Dan Fagin
Dan Fagin is a New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction, who has written acclaimed books on science, health, and the environment. He is also the director of the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program at New York University.
FaginW was raised outside of Washington, D.C., in Montgomery County, Maryland. Upon graduating from high school, he attended Duke University where he earned a B.A. in English Literature, then returned for the M.A. program in Creative Writing, focusing on fiction. Fagin claims that his influences in the realm of writing include Willa Cather, Toni Morrison, and Michael Ondaatje.
Following his studies at Duke, Fagin went on to pursue his career in journalism, starting as a reporter for The News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina, and then eventually to the staff of Natural History Magazine, where he was the senior editor for science, health and the environment.
Fagin’s debut book was Toms River: A Story of Science and Salvation, published in 2013. The book details the story of the town of Toms River and its relationship to an industrial chemical manufacturer, Velsicol Chemical Company, which caused contamination in the town’s air, water, and soil. The story centers on the work of a small group of citizens, including one concerned mother and a local doctor. After the book’s publication, it rose to the top spot on the New York Times Bestseller list and won the Pulitzer Prize for general non-fiction for its “timeless narrative of human bravery and scientific creativity”.
After the success of Toms River, Fagin went on to write two more nonfiction books. His second book, The Death of Cancer: After Fifty Years on the Front Lines of Medicine, was published in 2016. The book examines the science and history behind the development of new cancer treatments and explores how the efforts to fight this disease have changed over the years. His most recent book, The Cancer Chronicles: Unlocking Medicine’s Deepest Mystery, was published in 2020. This book is an exploration of the history of cancer research and its potential to unlock the most mysteries of all time.
In addition to his writing career, Fagin is also the director of the Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program (SHERP) at New York University. SHERP’s primary mission is to train students to become the next generation of investigative science and health journalists. The program offers opportunities for students to explore the complex scientific and medical topics with experienced writers, editors, and researchers.
Throughout the years, Fagin’s dedication to successful writing and instruction have earned him numerous accolades and awards. In 2014, he was the recipient of a J. Anthony Lukas award from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. In 2017, he received an honorary degree from Duke University and also won a Guggenheim Fellowship.
Dan Fagin is a highly accomplished author and teacher, and his books have revolutionized how readers look at the complex relationship between human health, science and the environment. His books have the power to challenge readers, to make us think, and to teach us about how seemingly unrelated phenomena can be related.
