South Florida poets and writers share reflections on ‘wonder’ in new anthology

As we celebrate the holidays with family and friends, it’s heartening to think of the small joys and growth we’ve experienced.

A group of writers in South Florida has done just that in the new literary anthology called “Wonder.”

Connie Goodman-Milone, president Miami Poets, is one of the contributors. She is also a longtime member of the South Florida Writers Association. Her three short poems in the anthology are about the simplest of delights. There’s even one about a cat toy.

“As one who fully experiences joy and awe and wonder, I welcomed a chance to be a part of the ‘Wonder’ anthology,” Goodman-Milone said.

The project editors are Giancarlo Diago Cevallos and C.V. Shaw, and the contributing writers all have different perspectives on what wonder means to them.

Shaw and Diago Cevallos, who is also president of the South Florida Writers Association, said the answer may seem obvious.

“Maybe it is watching a flower bloom in your garden, or a baby in your family playing, getting your paycheck, or a loved one smiling after a hard day of therapy. However, none of the authors in this anthology agreed on a single answer, so we all wrote our own response to what we considered to be wonder,” they wrote.

The literary anthology includes nonfiction, poetry and fiction.

Contributors also include Jo Avent, Seth Bramson, Ricki Dorn, Kathy Grenier, Gail Tucker-Griffith, Jack G Hyman, K.C. Jones, Jazeta Malone, Marlene McLeary-Graham, Cara Muth, Amy Nicole Naim, Meg Nocero, J.C. Sang, Alexandra Someillan, and Cheyenne Thompson.

For Naim, who wrote about a woman arguing with the ghosts who haunt her, debating the highs and lows of her life have contributed to her wonder. McLeary-Graham wrote vignettes about people making the best of what they have in the hardest of times.

“Unfortunately, though, we also share our world with poverty, famine and war,” Diago Cevallos and Shaw wrote. “Though a person never becomes truly blind, the fog of conflict does obscure our ability to see wonders. In light of this, the proceeds for this book will go to charity.”

Contributing poet Grenier remembered the lessons of growing up.

“I was surrounded by nature on my father’s farm, entranced by the beauty and mystery around me. I felt that I was engulfed in a mysterious, magical world that had/has innumerable amazing, wondrous creations. As I grew up, I was literally surrounded by knowledge and, even though we were very poor, my father valued education and knowledge greatly.

“He said, ‘Education is the creator of all civilizations and the originator of all occupations’ and I saw/see and experienced the truth in that statement every day, everywhere,” Grenier said. “People that I’ve shared my words with seem to like them, and since I like them, too, that’s really enough for me.”

“Wonder, A Literary Anthology” was published Nov. 21, 2025 and is available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.

BELEN HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES ANNOUNCED

Tickets are now available for the March 2026 Belen Hall of Fame event that will honor nine distinguished people.

The Belen Jesuit Preparatory School will recognize members of the community “who have participated in, excelled within, strengthened, or continuously supported Belen, and who, through their personal and professional lives, embody the Jesuit ideals upheld by Belen Jesuit Preparatory School, El Colegio de Belén, and the Jesuit Schools of Cuba.”

Since 2022, 65 individuals have been inducted, and they include educators, Jesuits, physicians, architects, journalists, business leaders and philanthropists. The honorees represent lives of service, leadership, integrity and excellence.

The 2026 honorees are Alex Adams, class of 1985, business; Joaquín Albarrán, class of 1878, pioneering urologist in the late 19th-century; Alberto Arán, class of 1972, medical doctor; Eduardo García, class of 1987, business; Jorge L. Hernández, class of 1974, architect; Tom Llamas, class of 1997, journalist; Orlando Puente, class of 1971, medical doctor; Armando Rodríguez, beloved former Belen teacher and administrator; and Thomas Wenski, Archbishop of Miami.

You can make a ticket purchase for $150 per person, $40 for children ages 2-12. The event is 6:30 p.m., March 21, at the InterContinental Miami.

16 SCHOOLS EARN DISTINCTION

The Florida Purple Star School of Distinction Designation is a prestigious honor for schools that excel in supporting the needs of military families. The schools are devoted to assisting military connected students in overcoming challenges, and providing the essential resources that help them transition to a new school environment.

Sixteen Miami-Dade County public schools have earned the designation for their extensive support. This is in addition to the 13 schools awarded in 2024 which will retain their designation until 2027.

The 2025 recipients include: Coral Gables Senior High School, Cutler Bay Senior High School, Dr. Toni Bilbao Preparatory Academy, Hialeah Senior High School, Homestead Middle School, Laura C. Saunders Elementary School, Miami Beach Senior High School, Miami Carol City Senior High School, Miami Norland Senior High School, Miami Sunset Senior High School, North Miami Senior High School, Redland Middle School, South Dade Middle School, South Dade Senior High School, South Miami Senior High School, and Southwood Middle School.

The designation was established by the Florida Legislature in 2021.

Write to ChristinaMMayo@gmail.com with news for this column.