D. Watkins

Dwight "D." Watkins (born February 10, 1980) is a former drug dealer, author and professor at the University of Baltimore.
Life.
Watkins was born in Baltimore City. His mother was a teenager. His father was in prison. At eighteen, after losing his brother, Watkins began to use and sell narcotics. After some of "fateful encounters" he used his profits to buy a bar.
Education.
Watkins holds a Masters in Education from Johns Hopkins University, and an MFA in creative writing from University of Baltimore.
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. "The Beast Side" is about two Baltimores, taking an in-depth look at systemic racism and the failure of the education system, particularly for black men.
"The Cook Up: A Crack Rock Memoir".
"The Cook Up: A Crack Rock Memoir" published in 2016 by Grand Central Publishing, is a memoir. It is about the operations of a drug empire after Watkins' brother Bip's death, his acceptance to Georgetown University and the struggle to leave the trade behind. It was an editor's pick of The New York Times in May 2016. "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."
"We Speak For Ourselves".
"We Speak For Ourselves" is Watkins' third book. It was published in April 2019 by Atria. It is a collection of essays showcasing black voices in east Baltimore.
Salon.
, Watkins is an editor at large for the online magazine, Salon.