A throwback Florida columnist, 46 years in the business, is retiring. Godspeed, Mr. Pitts Well, as Carol Burnett used to say, I’m so glad we had this time together. I’ve written about 1.6 million words as a columnist. This 600 or so will be the last. I’m retiring for a few reasons. One is that, while I’ve managed to squeeze out four novels between column deadlines, my dream was always to write books full time. I turned 65 in October, so if not now, when? Another reason is that a column, for me, at least, is an act of emotional investment — and I’m emotionally exhausted. They say you know when it’s time. That’s true. And it is. This is my last column. Good night, everybody. This is my last column. Good night, everybody. - Tampa Bay Times For more great content like this subscribe to the Tampa Bay Times app here:
