Miami Book Fair celebrates writers inspired by life in South Florida

South Florida is a pretty inspiring place.

Ask any of these writers set to appear at this year’s Miami Book Fair: There’s a barefoot, beach-loving country singer sharing his down-to-earth memoir; a revered South Florida storyteller and former Miami Herald columnist whose unforgettable characters have inspired hit TV shows and films; a former presidential poet laureate; and an art critic chronicling Miami’s visual arts scene in a new collection.

Their works may span genres — from memoirs to satire, poetry, and art criticism — but each draws inspiration from the same source: the people, culture and contradictions of South Florida. What unites them is the sense that South Florida isn’t just a setting — it’s a muse. Its characters, chaos and color seep into their stories, reminding readers why so many creative journeys seem to begin (and return) here.

The Miami Book Fair returns Nov. 16-23, featuring eight days of literary events with at least 500 authors around Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus downtown that culminates in a three-day street festival next weekend.

Here are a few of the writers bringing that South Florida spirit to this year’s fair.

Kenny Chesney

About a third of country star Kenny Chesney’s new book “Heart Life Music” ($32.50, William Morrow) was written in Key West. Chesney and his collaborator, Holly Gleason — who began her music writing career at the Miami Herald while studying at the University of Miami before moving on to the Palm Beach Post — take readers on a journey through five states and the Virgin Islands. But it’s Key West that holds a special place for Chesney. “I’ve always felt very creative when I was there,” he says. “That’s why I just kept going back.”

In the chapter “Keg in the Closet, Kenny in the Keys,” he recalls a call from Jimmy Buffett, who invited him to dinner at La Trattoria on Duval Street. Over the meal, Buffett shared stories about Tennessee Williams, Captain Tony’s Saloon, Key West literary legends Shel Silverstein and Ernest Hemingway, and “the characters who lived, fished, dreamed and smuggled there... and the mythic Key West came to life.”

Chesney says “Heart Life Music” is a tapestry. “I just wanted all of these stages of my life up until now woven together.” And then, being invited to headline the Miami Book Fair made him feel like he’d created something that “struck a chord with people who know books.”

Gleason will join Chesney at the fair and says it will be a very relaxed experience. “If you want to sit and have a beer with Kenny Chesney, that’s what this is going to be,” she said. “That’s what this will feel like — new friends and old friends on a barstool.”

“An Evening With Kenny Chesney and Holly Gleason, 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, at MDC Wolfson Campus, Chapman Conference Center-3210; 300 NE Second Ave., Bldg. 3, Miami. $35, $22.66 for “Friends of the Fair.” Prices include a copy of the book.

Carl Hiaasen

With the release of Carl Hiaasen’s latest book, “Fever Beach” ($30, Knopf), the Vero Beach–based writer has more than 30 books under his belt, plus two feature films, a full series on Apple TV+ and an upcoming ABC series, “RJ Decker,” based on his 1987 novel “Double Whammy.”

Hiaasen will appear at the Book Fair alongside former Miami Herald colleague and longtime friend Dave Barry, whose memoir “Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up” was released in May.

Hiaasen credits his years covering South Florida news with the memorable characters he creates and his ear for dialogue. “The writers I always loved, the first thing they nailed was dialogue… Once the dialogue is right—it’s not easy—but once you get it, the storylines fill themselves in,” he says.

As for appearing with Barry at the book fair, he says: “We’ve done enough of these that we don’t really have a plan. It’s not heavy lifting for me. I just sit there and listen to him be funny. And we always have a great time.”

“An Afternoon with Carl Hiassen and Dave Barry, 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22, at MDC Wolfson Campus, Chapman Conference Center (Building 3, 2^nd floor, Room 3210) 300 NE Second Ave., Miami. Free admission with street fair ticket, event ticket required.

Richard Blanco

Richard Blanco became the fifth inaugural poet in U.S. history in 2013 when he read his poem “One Today” at President Barack Obama’s inauguration, then 10 years later received the National Humanities Medal from President Joe Biden. He was also appointed the first ever poet laureate of Miami-Dade County. At the Book Fair, he’s helping with the launch of Miami-Dade County Poet Laureate Caridad Moro-Gronlier’s “Generation 305: An Intergenerational Poetry Project. “

“She’s asked various people to write original poems that bridge generations,” says Blanco. The poem he’ll present comes from an interview with his mother. “I spent three hours interviewing her,” he says.

The theme of “Generation 305,” he says, resonates deeply in how he arrives at his own work. “Part of my impetus for my work has always been to, in a way, to document emotionally the stories not only of my family as exiles, as immigrants, but also all the Cuban community. To sort of make sure those stories are represented in poetry and are not lost.”

Other poets joining Blanco are Jen Karetnick, Mia Leonin and Rani Ruado. Moro-Gronlier and Nicole Tallman, poetry ambassador for Miami-Dade County will moderate the session.

“Generation 305: An Intergenerational Poetry Project, 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 22 at MDC Wolfson Campus, (Building 8, 3rd floor, Room 8303) 300 NE Second Ave., Miami. Free admission with street fair ticket, event ticket required.

Elisa Turner

Hot on the heels of the release of her book “Miami’s Art Boom: From Local Vision to International Presence” ($26.95, University Press of Florida), a compilation of profiles, reviews and stories that capture the evolution of Miami’s visual arts community, Elisa Turner will host a panel as part of the Book Fair in MDC’s Freedom Tower.

“It was very difficult for me to pick who I wanted to include on the panel. First of all, I wanted to select artists who had come here from the Caribbean or another country,” she says.

The discussion will focus on how the artists’ careers moved forward during the years chronicled in the book and what lies ahead. The panelists are artists Charo Oquet, María Martínez-Cañas and Asser Saint-Val —all artists Turner features in her book — along with Lori Mertes, executive director of incubator art space Locust Projects.

Turner says her panel selection reflects the range and diversity of artists in Miami.

Rounding out the panel with Mertes, who ran Miami Art Museum —which later became the Perez Art Museum Miami— from 1994 to 2006, added another dimension.

“How Did Miami’s Art Boom Happen and What’s Next?,” 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, Knight Skylight Gallery, Freedom Tower, 600 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Free.

ALSO SO MIAMI

Edwidge Danticat’s “Watch Out For Falling Iguanas” ($16.95, Black Sheep) will be part of the Read Caribbean program at 4 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 22 and Sunday, Nov. 23, (Building 8, 3rd Floor, Room 8302), 300 NE Second Ave., Miami. The book is illustrated by Rachel Moss and tells the story of a rare chilly day in Miami when a young girl’s grandmother gives her an unusual warning, “Watch out for falling iguanas.”

Three-time finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and mid-century American lyric poet, Hyam Plutzik’s work and impact is explored in “Hyam Plutzik and the Mosaic of Time” ($30, Academic Studies Press). Plutzik’s writing desk is in “The Writer’s Room” at The Betsy Hotel on Ocean Drive, owned by son Jonathan Plutzik and his wife, Lesley Goldwasser. Deborah Plutzik-Briggs, the writer’s daughter, is the vice president of arts and community engagement there. Three Jewish American poets discuss the life and work of Hyam Plutzik and talk about the “Mosaic of Time,” at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, (Building 8, 1^st Floor, Room 8106), 300 NE Second Ave., Miami, as part of the Jewish Life & Culture series of the Book Fair.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Miami Book Fair

WHERE: Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus, 300 NE Second Ave., Miami.

WHEN: Nov. 16 -Nov. 23. Various times for author events; Street Fair, 10 a.m.- 7 p.m. Nov. 21-23.

COST: Author event costs vary. Check the schedule. Street Fair admission tickets include access to all non-ticketed weekend author sessions. Street Fair: Free on Nov. 21; $12, general admission, $7 ages 63 and older, $5 for 13 to 18 years old and free for ages 12 and younger on Nov 22-23.

INFORMATION: miamibookfair.com