at the
Tampa Tribune, where he remained until he was spirited away to the
St. Petersburg Times. He eventually headed west to Los Angeles, California
to work for the Associated Press. When former Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio
asked Paul to return home to help her grow cultural arts, he came back
to Tampa, bringing film actor Eugenie Bondurant with him. The two
were married here in 2004.
Since leaving his position with the City of Tampa, Paul has been
operating the Palladium Theater at St. Petersburg College as its executive
director. He also entertains with songs and stories at the piano in venues
such as American Stage and Studio@620 in St. Petersburg, writes for
Stageworks in Tampa, and produces plays for the Off-Center Theater
and Radio Theater Project in St. Petersburg.
Paul is a gregarious character with a quick wit and many talents, so I knew even before I picked up
his book that I would enjoy it. Cigar City is pure Paul – clever, entertaining and meaningful. He claims
its nine short stories are not true, but rather works of fiction. That may be so, but the background of Ybor
City Paul depicts is from pure memory. If you were never in Ybor during this period, Paul’s writing paints
a vivid picture of those who were. If you were there, you will probably recognize some of the characters.
Perhaps the only things more realistic than his settings are his dialogues. Paul has a remarkable ear for
what is said and how it is said. It is as though you were there those many years ago as a fly on the wall,
hearing what real people sounded like before the arrival of political correctness. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: Paul Wilborn’s Cigar City, Tales from a 1980s Creative Ghetto was published by St. Petersburg
Press and can be purchased at amazon.com and at area book sellers.
POEMS OF LOVE
Larry Jaffe is an internationally known award-winning writer,
author and poet. He uses his talent to promote human rights
and to bring understanding to the world. Once the poetin
residence at the Autry Museum of Western Heritage in
Los Angeles, California, Larry now resides in Pinellas County.
He writes from the heart as he bares his soul. In Sirens – The Ultimate
Fight for Freedom, his fifth book of poetry, he celebrates life and love
with elegance and simplicity. 9
EDITOR’S NOTE: Larry Jaffe’s book of poems, Sirens – The Ultimate
Fight for Freedom, is available on amazon.com and at the family business,
The Scone Age Bakery & Cafe in Dunedin, (727) 216-3248.
JULY/AUGUST 2019 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 153