The Next Page

A native of Florida, CARL HIAASEN graduated from the University of Florida and at the age of 23 joined the Miami Herald as a city-desk reporter. There, he went on to work for the paper’s weekly magazine and prize-winning investigations team before landing his own opinion column. One of his proudest moments came when a city commissioner, enraged by his columns, introduced a resolution officially denouncing him. Tourist Season, his first solo novel, kicked off a string of bestsellers; his first book for children, Hoot, won a Newbery honor and was made into a feature film; his nonfiction titles include Assume the Worst: The Graduation Speech You’ll Never Hear, illustrated by iconic artist Roz Chast; and his books have been published in 34 languages. 

DOROTHY JENKINS FIELDS, PH.D., started the movement to preserve Miami Dade’s Black history as a volunteer in 1974, when no one was keeping Black memorabilia. She was assigned by Miami-Dade Public Schools to HistoryMiami Museum for the 1976 U.S. Bicentennial and incorporated The Black Archives in 1977. She was also a 2024-2025 creative futures fellow at the University of Miami’s Center for Black Global Studies.

EDDA L. FIELDS-BLACK, PH.D., teaches history at Carnegie Mellon University and serves as director of the Dietrich College Humanities Center. A descendant of Africans enslaved on rice plantations in Colleton County, South Carolina, and a USCT soldier (her great-great-great grandfather) from Beaufort County who fought in the Combahee River Raid in June 1863, she has written extensively about the transnational history of West African rice farmers and consulted for the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture’s permanent exhibition, Rice Fields in the Low Country of South Carolina.

MAIKA MOULITE is a daughter of Haitian immigrants whose acclaimed young adult novels frequently center around themes of identity, family, and vengeance. Her work has been featured on the Today show and in Essence magazine. She is currently a doctoral student at Howard University, probing the intersection of artificial intelligence, culture, and media. 

MARITZA MOULITE graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor’s degree in women’s studies and the University of Southern California with a master’s in journalism. Her work often examines the lives of marginalized people and revenge, and has been featured on NPR and Late Night with Seth Meyers. She is a Ph.D. student at the University of Pennsylvania exploring ways to improve literacy through children’s media.

DEBORAH BUSSEL is president of The Shepard Broad Foundation. She’s also principal of Bussel Philanthropy Associates (BPA), which conducts philanthropic research and works with foundations, funders, and individuals to help them craft meaningful and effective giving programs. She’s been a devotee of Miami Book Fair since its launch in 1984 and became an active supporter of MBF in the 1990s because it created a forum for people to learn about, consider, and discuss the issues of our day in the company of gifted writers, artists, and scholars.

JOHN BUSSEL is vice president of The Shepard Broad Foundation. He is also chief investment officer of Team Hewins LLC, an independent investment advisory and planning firm. His other roles include serving as vice chair of the board of trustees at Barry University, a member of the board of governors of the American Jewish Committee, and a trustee of The Loomis Chaffee School in Windsor, Connecticut. He is a board member of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and Jewish Community Services of South Florida.