Name: 'Yes, I Am A Pirate' Author Lecture, Guest Discussion Panel & Book Signing
Start: 2025-08-29T14:00:00-04:00
End: 2025-08-29T15:30:00-04:00
Location: Tropic Cinema

'Yes, I am a Pirate' Author Lecture, Guest Discussion Panel & Book Signing with Scott Atwell
Join us for an unforgettable afternoon as author Scott Atwell shares the captivating true story behind Buffett Backstories—a deep dive into the life of Phil Clark, the enigmatic figure immortalized in Jimmy Buffett’s classic, A Pirate Looks at Forty. While the song evokes images of a romantic rogue, the reality of Clark's journey is far more intriguing—and far less idyllic.
Atwell’s extensive research reveals the transformation of a New York socialite into a self-fashioned island pirate who vanished into the tropics, leaving behind a trail of colorful stories, scandal, and reinvention. This is the real tale of Phil Clark, a man who escaped convention and became a legend—not always for the right reasons. Like an 'X' marking treasure on a map, the clues to his legacy have been scattered—until now.
About the Presenter:
Native Conch Scott Atwell turned an all-Jimmy Buffett radio program into a popular book that explains the origins of the singer’s most beloved songs.
About the panelists:
Following the presentation, Atwell will be joined on stage by writer and Phil's former girlfriend, Carol Shaughnessy, along with Lower Keys fishing guide Chris Robinson and Clark's son flip McCririck.
CAROL SHAUGHNESSY
The last of Phil Clark’s “younger women”, she was engaged to marry the Pirate when he slipped out of Key West for the last time. She went on to serve as editor of Jimmy Buffett’s Coconut Telegraph.
CHRIS ROBINSON
Landed a job tending bar at the Chart Room after Phil Clark sailed off to the Bahamas with the women who would later become Robinson's wife. They lived right below Jimmy Buffett in the Waddell Street compound next to Louie’s backyard, and today Chris is a renowned flats guide.
FLIP McCRIRICK
First-born child of Phillips Clark, a namesake son who did not learn of his father’s connection to Jimmy Buffett until ten years ago. Unlike his dad, McCririck found his occupation in the 20th century as a celebrated sports photographer.