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Robert Plunket

By Cliff Roles, radio host 1220 AM Talk Of The Sun Coast,
     columnist, SCENE Magazine

     I've learned one very important rule since I've been writing in Sarasota - never, ever attempt to be as funny as Bob Plunket. Don't try to imitate his humor or counter his subtle jibes. You'll fail miserably.
     He's one of the few people in the world that can leave me speechless. That's particularly embarrassing if we're in the middle of a radio interview, of course. Don't tell him this, because it might go to his head, but I'm one of his biggest fans. We should call ourselves "Plunketeers": people like Pam Daniel, Kay Kipling, Kim Davis, Matt Orr, Marjorie North, AnythingArts' Rick & Christine, David and Myrna Band, Margaret and Bill Wise, Ron and Rita Greenbaum, the bar staff at the Ritz Carlton, the population of Papua New Guinea ... there are hundreds of thousands of adoring readers all over the world who owe their insanity to this man.
     He's a true Sarasota celebrity, no question. In the opening scene of the trailer to Martin Scorcese's 1985 film "After Hours," you'll see a young, heavily bearded Robert Plunket talking to Griffin Dunne. Really, you will. (see photo collage) And Madonna optioned the movie rights to one of his books, Love Junkie. Talking of books, the Washington Post called Bob's My Search For Warren Harding "one of the five funniest novels ever written in the United States." He also provided his own wry commentary in his book Walker Evans: Florida, in which "the American photographer Evans captured a unique look at Florida in 1941, revealing a wealth of contradictions in the nation's seaside vacationland."
     Robert Hercules Plunket was born in Greenville Texas, in Dr Crabbe's Clinic. But he was mostly raised in Latin America, and considers Mexico City his hometown. Bob has worked for Sarasota Magazine since he moved here from Manhattan in 1985. Back then the magazine was called "Clubhouse" and his column "Plunket's Place." He's an expert in real estate, an award-winning author, and a celebrated magazine columnist and bloggist. His columns and blogs Mr Chatterbox and Real-Estate Junkie are widely read and respected, so much so that he even has his own weekly real-estate TV slot on ABC7. His story two years ago about his experiences following a homeless man around Sarasota should be made compulsory syllabus in journalist colleges everywhere. He followed ASOLO Rep boss Michael Edwards around for a week in New York during "Tale of Two Cities" rehearsals, and if you ask him nicely he'll show you the copy of Michael's restraining order against him that he keeps in his wallet.
     Together with his pug Pee-Wee, Bob organizes the Sarasota Pug Parade, which brings about 500 pug-lovers from all over the country to our community every February. And before Jimmy Dean or Cliff Roles ever emceed a gala in Sarasota, the dream team of Bob Plunket, Carolyn Michel and Annette Sherman ruled the auction gavel.
     Bob has a new series starting in Sarasota Magazine's November issue: "Decorating Can Be Murder," in which he introduces Timothy Spryke to the world. Bob has created a whole persona around Timothy. He lived in a little town in Wisconsin all his life taking care of his elderly mother. When she passed away, Timothy fulfilled a lifelong dream by moving to Florida and opening a decorating business in Sarasota. As the series title suggests, every time Timothy goes to work on a project in the house of one of Sarasota's celebrities, he ends up having to step over corpses and solve a crime.
     In order to conduct his research and keep everything as true-to-life as possible, Bob will be visiting the homes of various well-known Sarasotans. Then, in true Plunket tongue-in-cheek style, Timothy will be revealing the owners' ghastly taste, disastrous color schemes, hideous furniture and accessories, and many other designer "faux pas" to the magazine readers, and in-between on his blog at SarasotaMagazine.com. You've guessed it: my house is one of the first on his list. And my wife is sharpening kitchen knives as I write.
     Why did he make Timothy an interior decorator? Bob P.: "It's the art form of Sarasota - that, and plastic surgery."
     Bob has engaged top illustrator Michael White, a teacher at Ringling College of Art and Design, to bring Timothy Spryke to life and develop his outfit, shoes, watch, glasses etc. Timothy will have his own blog and occupy a special section of SarasotaMagazine.com's website, which will offer product placement to potential advertisers, show Timothy's paint samples and fabric swatches, and allow readers to accompany him into the celebrity homes.
     Bob P: "In Chapter 2, Timothy bids on a county job and gets it: re-decorating Kathy Dent's house! And guess what he finds in the closet? 18,000 votes!"