Carl Hiaasen (; born March 12, 1953) is an American journalist and novelist. He began his career as a newspaper reporter and by the late 1970s had begun writing novels in his spare time, both for adults and for middle grade readers. Two of his novels have been made into feature films, and one has been made into a TV series. Hiaasen's adult novels are humorous crime thrillers set in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. They feature casts of eccentric, sometimes grotesque characters and satirize aspects of American popular culture. Many of the novels include themes related to environmentalism and political corruption in his native state.

Early life and education

The first of four children born to Odel and Patricia Hiaasen, Hiaasen was born in 1953 of Norwegian and Irish ancestry. Raised in Plantation, Florida, then a rural suburb of

Fort Lauderdale Fort Lauderdale ( ) is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and most populous city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it ...

, he started writing at age six when his father gave him a typewriter for Christmas. After graduating from Plantation High School in 1970, he entered

Emory University Emory University is a private university, private research university in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. It was founded in 1836 as Emory College by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory. Its main campu ...

, where he contributed satirical humor columns to the student newspaper '' The Emory Wheel''. In 1972, he transferred to the

University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...

, where he wrote for '' The Independent Florida Alligator''. Hiaasen graduated in 1974 with a degree in

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...

Journalism

Hiaasen was a reporter at '' TODAY'' ( Cocoa, Florida) for two years before being hired in 1976 by the ''

Miami Herald The ''Miami Herald'' is an American daily newspaper owned by McClatchy, The McClatchy Company and headquartered in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Founded in 1903, it is the fifth-largest newspaper in Florida, serving Miami-Dade, Broward County, Fl ...

'', where he worked for the city desk, Sunday magazine and award-winning investigative team. Hiaasen was a columnist for the newspaper from mid-1985 until he retired in March 2021. His columns have been collected in three published volumes, '' Kick Ass'' (1999''), Paradise Screwed'' (2001) and ''Dance of the Reptiles'' (2014), all edited by Diane Stevenson. His only brother was Rob Hiaasen, an editor and columnist at ''

The Capital ''The Capital'' (also known as ''Capital Gazette'' as its online nameplate and informally, while the Sunday edition is called ''The Sunday Capital'') is a daily newspaper published by Capital Gazette Communications in Annapolis, Maryland, to ...

'' newspaper in

Annapolis, Maryland Annapolis ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland. It is the county seat of Anne Arundel County and its only incorporated city. Situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east ...

, who was killed in the

mass shooting A mass shooting is a violent crime in which one or more attackers use a firearm to Gun violence, kill or injure multiple individuals in rapid succession. There is no widely accepted specific definition, and different organizations tracking su ...

at the newspaper's office on June 28, 2018. Carl Hiaasen's 1991 novel '' Native Tongue'' carries the dedication "For my brother Rob."

Novelist

After becoming a reporter, Hiaasen began writing novels in his spare time. The first three were co-authored with his friend and fellow journalist William Montalbano: ''Powder Burn'' (1981), ''Trap Line'' (1982), and ''A Death in China'' (1984). His first solo novel, '' Tourist Season'' (1986), featured a group of ragged eco-warriors who kidnap the

Orange Bowl The Orange Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Miami metropolitan area. Played annually since 1935 Orange Bowl, January 1, 1935, it is tied with the Sugar Bowl and the Sun Bowl as the second-oldest bowl games in ...

Queen in Miami. The book's main character was whimsically memorialized by

Jimmy Buffett James William Buffett (December 25, 1946 – September 1, 2023) was an American singer-songwriter, author, and businessman. He was known for his tropical rock sound and persona, which often portrayed a lifestyle described as "island escapis ...

in a song called "The Ballad of Skip Wiley", which appeared on his '' Barometer Soup'' album. Twenty-one of Hiaasen's novels and nonfiction books have been on the ''New York Times'' Best Seller lists. His work has been translated into 34 languages. In 2016, his novel '' Razor Girl'' was shortlisted for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize. An earlier Hiaasen novel, '' Strip Tease,'' was adapted into the 1996 feature film ''

Striptease A striptease is an erotic or exotic dance in which the performer gradually undresses, either partly or completely, in a seductive and sexually suggestive manner. The person who performs a striptease is commonly known as a "stripper", "exotic d ...

'' starring

Demi Moore Demi Gene Moore ( ; née Guynes; born November 11, 1962) is an American actress. After rising to prominence in the early 1980s, she became the world's highest-paid actress by 1995. List of awards and nominations received by Demi Moore, Her acc ...

and

Burt Reynolds Burton Leon Reynolds Jr. (February 11, 1936 – September 6, 2018) was an American actor most famous during the 1970s and 1980s. He became well known in television series such as ''Gunsmoke'' (1962–1965), '' Hawk'' (1966) and '' Dan Augus ...

. Another book, '' Bad Monkey,'' has been adapted into a series on

Apple TV Apple TV is a digital media player and a microconsole developed and marketed by Apple. It is a small piece of networking hardware that sends received media data such as video and audio to a TV or external display. Its media services include ...

. It stars Vince Vaughn and is written and executive produced by Bill Lawrence, who co-created ''

Ted Lasso ''Ted Lasso'' ( ) is an American sports film, sports comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Sudeikis, Bill Lawrence (TV producer), Bill Lawrence, Brendan Hunt, and Joe Kelly. It is based on a character Sudeikis portrayed in a series ...

''. The series began airing in August 2024. '' Bad Monkey'' has been renewed for a second season. Hiaasen's first venture into writing for younger readers was the 2002 novel '' Hoot'', which was named a

Newbery Medal The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...

honor book. It was adapted as a 2006 film of the same name (starring Logan Lerman, Brie Larson and Luke Wilson). The movie was written and directed by Wil Shriner.

provided songs for the soundtrack, and appeared in the role of Mr. Ryan, a middle school teacher. Hiaasen's subsequent children's novels are '' Flush''; '' Scat''; '' Chomp''; '' Skink - No Surrender'', which introduces one of his most popular adult characters to younger readers; ''Squirm''; and the latest, ''Wrecker''. In 2014, ''Skink'' was longlisted for a

National Book Award The National Book Awards (NBA) are a set of annual U.S. literary awards. At the final National Book Awards Ceremony every November, the National Book Foundation presents the National Book Awards and two lifetime achievement awards to authors. ...

in Young People's Literature. Hiaasen's books for young readers feature environmental themes, eccentric casts and adventure-filled plots. '' Squirm,'' which is set in Florida and

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

, was published in fall 2018 and opened at #4 on the New York Times bestseller list for middle-grade novels. ''Wrecker,'' released on September 26, 2023, is set in

Key West Key West is an island in the Straits of Florida, at the southern end of the U.S. state of Florida. Together with all or parts of the separate islands of Dredgers Key, Fleming Key, Sunset Key, and the northern part of Stock Island, it con ...

during the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...

. ''

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus. The magazine's publisher, Kirkus Media, is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fiction, no ...

'' called it, "A batten-down-the-hatches thriller anchored by critical real-life themes". ''

Booklist ''Booklist'' is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. ''Booklist''s primary audience consists of libraries, educators, and booksellers. The magazine is ...

'' wrote, "Wielding his writing talents and wit, Hiaasen seamlessly incorporates...disparate elements into one heck of a ride". ''Wrecker'' debuted at number one on ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' Children's Middle Grade Hardcover Best Sellers List. His adult book, '' Squeeze Me,'' was published on August 25, 2020, and debuted at #2 on the New York Times Combined Print and E-Book Best Sellers List. The novel takes place during the glitzy Palm Beach social season, and features wild pythons and a fictional, well-fed U.S. president who has a vacation mansion on the island. Amazon and the ''Washington'' ''Post'' listed ''Squeeze Me'' among the best novels of 2020. ''Fever Beach'', his latest novel, was published on May 13, 2025 and opened at #8 on the New York Times Combined Print and E-Book Best Sellers List. It features the character Twilly Spree, who was introduced in 2000's '' Sick Puppy,'' and tells the story of two fumbling hate-mongers who are trying to start their own white nationalist group. Hiaasen's most recent nonfiction work is ''Assume the Worst: The Graduation Speech You'll Never Hear'', which was published in April 2018 and illustrated by Roz Chast, known for her cartoons in ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...

''.

Songwriting

During the 1990s, Hiaasen co-wrote the lyrics of three songs with his friend, L.A. rocker Warren Zevon. "Rottweiler Blues" and "Seminole Bingo" appeared on Zevon's '' Mutineer'' album in 1995. The third song they wrote together, "Basket Case," was done in conjunction with Hiaasen's novel of the same name, and appeared in 2002 on Zevon's album '' My Ride's Here.'' Hiaasen co-wrote "Fish Porn" on

's final album, '' Equal Strain on All Parts'', with Buffett and Mac McAnally.

Personal life

Hiaasen is a fly fisherman who has won the Invitational Fall Fly Bonefish Tournament in Islamorada six times, fishing with guide Tim Klein. His wife is Katie Fox, whom he married in 2020. Hiaasen was previously married to Connie, a nurse, whom he thanks in the dedication for '' Skin Tight''.

Works

Fiction

Adult fiction

*'' Tourist Season'' (1986) * '' Double Whammy'' (1987) * '' Skin Tight'' (1989) * '' Native Tongue'' (1991) * '' Strip Tease'' (1993) (filmed in 1996 as ''

'' by Andrew Bergman, starring

and

) * '' Stormy Weather'' (1995) * '' Naked Came the Manatee'' (1996) (A Mystery Thriller Parody with 12 other authors) * '' Lucky You'' (1997) * '' Sick Puppy'' (2000) * '' Basket Case'' (2002) * '' Skinny Dip'' (2004) * '' Nature Girl'' (2006) * '' Star Island'' (2010) * '' Bad Monkey'' (2013) (released as a

TV series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set that is broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, and cable, or distributed digitally on streaming platf ...

in August 2024) * '' Razor Girl'' (2016) * '' Squeeze Me'' (2020) * ''Fever Beach'' (2025) With William Montalbano * ''Powder Burn'' (1981) * ''Trap Line'' (1982) * ''A Death in China'' (1984)

Fiction for young readers

* '' Hoot'' (2002) (released as a

movie A film, also known as a movie or motion picture, is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, emotions, or atmosphere through the use of moving images that are generally, sinc ...

in May 2006 by director Wil Shriner) * '' Flush'' (2005) * '' Scat'' (2009) * '' Chomp'' (2012) * '' Skink - No Surrender'' (2014) (young adult novel featuring a recurring hero from his adult fiction series) *''Squirm'' (2018) *''Wrecker'' (2023)

Short stories

* "Tart of Darkness" (2003, '' Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue'') * The Edible Exile (2013)

Non-fiction

* '' Team Rodent: How Disney Devours the World'' (1998) * '' Kick Ass'': Selected Columns (1999) * ''Paradise Screwed: Selected Columns'' (2001) * ''The Downhill Lie'' (2008) * ''Dance of the Reptiles: Selected Columns'' (2014) * ''Assume the Worst: The Graduation Speech You'll Never Hear (2018)''

Collections

* ''A Carl Hiaasen'' (2000) (an audiobook set containing '' Tourist Season'', '' Stormy Weather'', and '' Strip Tease'') 34 books in total

Awards and achievements

;Journalist * 1980: National Headliners Award from Sigma Delta Chi. * 1980: Heywood Broun Award from Newspaper Guild. * 2004: Damon Runyon Award from the Denver Press Club. * 2010:

Ernie Pyle Ernest Taylor Pyle (August 3, 1900 – April 18, 1945) was an American journalist and war correspondent who is best known for his stories about ordinary American soldiers during World War II. Pyle is also notable for the Columnist#Newspaper and ...

Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Society of Newspaper Columnists. ;Writer * 2003: Newbery Honor from the

Association for Library Service to Children The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) is a division of the American Library Association. ALSC has over 4,000 members, including children, experts in children's literature, publishers, faculty members, and other adults. The Associa ...

, for ''Hoot''. * 2005: Rebecca Caudill Young Readers' Book Award, for ''Hoot''. * 2005: Dagger Awards Nominee - Best Novel, for ''Skinny Dip''. * 2009: Sélection prix Nouvel Obs et BibliObs du roman noir, for ''Croco-deal'' (''Nature Girl''). * 2011: Prix du Livre Environnement de la Fondation Veolia Environnement - Mention jeunesse, for ''Panthère'' (''Scat''). * 2011: Prix Enfantaisie du meilleur roman, for ''Panthère'' (''Scat''). * 2012: Prix Barnes & Noble du meilleur roman jeunesse, for ''Chomp''. * 2013: Prix Science en toutes lettres from The Académie de Rouen, for ''Panthère'' (''Scat''). * 2014:

National Book Award for Young People's Literature The National Book Award for Young People's Literature is one of five annual National Book Awards, which are given by the National Book Foundation (NBF) to recognize outstanding literary work by US citizens. They are awards "by writers to writer ...

Longlist, for ''Skink: No Surrender''. * 2017: Marjorie Harris Carr Award for Environmental Advocacy from the Florida Defenders of the Environment

References

External links

*
Hiaasen's columns in ''The Miami Herald''
*
Roger Nichols of Modern Signed Books interviews Carl Hiaasen about his latest novel, Razor Girl
*
Hiaasen interviewed about his book 'Assume the Worst'
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hiaasen, Carl 1953 births Living people 20th-century American male writers 20th-century American non-fiction writers 20th-century American novelists 21st-century American male writers 21st-century American non-fiction writers 21st-century American novelists Absurdist fiction Agatha Award winners American children's writers American columnists American crime fiction writers American humorists American male novelists American male non-fiction writers American people of Irish descent American people of Norwegian descent Dilys Award winners Emory University alumni Environmental fiction writers Miami Herald people Newbery Honor winners Novelists from Florida People from Plantation, Florida People from Vero Beach, Florida Plantation High School alumni Writers from Miami University of Florida alumni