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Tim Chapman

Carl Hiaasen is a best-selling author of crime novels with a satirical edge, as well as a long-time Miami Herald columnist.

This annual Madison Public Library Foundation fundraiser will take place virtually for 2021, and features author Carl Hiaasen. A former Miami Herald columnist, Hiaasen is perhaps best known for his series of comic thrillers set in Florida; the most recent, Squeeze Me, features Palm Beach, a post-pandemic world, and characters including a president and first lady who might remind you of some recent White House denizens. Lunch for Libraries benefits the Wisconsin Book Festival and children’s literacy programs. Tickets are $100 (or $125 with a WBF membership) and include a copy of the book; purchase online, or call 608-266-6318.

press release: Save the date of Tuesday, May 25, for Madison Public Library Foundation’s annual Lunch for Libraries fundraiser! Presented by BMO Harris Bank, this year's virtual event will feature comic thriller writer and longtime Miami Herald columnist Carl Hiaasen.

From the author of Skinny Dip and Razor Girl comes Squeeze Me, an outlandish New York Times best-selling novel of social and political intrigues set against the glittering backdrop of Florida’s gold coast. 

Born and raised in Florida, Hiaasen wrote a regular column for the Miami Herald for 36 years, penning his last in March. He began co-writing mystery thrillers in the 1980s and wrote his first solo novel, Tourist Season, in 1986. Since then, Hiaasen has published 11 best-sellers: Strip Tease, Stormy Weather, Lucky You, Sick Puppy, Basket Case, Skinny Dip, Nature Girl, Star Island, Bad Monkey, Razor Girl and Squeeze Me, which opened at No. 2 on The New York Times best-seller list. All of his novels are set in Florida, where they read more as documentaries than fiction. Hiaasen also wrote six fiction novels for young readers.

Set in post-pandemic Palm Beach, Squeeze Me’s main characters are a Trump-like President and First Lady whose codes name are “Mastodon” and “Mockingbird,” respectively; Kiki Pew, a prominent member of geriatric high society and a founding member of the President’s female fan club; wildlife wrangler extraordinaire Angie Armstrong; Skink, the crazed ex-governor of Florida; and a criminal mastermind halfwit named Uric. A drunken Kiki vanishes during a swank gala; meanwhile, Angie is called to the island to deal with a monster-sized Burmese python living in a tree. The President remains focused on Kiki’s disappearance and

immediately declares her a victim of rampaging immigrant hordes. This is far from the truth — which now lies in the middle of the road, where a bizarre discovery brings the First Lady’s motorcade to a grinding halt.

“Carl has a gift for satirical fiction brimming with comical absurdity,” said Wisconsin Book Festival Director Conor Moran. “If you haven’t read Squeeze Me yet, it’s a great escape read for our current moment. You can make this stuff up — but at times, it doesn’t seem all that far-fetched.”

Businesses interested in sponsorship and individuals who wish to purchase a table may call 608.266.6318 or email Michelle Johnson at mjohnson@mplfou​ndation.org. View the sponsorship levels and benefits here. (PDF) Individual tickets will cost $100, including a mailed paperback copy of Squeeze Me. There is also an option to purchase a ticket with a Wisconsin Book Festival membership for $125. Tickets go on sale March 30 on our website. Lunch for Libraries proceeds support free, year-round Wisconsin Book Festival programs and Madison Public Library youth literacy efforts.

Madison Public Library cardholders can place holds for Hiaasen’s books via LINKcat, accessible through the library website at madisonpubliclibrary.org. Books can be picked up via the library’s curbside service. The eBook and audiobook formats may be checked out via OverDrive.