2026 Fall Read: Wind & Weather
From the whisper of the wind to the fury of a blizzard, weather has shaped life on the High Plains—and the stories we tell about it.
Florida
by Lauren Groff
Every place has its own weather, and every landscape leaves its mark on the people who live there. While the High Plains are shaped by wind, wide horizons, and sudden storms, Florida is a place of heat, humidity, lush landscapes, and the ever-present possibility of hurricanes. In Lauren Groff's acclaimed collection of short stories, weather is never just a backdrop. It influences how people live, what they fear, what they hope for, and how they understand home.
Groff's stories are sometimes funny, sometimes unsettling, and always deeply human. Her characters navigate relationships, family, loneliness, resilience, and change while living in a place where nature is both beautiful and unpredictable. Readers on the High Plains may recognize something familiar. Although our storms are different, weather has a way of shaping our routines, our memories, and even our sense of who we are.
Our discussion leader, Martin Fulmer, is Assistant Professor of English at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, where he teaches composition, creative writing, British literature, and American literature. An accomplished fiction writer, his work has appeared in Story Quarterly, Burrow Press Review, Story South, and other literary journals.
Martin's academic journey began in biology before leading him to creative writing and literature—a path that reflects both careful observation and a deep appreciation for storytelling. Having lived and taught from the Gulf Coast to the Oklahoma Panhandle, he brings a unique perspective to Lauren Groff's work. He understands that landscape is never simply scenery. It shapes memory, identity, and the stories people tell about themselves and one another.
Whether we experience hurricanes along the coast or prairie winds on the High Plains, weather becomes part of the places we love and the lives we build there. Florida reminds us that climate is more than a setting—it is part of every story.
Great books. Good conversations.
