A Florida native, Carl Hiaasen has been called “America’s finest satirical novelist” by The London Observer. He is known for his irreverent humor and the colorful characters that fill his bestselling adult novels and award-winning books for young readers.
His satirical humor also infuses his speaking engagements, which offer audiences wickedly funny and fiercely pointed tales about Florida, as well as incisive commentary on environmental issues, modern culture, and corruption.
From 1985 until 2021, Hiaasen wrote a column for The Miami Herald, covering everything from local issues like polluted rivers, the criminal justice system, and animal welfare, to national stories like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, the Trayvon Martin case, Bernie Madoff’s trial, and Florida’s presidential election woes. His sharp observations and eye-opening reporting have earned him three Pulitzer Prize nominations.
Hiaasen turned to writing novels in the 1980s, publishing his first solo novel, Tourist Season, in 1986. Among his novels for adults are 11 national bestsellers: Strip Tease, Stormy Weather, Lucky You, Sick Puppy, Basket Case, Skinny Dip, Nature Girl, Star Island, Bad Monkey, Razor Girl and Squeeze Me. Strip Tease was turned into a major motion picture starring Demi Moore and directed by Andrew Bergman. Squeeze Me, published in 2020, is largely set in Palm Beach, including at the “Winter White House” of a U.S. president with a most unnatural coiffure and a penchant for tanning beds.
Hiaasen is also responsible for several popular novels for young readers: His first, Hoot, won a Newbery Honor and was made into a feature film starring Brie Larson, Luke Wilson and Logan Lerman.
Hiaasen’s books have been published in 34 languages.
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.
About Jacksonville Area Legal Aid
Jacksonville Area Legal Aid is a nonprofit law firm focused on delivering economic, social, and housing justice to low-income and at-risk individuals and families on the First Coast.
If you are an attorney wanting to volunteer with probate and heirs property issues, contact JALA Pro Bono Director Aaron Irving, at (904) 356-8371, Ext. 363, or Aaron.Irving@jaxlegalaid.org.
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