Prep students enrolled in Florida Literature, Creative Writing, Writing Strategies and Journalism classes enjoyed a visit by local journalist and author Patty Shillington, on Dec. 3.  Formerly a journalist for The Miami Herald, Shillington shared her latest literary endeavor — One Boy’s Dream:  The Story of Coral Gables.  Unlike typical historical accounts, the book provides a colorful, graphic history of the founding of Coral Gables.  Shillington shared her experience in writing the book, from researching the history of the City to the collaborative, long-distance process of putting it together with an artist from another country.  The hard-copy historical graphic book delighted students, as they perused the pages while the author offered a behind-the-scenes perspective of the inner-workings of the publishing world.

A Miami native, Shillington earned her journalism degree from the University of Florida, and, after working as a staff writer and editor for 20 years at The Miami Herald, now serves as a freelance writer, editor and writing coach.  She has edited a variety of historical books and collections, including Arva Moore Parks’ George Merrick:  Son of South Wind (University of Florida Press, 2015), Punto de Partida:  Stories of Truth of Hope (Human Services Coalition of Dade County, 2007); and Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal:  Balancing Justice (Centennial Press, 2007).  She has also worked on histories of Temple Beth Am and The Cushman School.