Maggie's Farm

We are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for.

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Friday, August 28. 2009

Black humor: In praise of Carl Hiassen

A re-post from 2007 -


No living author does black humor and devilish satire as well as Carl Hiassen. For a look into the dark side of south Florida, give him a try. His novels are populated with brutal sociopaths, daffy idealists, the lost and deranged, corrupt politicians, and saints.


He is now an editor at the Miami Herald, but his books will cause you to consider staying far away from south Florida. I think that must have been partly intentional because he has a deep love for the unspoiled and undeveloped Florida.


I just finished Lucky You so I am up to date with all of his stuff. Here's his website. Here's his Amazon listing.


The photo is from this interview.

Posted by Bird Dog in Our Essays, The Culture, "Culture," Pop Culture and Recreation at 16:54 | Comments (22) | Trackbacks (0)

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Quite a puff piece. His column regularly appears in my Panhandle newspaper. It is often way out in wacky Left country. What's he doing on a great blog like maggie's farm?
#1 Fred Beloit on 2007-12-06 08:09 (Reply)
I disagree with his politics but his books are a gas.
#1.1 BD on 2007-12-06 08:11 (Reply)
Fair enough.
#1.1.1 Fred Beloit on 2007-12-06 08:14 (Reply)
John D MacDonald (author of the "Travis McGee" series) is another crime novelist from Florida, and one whose politics might be more digestible.
#2 buddy larsen on 2007-12-06 08:22 (Reply)
Love them both - MacDonald and Hiassen, but you can't do four in row or you end up hating them.

Um.... Shouldn't 'black' humor be 'dark' humor?
#3 Meta on 2007-12-06 09:37 (Reply)
"Black humor" in the racial sense antedates 'black humor' in the Dr. Strangelove sense. So right there is confusion. For example, when a white person writes dark humor in an African-American voice, it's white black dark humor. Conversely, if a black person writes dark humor in a white voice, it's black white dark humor. Asians and Latinos jus have to fend for they self, as i have to go slop the hogs and kill the old red rooster.
#3.1 buddy larsen on 2007-12-06 14:19 (Reply)
oops, i meant of course 'postdates' not 'antedates' (tho i do have an aunty who'll date anything).
#3.1.1 buddy larsen on 2007-12-06 14:23 (Reply)
It's black comedy, fool. Dark humor/black comedy.

Whut time dinner, honey?
#3.1.2 Buddy's auntie on 2007-12-06 17:56 (Reply)
Put down de pipe and read a dictionary.

Unless, of course y'all can mutitask, sweetheart.

Buddy's Auntie ya say?

Okay, I'll breakit down for ya.

Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English - Cite This Source - Share This Main Entry: dark humor
Part of Speech: n
Definition: black humor

Webster's New Millennium™ Dictionary of English, Preview Edition (v 0.9.7)
Copyright © 2003-2007 Lexico Publishing Group, LLC
#3.1.2.1 Leag on 2007-12-06 18:06 (Reply)
Tim Dorsey is of the same genre as Hiasson. He came from the Tampa tribune.

Rick
#3.2 Rick Caird on 2009-08-29 17:56 (Reply)
One of my xes, enjoyed reading black humor.

She was well, over educated with a degree in English and irony reigned in our day to day, as lessons tightened up on miseducation derived from being to long institutionalized at University.

Stalwart defender she became in gunfight and other dark humors of Southwestern living.

The girl could stand up and I suspect is penning some black humors, somewhere.

Hell, she could be in Texas.
#4 Leag on 2007-12-06 10:34 (Reply)
Oh, woe on your sixth ex-wife, Leag. Are those black humors she's penning melancholies of her time with you?

Good on her for up standing in Texis.
#5 Meta on 2007-12-06 13:51 (Reply)
Why. I never! Is that termagent sixth-ex writing about my black humors? My melancholies? My broodings? My larger sighs?

Leag, pay up on the spousal else I'll have you lying down in Loosianna.
#6 Leag's fourth ex-wife on 2007-12-06 14:03 (Reply)
I can raedily sea why the Englesh taecher wife left yuo, leag. Yuo mus have ben a constent repudiashun of awl she stid fer.
#7 buddy larsen on 2007-12-06 14:10 (Reply)
Obviously, ya'll don't know wadda circumstander of her depatin' is, buddy.

Thang didn't leave willingly.

Point of story is simple but not simple enuff for mita or your very self.

So allow me to break it down alil bit mo, for the more than simple.

Black humor same as Dark humor.

BD's usage is correct.

X was in same state of over eddicatin as y'all, silly boys and girls.
#7.1 Leag on 2007-12-06 14:58 (Reply)
oh yawn, i've heard that ''over-educated'' bit ever since i made the decision to matriculate 4th grade, 'stead of going for that enticing two-bits a day like the rest of the crowd of mammon-crazed ten-year old permanent professional pea-pickers pickin peas in the postwar Pascagoula pea patch.
#7.1.1 buddy larsen on 2007-12-06 15:23 (Reply)
Just keepin y'all on topic, peapickin' aside, Black Humor.

Irony is this thread is brief of dark humor.

Bye the by, that old hide hadn't the sense to keep her tail from gettin' stuck in de dor.

She was good in a gunfight, that's fer shur.
#7.1.1.1 Leag on 2007-12-06 17:23 (Reply)
buddy,

They learned you good that 'illiteration' ( "permanent profresional pea-pickers ......etc" )...4th grade ya say??
#7.1.1.2 Garry on 2009-08-29 00:12 (Reply)
"...ya'll don't know wadda circumstander of her depatin' is..."

Yay, they do. Youse callt us THANGS. Yo bastid sunbitch.

oh yea. We cudent unnerstan a werd youse sayde. Dumbass old hide yersef.
#8 Leag's seventh ex on 2007-12-06 18:11 (Reply)
Wua pleh gubble (bliz farbex) nibsquab blech boudle--a reb dal parwb--li fa spa fon. Hubbdiddle lakstar. Bla skish framdeel!
#8.1 Leag's diction coach on 2007-12-06 19:47 (Reply)
Well said!
#8.1.1 BD on 2007-12-23 07:54 (Reply)
Well, I dunno about the rest of ye, but I'm not giving up the wonders of the English language just to placate the bitches of political correctitude. The glories of Shakespeare and other great authors are worth fighting for, dammit. And if I want to call someone a blackguard, and say he's niggardly, I'll dam well do it and be proud of it.

Marianne, who's using a little bit of black humor here.
#9 Marianne Matthews on 2009-08-28 23:25 (Reply)

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