Kevin John Brockmeier (born December 6, 1972) is an American writer of fantasy and literary fiction . His best known work is The Brief History of the Dead , 2006.
60-724: Brockmeier was born in Hialeah, Florida and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas . He is a graduate of Parkview Arts and Science Magnet High School (1991) and Southwest Missouri State University (1995). He taught at the Iowa Writers' Workshop , where he received his MFA in 1997, and lives in Little Rock. His short stories have been printed in numerous publications and he has published two collections of stories, two children's novels, and two fantasy novels. Brockmeier has won three O. Henry Prizes ,
120-571: A 125–140 g ball covered with goatskin that traveled at 302 km/h (188 mph), performed by José Ramón Areitio at the Newport, Rhode Island Jai Alai, until it was broken by Canadian 5-time long drive champion Jason Zuback on a 2007 episode of Sport Science with a golf ball speed of 328 km/h (204 mph). The sport can be dangerous, as the ball travels at high velocities. It has led to injuries that caused players to retire and fatalities have been recorded in some cases. Jai alai
180-417: A bill that changed the rules regarding the operation and wagering of poker in a parimutuel facility such as a jai alai fronton and a greyhound and horseracing track. The bill became law on August 6, 2003. In the mid-to-late 20th century, games could draw 5,000 spectators, a figure that fell to as few as 50 by 2017. Today, only two frontons remain open in the state. One is operated by Jai Alai World at
240-719: A brief and popular stint in Las Vegas with the opening of a fronton at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino ; however, by the early 1980s, the fronton was losing money and was closed by MGM Grand owner Kirk Kerkorian . The MGM Grand in Reno also showcased jai alai for a very short period (1978–1980). During the late 1960s, in addition to North Miami Amateur, at least one other amateur court from International Amateur Jai-Alai in South Miami professional players emerged at World Jai-Alai, regarded as
300-436: A deal to allow for two calendar seasons of racing. The races went on all the way until February 2, 2010. Only a portion of the park has been restored, and an additional $ 30 million will be needed to complete this first phase of the project. The full transformation is expected to cost $ 1 billion since the plan includes a complete redevelopment of the surrounding area including the construction of an entertainment complex to include
360-498: A greyhound race track, which struggled financially, and closed in 2005. The fronton at Newport Jai Alai in Newport, Rhode Island was built on the site of the city dump, opening in May 1976. Jai-alai playing ended in 2003 at which point the facility was converted into Newport Grand, a slot machine and video lottery terminal parlor, which closed permanently in August 2018. Jai alai enjoyed
420-458: A hotel, restaurants, casinos, stores and a theater. In June 2010 concerns were raised over the preservation of Hialeah Park's historical status, as the planned development threatens to hurt Hialeah Park's status as a National Historic Landmark . The City of Hialeah is home to three tennis centers, five public swimming pools and aquatic centers, and more than 14 public parks totaling more than 100 acres (0.40 km ) combined. Milander Park features
480-513: A municipal auditorium and a 10,000 seat football stadium. Amelia Earhart Park also serves the Hialeah community. Located just south of the Opa Locka Airport, the park consists of 515 acres, including a five-acre Bark Park for dogs. It offers a variety of amenities, programs and activities including mountain biking, soccer, Tom Sawyer's Play Island and Bill Graham Farm Village. It also houses
540-586: A poor conservative country and the new generation of players were influenced by leftist Basque nationalism . The owners, however, offered the same terms and substituted with inexperienced locals, while the world-class stars picketed the courts for years. The public did not notice the change. The strike ended with an agreement, and later strikes were placated with salary rises. Meanwhile, Native American casinos and state lotteries had appeared as an alternative to jai-alai betting. The first fronton in Florida opened at
600-466: A population of 1,500 in 1925, Hialeah has grown faster than most of the 10 larger cities in the state of Florida since the 1960s and holds the rank of Florida's sixth-largest city, with more than 224,000 residents. The city is also one of the largest employers in Dade County. In January 2009, Forbes magazine listed Hialeah as one of the most “boring” (which Forbes defined by low media presence) cities in
660-658: A recreation center for the city's working class. Jai alai was played in Manila at the Manila Jai Alai Building , one of the most significant Art Deco buildings in Asia that was demolished in 2000 by the Manila city government. Earlier in 1986, jai alai was banned nationwide because of problems with game fixing . However, jai alai returned to the country in March 2010. In 2011, jai-alai
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#1732852503651720-675: A sample of what life should be like." Several waves of Cuban exiles, starting after the Cuban Revolution in 1959 and continuing through to the Freedom Flights from 1965 to 1973, the Mariel boatlift in 1980, and the Balseros or boat people of the late 1990s, created what at least one expert has considered the most economically successful immigrant enclave in U.S. history as Hialeah is the only American industrial city that continues to grow. From
780-467: A school that, in 1972, produced the greatest American pelotari, Joey Cornblit. Retired players visited and played as well as highly skilled amateurs, pros from Miami Jai-Alai and various other professional frontons operating at the time. The additions of the South Miami, North Miami, Orbea , and, later, the Milford amateur courts are generally considered to be the golden age of the amateur jai-alai player and
840-666: Is a city in Miami-Dade County, Florida , United States. With a population of 223,109 as of the 2020 census , Hialeah is the sixth-largest city in Florida. It is the second largest city by population in the Miami metropolitan area of South Florida , which was home to an estimated 6,198,782 people at the 2018 census. It is located west-northwest of Miami , and is one of a few places in the county—others being Homestead , Miami Beach, Surfside, Bal Harbour, Sunny Isles Beach, and Golden Beach —to have its own street grid numbered separately from
900-566: Is a popular sport within the Latin American countries and the Philippines due to its Hispanic influence. It was one of the two gambling sports from Europe, the other being horse racing, in the semi-colonial Chinese cities of Shanghai and Tianjin , and was shut down after the communist victory there. The jai alai arena in Tianjin's former Italian Concession was then confiscated and turned into
960-613: Is also often loosely applied to the fronton (the open-walled playing area) where matches take place. The game, whose name means "merry festival" in Basque, is called zesta-punta ("basket tip") in the Basque Country . The sport is played worldwide, but especially in Spain , France , the U.S. state of Florida , and in various Latin American countries. The court for jai alai consists of walls on
1020-407: Is called "Spectacular Seven" or "Spectacular Nine" scoring if the games are played to nine points. The players frequently attempt a "chula" shot, where the ball is played off the front wall then reaches the bottom of the back wall by the end of its arc. The "chula" is when the ball rebounds low off the back wall with very little to no bounce, almost rolling along the floor. Since there is no wall on
1080-400: Is divided by 14 parallel lines going horizontally across the court, with line 1 closest to the front wall and line 14 the back wall. In doubles, each team consists of a frontcourt player and a backcourt player. The game begins when the frontcourt player of the first team serves the ball to the second team. The winner of each point stays on the court to meet the next team in rotation. Losers go to
1140-531: Is located within Florida's 26th Congressional District. It is currently represented in the House of Representatives by Mario Díaz-Balart , a Republican . A 2005 study by the nonpartisan Bay Area Center for Voting Research (BACVR) ranked Hialeah, Florida as the fourth most conservative city in the United States. The current mayor of Hialeah is Esteban Bovo . As of 2020, Hialeah leaned towards Republican politics. In
1200-468: Is water. According to the Köppen climate classification , Hialeah has a tropical monsoon climate ( Am ). As of the 2020 United States census , there were 223,109 people, 76,459 households, and 56,047 families residing in the city. In 2015 through 2016, the population in Hialeah grew from 234,714 to 235,626, a 0.4% increase. The median household income grew from $ 29,249 to $ 29,817, a 1.9% increase. As of
1260-564: The 2010 United States census , there were 224,669 people, 73,826 households, and 56,896 families residing in the city. In 2010, Hialeah was the tenth-largest city in the United States among cities with a population density of more than 10,000 people per square mile . As of 2000, 36.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 17.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.7% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who
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#17328525036511320-551: The 2016 United States presidential election in Florida each of the two major candidates received about half of the vote. For the 2020 United States presidential election in Florida about two thirds of residents of Hialeah voted for Trump. Miami-Dade County Public Schools serves Hialeah. Two high schools serving the Hialeah community, Mater Academy Charter High School and Miami Lakes Tech , were named as "Silver" award winners in U.S. News & World Report ' s "Best High Schools 2008 Search". Hialeah's public library
1380-488: The Miami Metrorail , Tri-Rail , and Amtrak at: Metrorail: Tri-Rail: Amtrak: "All Ways Lead to Hialeah" was one of the city's first slogans. At the time, Glenn Curtiss and James Bright could not have imagined the important link in the transportation chain provided by Hialeah's location. Sitting in the heart of northwest Dade, Hialeah has access to several major thoroughfares, linked by: In November 2023,
1440-456: The 1970s, waning as other gambling options became available. In Connecticut , there were frontons in Hartford , Milford , and Bridgeport all of which have permanently closed. The Milford fronton opened in May 1977 and closed in 2001. The fronton at Hartford opened in the summer of 1976 and closed in 1995 The Bridgeport fronton opened in 1976 and ended jai alai in 1995. It was converted to
1500-718: The Chicago Tribune's Nelson Algren Award for Short Fiction, Italo Calvino Short Fiction Award, the Booker Worthen Literary Prize, and the Porter Fund Literary Prize . For more information on individual stories, see Things That Fall from the Sky Hialeah, Florida Hialeah ( / ˌ h aɪ ə ˈ l iː ə / HY -ə- LEE -ə ; Latin American Spanish: [xaʝaˈli.a] )
1560-790: The Daytona Intl. Speedway, and Big Bend Jai-Alai in Quincy. It was played seasonally at Fort Pierce Jai-Alai in Fort Pierce, Ocala Jai-Alai in Reddick, and Jasper Jai-Alai in Hamilton. One Florida fronton, in Melbourne , was converted from jai alai to greyhound racing, although it later closed. In an effort to prevent the closure of frontons in Florida, the Florida State Legislature passed HB 1059,
1620-594: The Hialeah City Council voted to rename Palm Avenue as President Donald J. Trump Avenue, causing major controversy. Jai alai Jai alai ( / ˈ h aɪ . ə l aɪ / HYE -ə-lye : [ˈxai aˈlai] ) is a Basque sport involving bouncing a ball off a walled-in space by accelerating it to high speeds with a hand-held wicker , commonly referred to as a cesta . It is a variation of Basque pelota . The term jai alai , coined by Serafin Baroja in 1875,
1680-743: The Jai Alai World website. Jai Alai World also host special jai alai events include the U.S. Jai Alai Championship and World Super Court. In 2022, BetRivers became a sponsor and began taking wagers from users outside Florida. The second operational fronton is located at The Casino @ Dania Beach will commence its next session of jai alai on November 29, 2024, with the Third Annual Dania Beach Invitational Tournament. Professional Jai-Alai frontons no longer exist in Connecticut and Rhode Island, where they first opened in
1740-461: The Magic City Casino northwest of downtown Miami . The fronton offers two kinds of games: the traditional parimutuel game, in which eight contestants compete for win, place and show finishes; and "battle court," in which players participate in singles and doubles matches, akin to tennis , and accumulate points as in a dual meet . Matches are played with rubber balls and streamed online from
1800-538: The Tri-Rail station for Miami International Airport and north to West Palm Beach . The city's name is most commonly attributed to Muskogee origin, "Haiyakpo" ( prairie ) and "hili" (pretty) combining in "Hialeah" to mean "pretty prairie". Alternatively, the word is of Seminole origin meaning "Upland Prairie". The city is located upon a large prairie between Biscayne Bay and the Everglades . This "high prairie" caught
1860-584: The United States was located in St. Louis, Missouri, operating around the time of the 1904 World's Fair. From 1988–1991, the International Jai-Alai Players Association held the longest strike in American professional sport . After the 1988 season, the players, 90% of them Basque, returned home and threatened not to come back unless the owners improved their work conditions. Spain was no longer
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1920-552: The United States. The approximate coordinates for the City of Hialeah is located at 25°51′38″N 80°17′38″W / 25.86056°N 80.29389°W / 25.86056; -80.29389 (25.860474, –80.293971). According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 19.7 square miles (51 km ). 19.2 square miles (50 km ) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km ) of it (2.53%)
1980-442: The art murals, polished terrazzo floors, and new sculptures. The library hosts a print collection, digital resources, and a Hialeah History Collection which collects, preserves and provides access to information about the City of Hialeah's history. In 2013, Hialeah was named a top five city with the worst drivers by Slate and Allstate . Hialeah is served by Miami-Dade Transit along major thoroughfares by Metrobus , and by
2040-472: The assistance of the city of St. Petersburg and private funding from Jeff Conway (Laca). In addition to the amateur court in St. Petersburg, The American Jai-Alai Foundation offers lessons. Its president, Victor Valcarce, was a pelotari at Dania Jai-Alai (MAGO) and was considered the best "rubber ball" player in the world. Sponsored in North Miami Beach, Florida which was once owned by World Jai-Alai as
2100-445: The demands of the local community. Supermarkets operate on the city's main streets including those which cater to Latin American and Hispanic clientele. While most of the manufacturing and cloth industries that made Hialeah an industrial city in the 1970s–1980s have disappeared, new electronics and technology businesses have reinvigorated the local economy. Westland Mall contains over 100 stores and several restaurants. Telemundo ,
2160-499: The end of the line to await another turn on the court. The first team to score 7 points (or 9 in Superfecta games) wins. The next highest scores are awarded "place" (second) and "show" (third) positions, respectively. Playoffs decide tied scores. The most common American version of the game of jai alai game is played in round robin format, usually between eight teams of two players each or eight single players, although in rare instances
2220-537: The eye of pioneer aviator Glenn Curtiss and Missouri cattleman James H. Bright in 1921. Together, they developed not only the town of Hialeah but also Hialeah Park Race Track . In 1921, the first plat was drawn up, and the town was named. In the early "Roaring '20s", Hialeah produced significant entertainment contributions. Sporting included the Spanish sport of jai alai and greyhound racing, and media included silent movies like D.W. Griffith 's The White Rose which
2280-411: The first American pelotari who turned pro in 1968 and enjoyed a lengthy career. In the 1970s and early 1980s, Orbea's Jai-Alai in Hialeah featured four indoor courts. Two of the courts played with hard rubber balls ("pelota de goma") were shorter than a standard court (75 and 90 feet (23 and 27 m), respectively) and used for training players and amateur leagues. In addition, two courts were played with
2340-433: The floor. The ball is then in play. The ball used in jai alai is hand crafted and consists of wound virgin rubber strands tightly wound together and then wrapped in 2 layers of goat skin. Once the ball is in play, the other team must catch and return it before it bounces twice. The process of catching and throwing must be completed in one fluid motion with no "juggling" or "holding" of the ball. The ball may be caught either on
2400-412: The fly or after bouncing once on the floor but cannot bounce twice. A team scores a point if an opposing player: The team scoring a point remains in the court and the opposing team rotates off the court to the end of the list of opponents. Points usually double after the first round of play, once each team has played at least one point. When a game is played with points doubling after the first round, this
2460-519: The front, back and left, and the floor between them. If the ball (called a pelota in Spanish , pilota in Standard Basque ) touches the floor outside these walls, it is considered out of bounds. Similarly, there is also a border on the lower 3 feet (0.9 m) of the front wall that is also out of bounds. The ceiling on the court is usually very high, so the ball has a more predictable path. The court
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2520-631: The highest proportion of Cuban and Cuban-American residents of any city in the United States, at 84.1% of the population, making them a prominent feature of the city's culture. In 2023, 89.5% of residents reported speaking Spanish at home, and the language is an important part of daily life in the city. Hialeah is served by the Miami Metrorail at the Okeechobee , Hialeah , and Tri-Rail/Metrorail Transfer stations. The Okeechobee and Hialeah stations serve primarily as park-and-ride commuter stations for commuters and residents going into Downtown Miami , and
2580-484: The history of Dade County up to that time and since then there have been countless horse racing histories played out at the world-famous 220-acre (0.89 km ) park. It was considered one of the most grand thoroughbred horse racing parks with its majestic Mediterranean style architecture and was considered the Jewel of Hialeah at the time. The park's grandeur has attracted millions, included among them are names known around
2640-401: The median income for a household in the city was $ 29,492, and the median income for a family was $ 31,621. Males had a median income of $ 23,133 versus $ 17,886 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 12,402. About 16.0% of families and 18.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 22.4% of those age 65 or over. As of 2022, 89.5% of
2700-675: The new Miami Watersports Complex, which offers cable and boat wakeboarding, waterskiing, wake surfing, kneeboarding and paddleboarding. Starting in 2022 the city has worked on developing the "Leah Arts district" centered around the Factory Town concert venue including bars, music venues, and other entertainment themed businesses. The University of Florida College of Dentistry operates the Hialeah Dental Clinic. It opened in 1997 to serve Hispanic populations in South Florida. Hialeah
2760-566: The population spoke Spanish at home, while those who spoke only English made up 9.0% of the population. All other languages spoken were below 1% of the population. The city of Hialeah is a commercial center in Miami-Dade County . The city is host to many national retailers . Hialeah is also home to vibrant community of mom-and-pop stores. These shops have successfully competed against national name brand retailers, outfitters, and franchises. In order to remain competitive national businesses have altered their traditional business strategy to meet
2820-497: The regulation pelota (hardball / "pelota dura"), one short in length (115 feet (35 m)) and one regulation length (150 feet (46 m)). Orbea's also sold equipment such as cestas and helmets. The first public amateur jai alai facility was in Milford CT and owned by Charlie Hernandez. Future frontons were built in the United States, including one in 2008 in St. Petersburg , Florida, with
2880-462: The rest of the county (which is otherwise based on Miami Avenue at Flagler Street in Downtown Miami , the county seat ). The city is notable for its high Hispanic proportion, which was 94% in 2020; this was the second-highest proportion of Hispanic Americans in the contiguous United States, and the highest proportion among incorporated communities outside of Puerto Rico. Hialeah also has
2940-403: The right side, all jai alai players must play right-handed (wear the cesta on their right hand), as the spin of a left-handed throw would give a tremendous advantage to the left handed player due to the incredible amount of spin. The Basque government promotes jai alai as "the fastest sport in the world" because of the speed of the ball. The sport once held the world record for ball speed with
3000-776: The second largest Spanish-language TV network in the United States, was headquartered at 2340 West 8th Avenue in Hialeah until 2018. In March 2009, it was announced that a $ 40–$ 90 million restoration project was set to begin within the year on the Hialeah Park Race Track . On May 7, 2009, the Florida legislature agreed to a deal with the Seminole Tribe of Florida that allowed Hialeah Park to operate slot machines and run Quarter Horse races. The historic racetrack reopened on November 28, 2009, but only for Quarter Horse races. The park installed slot machines in January 2010 as part of
3060-486: The site of Hialeah Race Course near Miami in 1924. The fronton was relocated to its present site in Miami near Miami International Airport . The Miami Jai-Alai Fronton was the biggest in the world with a record audience of 15,502 people on 27 December 1975. Besides the fronton in Miami, there were at one at least 10 other jai alai frontons in the state. The Tampa Jai Alai fronton opened in 1952 and operated until 1998. It
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#17328525036513120-426: The teams may consist of three players each or triples. The first team to score 7 or 9 points wins the game. Two of the eight teams are in the court for each point. The server on one team must bounce the ball behind the serving line, then with the cesta "basket" hurl it towards the front wall so it strikes the front wall first and if it is not caught by the other team before it bounces, must bounce between lines 4 and 7 on
3180-448: The world in 1937. While Hialeah was once envisioned as a playground for the elite, Cuban exiles fleeing Fidel Castro 's 1959 revolution, as well as World War II veterans and city planners, transformed the city into a working-class community. Hialeah historian Patricia Fernández-Kelly explained, "It became an affordable Eden." She further describes the city as "a place where different groups have left their imprint while trying to create
3240-568: The world such as the Kennedy family , Harry Truman , General Omar Bradley , Winston Churchill , and J.P. Morgan . The Hialeah Park Race Track also holds the dual distinction of being an Audubon Bird Sanctuary due to its famous pink flamingos and being listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The famous aviator Amelia Earhart in 1937 said her final good-byes to the continental U.S. from Hialeah as she left on her ill-fated flight around
3300-444: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.15 and the average family size was 3.39. In 2000, the age distribution of the population showed 23.0% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 29.4% from 25 to 44, 22.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males. In 2000,
3360-504: Was briefly shut down in the province of Pangasinan when it was found to have links to illegal jueteng gambling, but it was resumed after a court order. In the United States, jai alai enjoyed some popularity as a gambling alternative to horse racing , greyhound racing , and harness racing , and was particularly popular in Florida and Connecticut, where the game was used as a basis for parimutuel betting . The first jai alai fronton in
3420-443: Was founded by Ms. Lua Adams Curtiss, who was the late mother of the famous aviator Glenn Curtiss. The club asked for donations to get the library started and was fortunate enough to receive enough to get the system started. The latest branch, John F. Kennedy Library is now the main library for Hialeah and is easily recognizable for its grand murals. In 2017, the branch set out to renovate the entire library and they added new furniture,
3480-530: Was founded in 1924, one year prior to the incorporation of the city. While over the years the county-wide Miami-Dade Public Library System has taken over the libraries of most of the cities in the county, Hialeah public libraries function independently from the county-wide system. The first branch was a donation by the Hialeah Women's Club. It was actually located in the house of one of the Hialeah Women's Club's home. The home of Ms. J Sommers Garwood. The club
3540-568: Was located on South Dale Mabry Highway on land that now hosts a Home Depot. The seating capacity of the fronton was around 4,000. Dania Jai Alai phased out professional jai alai in November 2021. It has a "Hall of Fame" that documents the best front- and back-court players. Jai-alia was also played at Palm Beach Jai-Alai in West Palm Beach, Orlando Jai-Alai in Casselberry, Daytona Jai-Alai at
3600-507: Was made at the Miami Movie Studios located in Hialeah. However, the 1926 Miami hurricane brought many of these activities to an end. In the years since its incorporation in 1925, many historical events and people have been associated with Hialeah. The opening of the horse racing course at Hialeah Park Race Track in 1925 (which was nicknamed the "Grand Dame") received more coverage in the Miami media than any other sporting event in
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