By Peter Schorsch
from Takeaways from Tallahassee newsletter
October 19, 2020
What happens when two of Florida’s funniest authors share the stage for a discussion about the absurdities of the upcoming presidential election?
Find out at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21, when Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen meet up for “Derision 2020: Unmasked and Dangerous,” an hourlong virtual event to benefit the First Amendment Foundation (FAF).
“Think of it as a date night with the best seat in YOUR house,” declared the promotional information about the livestream meetup of the Miami Herald columnists and authors, who have kept us laughing — and thinking about the precarious state of our state — for decades.
“Couldn’t we all use a bit of laughter right now, in the midst of all we’ve been through together since March?” asked FAF President Pamela Marsh. “With Carl and Dave, you can count on intelligent and interesting Floridian perspectives, with a double shot of humor served up with a lime and a pinch of salt.”
Hiaasen is best known for his crime novels that put a satirical twist on timely Florida-centric subjects such as the environment, hurricanes and tourism. His latest offering, published in August, is “Squeeze Me,” which skewers the habitués of Palm Beach, featuring a missing socialite, a giant python, and a POTUS who just happens to own a palatial estate called Casa Bellicosa.
Barry made us laugh at the foibles parenthood and other boomer-centric topics in his columns and books starting in the early ’80s. Now we’re all getting on in years and his 2019 book about his dog, “Lessons from Lucy,” is a more reflective take about aging
Tickets are now available and can be purchased online at floridafaf.org. General admission tickets are $25 (plus a processing fee) and VIP tickets range from $75 to $125.
“Some ticket purchase options come with books autographed by the authors, so you get an hour of live fun and hours of reading enjoyment to follow,” Marsh said. “This ‘friend-raiser’ and fundraiser couldn’t come at a more critical time for the First Amendment Foundation. As a nonpartisan nonprofit organization serving the entire state of Florida, we have to find new ways to do things — like raise money — if FAF is to survive and continue the important work of fighting for transparency, open government and freedom of the press.”
Event sponsors also include WLRN Public Media, the Berger Singerman law firm and the Tampa Bay Times.