Rusty does get a little excited about things — like the release of a new book by Carl Hiaasen. Carl’s first Young Adult novel came out this week, and halfway through I’m already raving about the antics of Skink, the former Florida governor turned environmental watchdog who is once again a prime character. Carl is coming to town Sept. 30 to talk about it, and I really wanted to have him as a guest on the show, but couldn’t pull that off. Instead, I had a great conversation with Carol Besse, the co-owner of Carmichael’s Bookstore, who is responsible for bringing Carl to town. She’s also a leader in the shop local movement and a great interview.
With the election just weeks away, candidates are working to get their message out. My friend Nick Simon is trying, for the second time, to unseat Democrat Steve Riggs for a state House seat, and I found out what motivated him to run. Nick’s family business, Publishers Press, is one of the largest employers in the region.
I’ve got something to say about the media’s coverage of jocks in jail, including the news that Rex Chapman got himself arrested in Arizona for shoplifting at an Apple Store. The NuLu Festival and Idea Festival are coming up, and I’ve got a column coming up on smoking in Insider Louisville. And i find it interesting that politicians still turn to robocalls to persuade voters, since only old people have home phones.
