The Cook Up - D. Watkins Author Talk 

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“D. Watkins has arrived.”
—David Simon, author of The Corner and creator, HBO’s The Wire

“THE COOK UP delivers a raw and honest account of life in East Baltimore and a narrative of incredible strength and redemption. D. Watkins is truly an artist.”
—King Mez, hip-hop artist

The smartest kid on his block in East Baltimore, D. was certain he would escape the life of drugs, decadence, and violence that had surrounded him since birth. But when his brother Devin is shot-only days after D. receives notice that he's been accepted into Georgetown University—the plans for his life explode, and he takes up the mantel of his brother's crack empire. D. succeeds in cultivating the family business, but when he meets a woman unlike any he's known before, his priorities are once more put into question. Equally terrifying and hilarious, inspiring and heartbreaking, D.'s story offers a rare glimpse into the mentality of a person who has escaped many hells.

D. Watkins is a columnist for Salon; his work has been published in the New York Times, the Guardian, Rolling Stone and other publications. He is also a professor of Creative Writing at the University of Baltimore and founder ofthe BMORE Writers Project. He holds a Master’s in Education from Johns Hopkins University and an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Baltimore. He has been the recipient of numerous awards, including BME Fellowship. He has lectured at countless universities and public events around the country. Watkins has been featured as a guest and commentator on NBC’s Meet the Press, CNN’s The Erin Burnett Show, MSNBC Melissa Harris-Perry Show, Democracy Now!, and NPR’s Monday Morning among other shows. Watkins is from and will always live in east Baltimore.