Cigar City: A Creative Enclave of the 1980s

Cigar City: Tales From a 1980s Creative Ghetto is a collection of linked short stories that capture the spirit of Ybor City, Tampa, during the 1980s. The collection is illustrated with photos from the era by Bud Lee and David Audet.

Drawn by urban authenticity and cheap rents, young artists, writers, poets, musicians, and actors inhabited Ybor City in the 1980s, creating a surreal, chaotic arts scene set against the backdrop of the empty cigar factories and shotgun shacks of Tampa's immigrant past. Ybor City drew international artists like James Rosenquist and Jim Dine, mirroring the artistic scene that was happening in New York's Alphabet City.

The stories in the collection are fictional, but they provide a vivid depiction of the district during that time. The young creatives who flocked to Ybor City were driven by the allure of urban authenticity and affordable living, and they went on to establish a vibrant, eclectic arts community in the midst of the abandoned factories and humble dwellings that characterized the area's immigrant heritage.

The collection offers a glimpse into the dynamic, unconventional world that thrived in Ybor City during the 1980s, a time when the district served as a hub for a diverse array of artists, writers, and performers. The stories capture the energy, chaos, and innovation that defined the local creative scene, painting a portrait of a unique and captivating cultural landscape.

Through the use of evocative imagery and a rich, textured narrative, Cigar City: Tales From a 1980s Creative Ghetto transports readers to the heart of Ybor City's artistic renaissance, immersing them in the sights, sounds, and experiences that defined this remarkable period in the district's history. The collection serves as a testament to the enduring creative spirit that thrived in this vibrant urban setting, a testament to the power of community, innovation, and the pursuit of artistic expression.

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