Novelist and journalist Carl Hiaasen will present "The Loveliest Disease: Angling as a Therapeutic Pastime" at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 10, 2024, in the Strand Union Building Ballroom on the MSU campus. The event is part of MSU Library’s Trout Lecture Series and is free and open to the public. The evening includes a post-event reception. Hiaasen began his career as journalist while writing novels in his spare time. To date he has written 19 novels for adults, including “Strip Tease,” which was made into a film staring Demi Moore and Burt Reynolds, and seven books for young readers, including “Hoot,” which was named a Newbery Medal Honor book. Many of his adult novels are humorous crime thrillers taking place in his home state of Florida. Themes related to environmentalism and political corruption feature prominently in many of his books. When asked about his plans for the talk, Hiaasen said, "I won’t be giving an actual speech. It will be more like a group therapy session, because all of us who are most at peace with a flyrod in our hands suffer from the same incurable affliction. We desperately need help --and, of course, big fish in clear water." Seating at the Trout Lecture limited, and pre-registration is encouraged. Guests can register online at https://www.montana.edu/calendar/events/49871 or by calling (406) 994-6857. Those interested in discussing Hiaasen’s book "Squeeze Me" can attend the Bobcat Browse book discussion on October 8. Click here for full details and to register. Through the annual Trout Lecture, the library strives to speak to all aspects of trout and salmonids and to represent the diversity of angling culture. Thanks to contributions from generous donors, this event is free and open to the public. For information on the MSU Library’s Trout and Salmonid Collection, visit https://www.lib.montana.edu/archives/trout-salmonid.html.