Episode 88: Carl Hiaasen - The Wordsmith

In 1953, Carl Hiaasen was born in Ft Lauderdale, Florida. A period
of time when kids could hang out in wooded areas chasing things
that kids chase. Many days were spent on bikes with fishing rods,
well before the boom of growth. Their fun house would soon be
transformed into parking lots and buildings, a solid reason for his
irreverent thoughts. He and his best friend, Bob Branham, soon
learned how to navigate around Biscayne Bay chasing their beloved
bonefish. “Carl always wrote," said Bob, and would test those
waters with a newsletter in school. His classmates liked it and the
fire was lit. Throughout his career he became a prolific author and
journalist. With thirty one books and forty six years at the Miami
Herald, he’d see it all as a writer. He’d amass numerous awards for
both skills sets. Two of his books, Hoot and Strip Tease, became
movies and Bad Monkey is now being adapted into a series for Apple
TV. When I asked the great Tom McGuane to speak of Carl’s work he
said, "Carl Hiaasen is a great American writer, a comic genius and
fearless journalist. He has made South Florida a world map of human
folly, malicious schemes and indifference to the common good. In
his novels there’s usually a decent survivor of this milieu to
remind us that it doesn’t have to be this way, that there is hope,
and that constant vigilance against the insane and corrupt is an
indispensable tool for life in America.” Carl grew up fishing as
often as he could, usually with his good friend Bob Branham. They
both became two of some of the best bone fishermen in the Keys.
Carl has won probably the most prestigious bonefish fly tournament
in the world, “The Fall Fly," six times, and won the Bonefish All
Tackle Tournament four times with good friend and guide, Capt. Tim
Klein. The trump card is that Carl Hiaasen is one of the kindest
people you’ll ever meet! We hope you enjoy this remarkable man’s
story...