Author Carl Hiaasen to speak Tuesday at UF's Graham Center

February 26, 2010

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Carl Hiaasen, award-winning investigative journalist and best-selling author, has made his reputation on his thought-provoking analysis of Florida’s political and societal culture. This University of Florida alumnus will bring his trademark blend of insight and humor to UF’s Bob Graham Center for Public Service at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

Limited tickets are available for the “Carl on Florida” event. Visit the Graham Center Web site at www.bobgrahamcenter.ufl.edu for ticket and parking pass availability. This event will also be streamed live from the Web site on Tuesday.

Hiaasen has been widely quoted as saying: “The Sunshine State is a paradise of scandals teeming with drifters, deadbeats and misfits, drawn here by some dark primordial calling like demented trout. And you’d be surprised how many of them decide to run for public office.”

Held in the Pugh Hall Ocora, Hiaasen will be speaking extemporaneously on the events of the day. Following his talk, he will take questions from the audience.

Born and raised in Plantation, Fla., Hiaasen graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Florida. At 23, he joined The Miami Herald as a general assignment writer. He became part of the newspaper’s prize-winning investigative team in 1979, and started his regular column in 1985, which continues to appear in most Sunday editions of the Herald as well as in national syndication.

In the early 1980s, Hiaasen co-authored three mystery thrillers. His first independently written novel, “Tourist Season,” was published in 1986, and was deemed “one of the 10 best destination reads of all time” by GQ magazine.

Since then, Hiaasen has published nine others, including “Strip Tease,” “Skinny Dip” and “Nature Girl.” Hiaasen made his children’s book debut with “Hoot,” which was awarded a Newbery Honor and spent more than two years on The New York Times bestseller lists. For young readers he went on to write the best-selling “Flush” and last year’s “Scat.” Two of his novels, “Strip Tease” and “Hoot,” have been made into major motion pictures. “Kick Ass” and “Paradise Screwed” are collections of Hiaasen’s newspaper columns.

The London Observer has called Hiaasen “America’s finest satirical novelist,” while Janet Maslin of The New York Times has compared him to Preston Sturges, Woody Allen and S.J. Perelman.

The Graham Center provides students with opportunities to train for future leadership positions, meet policymakers and take courses in critical thinking, language learning and studies of world cultures. Its mission is to foster public leadership and solve issues related to the Americas and homeland security. It also serves as a magnet to attract distinguished scholars and speakers to Florida.