Carl Hiaasen

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"Basket Case"
With Carl Hiaasen
Author and Reporter
Monday, Jan. 7, 2002; 4:15 p.m. EST

"Basket Case" is the tale of former investigative reporter Jack Tagger who has been demoted to obituary writer for a daily south Florida newspaper. When a former rock star dies in a scuba diving accident, Tagger writes the obituary, but immediately senses something's not quite right. Carl Hiaasen is the author of "Basket Case," his ninth novel. He is also a songwriter and "Case" is the title of a song on Warren Zevon's forthcoming album; it also plays a key role in his novel.

"Basket Case"

Hiaasen joined The Miami Herald in 1976 and since then has been a reporter for their general assignment desk, Sunday magazine and investigative team. He is currently Metro columnist for the paper. He turned his hand to fiction in the early eighties and his first novel, "Tourist Season," was named "one of the ten best destination reads of all time" by GQ Magazine. His writing has been characterized as "sharp-witted, fierce and intelligent."

The transcript follows.

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Washington D.C.: Where do you get your great characters?

Carl Hiaasen: Some of them come from my imagination but some of them are stolen from the headlines of The Miami Herald as well. When you're writing satire, you get your inspiration largely from real life and I'm lucky enough to live in a place where there's no shortage of real life characters.

Annapolis, Md.: Your descriptions of Florida are so colorful and fun to read. I'm curious as to what percentage they are accurate versus exaggeration. I love all your books and the social/political commentary which you sneak into them. I think you would make a good Green (as in Green party member). Thanks for your time.

Carl Hiaasen: I'm flattered at the suggestion but I am psychologically unfit for politics. As far as the descriptions of south Florida those are not exaggerated at all as anyone who lives down there will attest.

Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.: Carl, what will it take to make South Florida right? Besides another Hurricane Andrew to send the Yankees packing, of course...

Carl Hiaasen: (LAUGHS) That's a tough question. If I had the answer to that, I probably would go into politics. The only hope is for people who feel the way many of us to is to get mad and stay mad and let the politicians know how angry we are.

D.C.: What is your favorite adult beverage?

Carl Hiaasen: Hi octane Coca-Cola. Real Coke.

Herndon, Va.: "Sick Puppy" was the first book of yours that I read. LOVED IT! Then I read, "Lucky You" and enjoyed that too.

Do you feel a need to try different narrative voices and plot devices in your books or are you comfortable with sticking with what's always worked for you?

Carl Hiaasen: In the new book, Basket Case, I write in the first person narrative which is the first time I've ever done that and that was certainly something I wanted to try for some time but didn't have the nerve. I think I felt more comfortable doing it with this book because the main character is a newspaper guy so it was easier to stay inside his head for the whole story.

Carl Hiaasen: Let me add this ... I think with each book I feel the need to do something different and to try new things ... new types of protagonists and new types of plot strategies just because that's how you flex your muscles and imagination as a writer.

Arlington, Va.: Hey Carl, I love your books, I've read just about all of them. I was pretty disappointed at the movie version of "Strip Tease" (I don't know what you thought of it) -- the filmmakers seemed to forget it was a comedy. Your book was much, much funnier. My question is are any of your other books being made into films and are you involved in any way? Or have you been soured on the whole movie thing after Strip Tease turned out the way it did (sorry, my opinion only, no offense if you liked it!)

Carl Hiaasen: I certainly had mixed feelings about the movie too but I knew going in that it wasn't going to be just like the book because movies seldom are. There are scripts being written on a couple of the other novels but I have no involvement in it and not interest in being involved in it. It's just far too distracting and consuming when you're trying to write novels.

Capitol Hill: Good Afternoon!

I love your books and columns, and am hoping you answer a question. Why is it that so much of our freakier news orginates in Florida? What's up with you people down there? I know the rest of the country contributes its fair share of riduculousness, but Florida seems to go above and beyond the call.

Carl Hiaasen: Yeah, I agree completely and I don't have an answer except to agree that Florida has become a nexus for weirdness in this country. There are very few major national news stories that don't have a Florida connection and I think it's some sort of invisible magnet of depravity.

Alexandria, Va.: Thanks Carl for stopping into Olsson's this morning (afternoon), it provided a good break from Monday morning dreariness.

Someone ahead of me in line handed you a package, probably some manuscript the he'd been shipping around the publishing world for a couple of years to no avail. This got me thinking ... Does this happen all the time?

Do they think, because you're a writer, you'll just pass along their half-baked treatise and spring their "big break." Seemed kinda funny. You were polite, however, and are to be credited for that.

Thanks and love your stuff.

Carl Hiaasen: I do get a lot of manuscripts and a lot of chapters of novels in progress and also short stories and even ideas for newspaper stories. Obviously I can't read them all or respond to them all but I always appreciate people taking the time to share them. Most people who bring manuscripts want advice on how to get them published and the only advice I can give is to find a good agent and keep working at it, but it's extremely difficult to do it on your own and I would not want to give people that false hope.

Salado, Tex.: When will we see a movie that includes the ex- governor (Skink)? and who would be cast to play him?

Carl Hiaasen: I don't know if we'll ever see him in the movies. There's a script being done now on a script called "Double Whammy" which was the first novel that Skink appeared in as the ex-governor of Florida and if it ever comes to the big screen I would hope that they would cast someone appropriately large and menacing and charming at the same time.

Washington, D.C.: Love your work. What are your impressions of "The Orchid Thieves?" I've heard it described as a real-life Carl Hiaasen novel.

Carl Hiaasen: Yeah, I thought it was a great book and I had no trouble believing the eccentric characters because I know they're real.

Washington, D.C.: My favorite thing from all of your books is the guy in Skin Tight (I think) whose whole philosophy of life was "Always park in the shade." Do you know a real person (other than me now) who had that philosophy, or did you just make it up?

Thanks, Richard

Carl Hiaasen: Well, I have known fondly a couple civil servants in the south Florida area who believed parking in the shade was the best way to get through life.

Washington, D.C.: Are you and Dave Berry good friends? I noticed that you gave a positive quote for his book, "Big Trouble." I also notice some similarities in writing style. I think both of you are great -- I love your books and I really enjoyed his mystery novel.

Carl Hiaasen: Dave and I are friends and he has occasionally let me play in his whimsical rock band full of authors who own musical instruments. He is one of the rare people who is as funny in person as they are in print.

Arlington, Va.: Do you mind comparisons with other authors, particularly from South Florida (i.e., Elmore Leonard)? Do y'all pal around?

Carl Hiaasen: Well, Elmore Leonard lives in Michigan but he certainly sets some of his novels in South Florida and we are friends. And any time I can get my name mentioned in the same sentence as his, I'll happily take advantage of it 'cause he's a great writer.

Washington, D.C.: What do you think about Janet Reno challenging Jeb Bush for governor? Will she be able to give him a fight?

Carl Hiaasen: I think it will be an entertaining race but not a very close one. Janet is a true Florida cracker character and she'll be fun to watch but Jeb is still a pretty popular governeor and I cannot see him losing to her or anybody else right now. On the hand, things could change dramatically between now and November.

Mt. Pleasant, washington, D.C.: Every time I read one of your novels I want to visit South Florida. But then, if I go, I feel guilty fueling -- or even becoming a part of -- the avaricious developer-corrupt politician-idiot Yankee triangle that you obviously loath. Am I allowed to visit, as long as I don't go to Disney World? Or does propriety demand that I never again visit the No Name Bar on Big Pine Key or sunbathe with the topless models in South Beach?

Carl Hiaasen: Certainly you're allowed to visit and there's no reason to feel guilty unless you buy a condo while you're down there.

20016: So, what can you tell us about the connection between the story and the song?

Carl Hiaasen: I had the novel written, Basket Case, and actually a few lines of the song Basket Case written and being used in the novel when I sheepishly went to Warren as a friend and asked him if he'd help me finish it. We did the lyrics together and he wrote all the music himself which is why it sounds so good. He told me it was the first time he'd ever written a cover song for a novel.

New York, N.Y.: Do you think that Sounth Florida is in danger of losing its edge -- even in the next 20 years or so? Sort of like Times Square getting cleaned up. Prettier and more family friendly, yes, but definitely lost something in the process.

Carl Hiaasen: No, I think sleaze is alive and well in South Florida and I don't think there's any danger of us becoming completely clean and law-abiding and sane, and not even Rudy Giuliani can make that happen.

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