D. Watkins is a professor at the University of Baltimore and founder of the BMORE Writers Project. His writing has been published in the New York Times, Guardian, Rolling Stone, Salon, and other publications. He holds a master’s degree in education from Johns Hopkins University and an MFA in creative writing from the University of Baltimore. Watkins, a New York Times best-selling author, has been the recipient of numerous awards including Ford’s Men of Courage and a BME Fellowship. His most recent book is The Cook Up: A Crack Rock Memoir.