Carl Hiaasen

Carl Hiaasen‘s new novel Squeeze Me is a hilarious new novel of social and political intrigue, set against the glittering backdrop of Florida’s gold coast.

Carl was born and raised in Florida, where he still lives with his family. A graduate of the University of Florida, at age 23 he joined The Miami Herald as a general assignment reporter and went on to work for the newspaper’s weekly magazine and prize-winning investigations team. Today his column appears on most Sundays in The Herald’s opinion-and-editorial section, and may be viewed online at www.herald.com.

Carl began writing novels in early 1980s with his good friend and fellow journalist, William D. Montalbano. Together they wrote three mystery thrillers – Powder Burn, Trap Line and Death in China – which borrowed heavily from their reporting experiences. Tourist Season, published in 1986, was Carl’s first solo novel. Since then, he has published Double Whammy, Skin Tight, Native Tongue and nine national bestsellers – Strip Tease, Stormy Weather, Lucky You, Sick Puppy, Basket Case, Skinny Dip, Nature Girl, Star Island and Bad Monkey. All the novels are set in Florida.

Carl is also the author of several popular novels for young readers: Hoot, which won a Newbery Honor, Flush, Scat and, most recently, Skink – No Surrender, which introduces one of the wildest characters in his adult books to a teen audience. He has also written two nonfiction books. The first, Team Rodent, is a wry but unsparing rant against the Disney empire and its grip on American culture. In 2008 came The Downhill Lie, which chronicles his ill-advised return to the sport of golf after a “much-needed” 32-year hiatus. He has also published three collections of his newspaper columns, Kick Ass, Paradise Screwed and Dance of the Reptiles.

For his journalism and commentary, Hiaasen has received numerous honors, including the Damon Runyon Award from the Denver Press Club and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. His nonfiction work has appeared in many magazines, including Sports Illustrated, Playboy, Time, Esquire and Gourmet.

Dave Barry was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his syndicated newspaper column, which appeared in more than 500 newspapers. He has also written more than 30 books, including the novels Big Trouble, Lunatics, Tricky Business and, most recently, Insane City. Dave’s most recent books are Best. State. Ever.: A Florida Man Defends His Homeland,  Lessons From Lucy: The Simple Joys of an Old, Happy Dog and A Field Guide To The Jewish People, which he co-wrote with his friends Adam Mansbach and Alan Zweibel.

Get ready to join Carl in conversation, Tuesday, September 8th.

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