D. Watkins

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For other people named D. Watkins, see Watkins (surname).
D. Watkins
Watkins doing a live reading in Baltimore, October 2019
Watkins doing a live reading in Baltimore, October 2019
Born (1980-02-10) February 10, 1980 (age 41)
Baltimore, Maryland
EducationJohns Hopkins University (M.Ed)
University of Baltimore (MFA)
Notable works
  • The Beastside: Living (and Dying) While Black in America (2015)
  • The Cook Up: A Crack Rock Memoir (2016)
  • We Speak For Ourselves (2019)
Spouse

D. Watkins (born Dwight Watkins; February 10, 1980) is an bestselling author, HBO writer and professor at The University of Baltimore.[1]



Life[]

Watkins is a Professor at the University of Baltimore[2] and New York Times bestselling[3] author from East Baltimore.[4][5] At eighteen, after losing his brother, Watkins began to use and sell narcotics. After a handful of "fateful encounters" he used his illicit profits to buy a bar.[6] He married lawyer Caron Brace in August 2019.[7] In 2020 Watkins won City Lit's Dambach Award for literary service. In 2021 Watkins received the MLA William Wilson Maryland Author Award. Watkins is the writer of Carmelo Anthony’s bestselling memoir Where Tomorrows Aren’t Promised: A memoir of Survival and Hope and staff writer on David Simon's HBO miniseries We Own the City

Education[]

He holds a Masters in Education from Johns Hopkins University, and an MFA in creative writing from University of Baltimore.[8]

Career[]

The Beastside: Living (and Dying) While Black in America[]

Watkins first book, The Beastside: Living (and Dying) While Black in America was published in 2015 under David Talbot and Skyhorse Publishing's investigative book imprint, Hot Books.[9] The Beast Side tells a tale of two Baltimores, taking an in-depth look at systemic racism and the failure of the education system, particularly for black men. In 2016, The Beastside was a Hurston/Wright Legacy Award nominee.[10][11][12][13]

The Cook Up: A Crack Rock Memoir[]

The Cook Up: A Crack Rock Memoir published in 2016 by Grand Central Publishing, is a memoir that details the operations of a drug empire following Watkins' brother Bip's death, his acceptance to Georgetown University and the struggle to leave the trade behind. It was named as an editor's pick by The New York Times in May 2016.[14][15][6][16] Kirkus Reviews described the book as "A familiar story to fans of The Wire, but Watkins provides a gritty, vivid first-person document of a desperate demographic."[17] In 2017, The Cook Up was a Books for a Better Life Award Finalist.[18][19]

We Speak For Ourselves[]

We Speak For Ourselves is Watkins' third book, published in April 2019 by Atria is a collection of essays showcasing black voices in east Baltimore.[20][21][22] We Speak For Ourselves was the 2020 selection for the Enoch Pratt Free Library "One Book Baltimore"[23]

Where Tomorrow's Aren't Promised[]

Where Tomorrows Aren't Promised was published by Gallery Books in 2021. Watkins teamed up with NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony to document his journey from the gritty streets of Red Hook,Brooklyn and West Baltimore to the NBA. Kirkus writes "Many sports memoirs start with an origin story, but this one is more thought-provoking than one might expect. Kudos to Watkins, who shapes the narrative and rhythm without stepping on Anthony’s voice."

Salon[]

Watkins is currently an editor at large for the online magazine, Salon.[24][25]

References[]

  1. ^ Watkins, D (2015). The Beastside: Living (and Dying) While Black in America. New York, NY: Hot Books. ISBN 978-1510703353.
  2. ^ "D. Watkins". www.ubalt.edu. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
  3. ^ "Crime and Punishment Books - Best Sellers - July 10, 2016 - The New York Times". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
  4. ^ Story by John Blake, CNN Video by Meridith Edwards and Effie Nidam (23 November 2015). "He escaped 'the beast' of Baltimore". CNN.
  5. ^ Fall 2014, Bret McCabe / Published (2014-09-10). "Dwight Watkins, former drug dealer, forges a new identity: D. Watkins, author". The Hub. Retrieved 2020-09-10.
  6. ^ a b Parham, Jason (13 May 2016). "'The Cook Up: A Crack Rock Memoir,' by D. Watkins". The New York Times.
  7. ^ Kaltenbach, Chris. "Baltimore author D. Watkins marries lawyer Caron Brace in morning ceremony in Canton". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2020-02-10.
  8. ^ "Dwight Watkins, former drug dealer, forges a new identity: D. Watkins, author". 10 September 2014.
  9. ^ "Skyhorse, Salon Join Forces on "Hot Books" - PubCrawl".
  10. ^ "Review of The Beast Side".
  11. ^ Whitehead, Karsonya Wise. "D. Watkins graphically maps two Baltimores in 'Beast Side'".
  12. ^ magazine, Baltimore (24 December 2015). "Best Books of 2015". Baltimore magazine.
  13. ^ magazine, Baltimore (3 September 2015). "Book Reviews: September 2015". Baltimore magazine.
  14. ^ "Editors' Choice". The New York Times. 20 May 2016.
  15. ^ Hindin, Zach (4 September 2016). "Who Reads a 'Crack Rock Memoir'?".
  16. ^ Watkins, D (2016). The cook up : a crack rock memoir. New York: Grand Central Publishing. ISBN 978-1455588633.
  17. ^ "THE COOK UP by D. Watkins". Kirkus Reviews.
  18. ^ magazine, Baltimore (20 December 2016). "My Favorite Books of 2016". Baltimore magazine.
  19. ^ magazine, Baltimore (11 May 2016). "Book Reviews: May 2016". Baltimore magazine.
  20. ^ "WE SPEAK FOR OURSELVES by D. Watkins - Kirkus Reviews" – via www.kirkusreviews.com.
  21. ^ "Nonfiction Book Review: We Speak for Ourselves: A Word from Forgotten Black America by D. Watkins. Atria, $25 (208p) ISBN 978-1-5011-8782-7".
  22. ^ McCauley, Mary Carole. "Celebrate Black History Month by curling up with these books by Baltimore-area writers". baltimoresun.com.
  23. ^ "One Book Baltimore".
  24. ^ "Stories written by D. Watkins".
  25. ^ "Bestselling Author D. Watkins Talks Trump, Satire and the Future of Salon". 9 January 2017.


https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Where-Tomorrows-Arent-Promised/Carmelo-Anthony/9781982160593

https://www.hbo.com/we-own-this-city

External links[]

Retrieved from ""