Willie Drye
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Willie Drye | |
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 Drye in July 2015 | |
| Born | October 22, 1949 Albemarle, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Occupation | Author, journalist |
| Education | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BA) |
Willie Drye (born October 22, 1949) is an American journalist and non-fiction author. He has published three books and is a contributing editor for National Geographic News.[1] His work also has appeared in The Washington Post,[2] The Globe and Mail, and other national and regional publications.[citation needed] He is currently the President of the Washington County Waterways Commission.[3]
Early life and education
[edit]Drye was born on October 22, 1949, in Albemarle, North Carolina. He participated in athletics at North Stanly High School and received a local award for sports writing for the student newspaper in 1967.[4]
Drye attended Mitchell Community College in Statesville, North Carolina, later serving as a medic in the US Army. After being honorably discharged, he attended Belmont Abbey College for one semester before gaining admission to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he studied English and Journalism.[citation needed]
Journalism
[edit]Following the 2002 publication of his first book, Storm of the Century: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935,[5] Drye began writing for National Geographic News.[6] Storm of the Century was the basis for the documentary film Nature’s Fury: Storm of the Century, which premiered in 2006 on the History Channel.[7] Drye served as the film's primary narrator.[8]
In August 2005, Drye wrote a series of articles for National Geographic News examining the immediate effects of Hurricane Katrina.[9] He also wrote about the hurricane's environmental and political impacts for The Washington Post and the History News Network.[2][10]
Drye has been a guest on radio talk shows, including WLRN in Miami and WUNC in Chapel Hill.[11]
Books
[edit]Drye's first book, Storm of the Century: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, was published by National Geographic Books in 2002.[5] The book was well received by reviewers.[12][13][14]
Drye's second book, Images of America: Plymouth and Washington County, was published by Arcadia Publishing in 2014.[15]
Drye's third book, For Sale—American Paradise: How Our Nation Was Sold an Impossible Dream in Florida, was published by Lyons Press in 2015. It tells the story of the Florida land boom of the 1920s.[16] The book received positive reviews.[17][18][19]
Honors and awards
[edit]- In 2007, Drye received the Charlie Award for Best Public Service Coverage from the Florida Magazine Association.[20]
- In 2016, his third book, For Sale—American Paradise: How Our Nation Was Sold an Impossible Dream in Florida, won a Silver Medal for Best Nonfiction-Southeast Region from the Independent Publisher Book Awards.[21]
References
[edit]- ^ "Worst hurricanes on record in order of wind strength". Environment. October 12, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2025.[non-primary source needed]
- ^ a b Drye, Willie (September 11, 2005). "Opinion: The Great Unknowns". The Washington Post. Retrieved February 26, 2025.
- ^ Rosenberger, Hannah (May 14, 2024). "North Carolina's River Lighthouses". Our State. Retrieved February 23, 2025.
- ^ "Stanly News & Press of Albemarle, North Carolina". February 28, 1967.
- ^ a b Willie Drye (2002). Storm of the Century: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. National Geographic Society. ISBN 9780792280101.
- ^ Maxwell, David (April 29, 2017). "Who Do We Call When There's a Big Hurricane? – National Geographic Society (blogs)". National Geographic. Retrieved May 3, 2017.[dead link]
- ^ "Stanly County native will talk about hurricane experiences, path to first book". The Stanly News & Press. September 13, 2024. Retrieved February 23, 2025.
- ^ Willie Drye. "Tempting the fates : Bonus Veterans, the Florida Keys, and the Storm of the Century" (PDF). Historymiamiarchives.org. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
- ^ "Hurricane Katrina: Complete Coverage". National Geographic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2005. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
- ^ Shenkman, Rick. "Interview with Willie Drye: Katrina and the Great Labor Day Hurricane of 1935". History News Network. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
- ^ "The Origin Story of the Sunshine State". WUNC. May 5, 2016. Retrieved May 3, 2017.[non-primary source needed]
- ^ Drye, Willie (April 28, 2017). "Willie Drye". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
- ^ "Nonfiction Book Review: STORM OF THE CENTURY: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 by Willie Drye, Author. National Geographic $26 (320p) ISBN 978-0-7922-8010-1". Publishers Weekly. July 1, 2002. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
- ^ "Deadly Nonchalance". Orlando Sentinel. September 1, 2002. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
- ^ Drye, Willie (April 21, 2014). Plymouth and Washington County. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 978-1467121248.
- ^ Drye, Willie (2015). For Sale —American Paradise: How Our Nation Was Sold an Impossible Dream in Florida. Guilford: Lyons Press. ISBN 978-0-7627-9468-3.
- ^ Willie Drye (September 14, 2015). Nonfiction Book Review: For Sale American Paradise: How Our Nation Was Sold an Impossible Dream in Florida. LP, Lyons Press. ISBN 978-0-7627-9468-3. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
{{cite book}}:|website=ignored (help) - ^ "Booklist - September 1, 2015". Booklist-digital.com. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
- ^ "Book review: 'For Sale: American Paradise – How Our Nation was Sold an Impossible Dream in Florida' by Willie Drye". Jacksonville.com. December 5, 2015. Retrieved May 3, 2017.
- ^ "Willie Drye, Author of "Storm of the Century: The Labor Day Hurricane of 1935" to Appear as Key West Art & Historical Society Distinguished Speaker Series Guest | Key West Art & Historical Society". www.kwahs.org. April 20, 2017. Retrieved February 23, 2025.[self-published source]
- ^ "THE Voice of the Independent Publishing Industry : 20th Annual Awards". Independent Publisher. Retrieved May 3, 2017.[non-primary source needed]
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