Dennis McDougal
Encyclopedia
Dennis McDougal is an author
and journalist
. He has worked for a variety of publications and has earned over 50 honors, including the National Headliners Award and several Associated Press
awards, and has been called "L.A.'s No. 1 muckraker" and his book Privileged Son "illuminating reading for anyone interested in 20th-century Los Angeles or modern-day newspapering" by The New York Times
. A native of Southern California
, he currently lives near Memphis
, Tennessee
.
, California
. After attending public school in the L.A. suburb of Lynwood
,he received a bachelor of arts
degree in English from UCLA, where he later earned a master's in journalism
.
in the South China Sea
. In an interview with blogger Luke Ford
, McDougal recalls his experience, much of which formed the basis for his first fiction novel The Candlestickmaker
, published in 2011:
He was later awarded a John S. Knight Fellowship
at Stanford University
and spent a year teaching and studying in Japan
and Canada
, as well as at the Palo Alto campus.
Between books, McDougal was a producer for CNN
during the O.J. Simpson trial
, where he was responsible for tracking down witnesses, relatives, and acquaintances for interviews as well as documents and public records for use on-camera as the trial unfolded.
A longtime contributor to TV Guide
, McDougal's last piece covered the "murderous saga" of actor Robert Blake
and Bonny Lee Bakley.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and journalist
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
. He has worked for a variety of publications and has earned over 50 honors, including the National Headliners Award and several Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
awards, and has been called "L.A.'s No. 1 muckraker" and his book Privileged Son "illuminating reading for anyone interested in 20th-century Los Angeles or modern-day newspapering" by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
. A native of Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
, he currently lives near Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
.
Early Life and Education
McDougal is originally from PasadenaPasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. After attending public school in the L.A. suburb of Lynwood
Lynwood
Lynwood can refer to several places.*Cities in the United States:** Lynwood, California***cf. Straight Outta Lynwood, an album by Weird Al Yankovic** Lynwood, Illinois*A suburb of Perth** Lynwood, Western Australia*A district of Brookhaven, Georgia...
,he received a bachelor of arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in English from UCLA, where he later earned a master's in journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
.
Military Service
From 1967 to 1969, McDougal was on active duty with the Naval Reserves. He served aboard the U.S.S. AnnapolisUSS Gilbert Islands (CVE-107)
USS Gilbert Islands was a Commencement Bay class escort carrier of the United States Navy.She was launched on 20 July 1944 the Todd-Pacific Shipyards, Inc., Tacoma, Washington; sponsored by Mrs. Edwin D. McMorries; and commissioned on 5 February 1945, Captain L. K...
in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
. In an interview with blogger Luke Ford
Luke Ford
Luke Ford is an American writer, blogger, and former pornography gossip columnist known for his disclosures and traditionalist Jewish religious views.-Personal:Ford moved to California in 1977...
, McDougal recalls his experience, much of which formed the basis for his first fiction novel The Candlestickmaker
The Candlestickmaker
The Candlestickmaker is the lone solo album by American musician Ron Elliott, released in 1970 on Warner Bros. It was recorded following the dissolution of The Beau Brummels, with whom Elliott had been the chief songwriter and guitarist...
, published in 2011:
Early career
Before turning his attention full-time to writing books in 1993, McDougal reported on the glitzy and occasionally corrupt aspects of Hollywood as a staff writer for 10 years at the Los Angeles Times, while previously working as a staff writer for The Riverside Press-Enterprise (1973–1977), and The Long Beach Press-Telegram from 1977-1981.He was later awarded a John S. Knight Fellowship
John S. Knight Fellowships for Professional Journalists
The John S. Knight Fellowships for Professional Journalists is a paid fellowship for journalists at Stanford University. The program started in 1966, and is named after the American newspaper publisher and editor John S. Knight...
at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
and spent a year teaching and studying in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, as well as at the Palo Alto campus.
Between books, McDougal was a producer for CNN
CNN
Cable News Network is a U.S. cable news channel founded in 1980 by Ted Turner. Upon its launch, CNN was the first channel to provide 24-hour television news coverage, and the first all-news television channel in the United States...
during the O.J. Simpson trial
O. J. Simpson murder case
The O. J. Simpson murder case was a criminal trial held in Los Angeles County, California Superior Court from January 29 to October 3, 1995. Former American football star and actor O. J...
, where he was responsible for tracking down witnesses, relatives, and acquaintances for interviews as well as documents and public records for use on-camera as the trial unfolded.
A longtime contributor to TV Guide
, McDougal's last piece covered the "murderous saga" of actor Robert Blake
Robert Blake
Robert Blake may refer to:*Bob Blake , American professional ice hockey player*Robert Blake , English naval commander*Robert Blake , pioneering Irish dentist...
and Bonny Lee Bakley.
Current career
As of 2011, McDougal was the author of 10 books:- Angel of Darkness (1991) A cult classic about Southern California serial murderer Randy KraftRandy Steven KraftRandy Steven Kraft is an American serial killer. He was convicted of 16 murders and is strongly suspected of committing at least 51 others.-Early life:...
, the mild-mannered computer whiz by day and lust killer at night, who holds the dubious distinction of being one of the most prolific murderers (approximately 67 victims) in modern U.S. history.http://www.amazon.com/dp/0446515388
- Fatal Subtraction: How Hollywood Really Does Business (with Pierce O'Donnell) (1992) An inside look at Hollywood's landmark Art Buchwald v. Paramount trialBuchwald v. ParamountBuchwald v. Paramount was a breach of contract lawsuit filed and decided in California in which humorist and writer Art Buchwald alleged that Paramount Pictures stole his script idea and turned it into the 1988 movie Coming to America...
, the "Coming To America" lawsuit that unveiled Hollywood's sleazy accounting practices and changed forever the way studios conduct business.http://www.amazon.com/dp/0553471007
- In The Best of Families (1994) The "Best Fact Crime" in the Mystery Writers of AmericaMystery Writers of AmericaMystery Writers of America is an organization for mystery writers, based in New York.The organization was founded in 1945 by Clayton Rawson, Anthony Boucher, Lawrence Treat, and Brett Halliday....
's Edgar AwardEdgar AwardThe Edgar Allan Poe Awards , named after Edgar Allan Poe, are presented every year by the Mystery Writers of America...
nominee, this book recounts the descent into murderous madness of the family of Roy Miller, Ronald Reagan'sRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
attorney. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0446602353/
- Mother's Day (1998) The best-selling saga of a Sacramento mother of six who enticed two of her sons into a monstrous plot to torture and murder her own two daughters.http://www.amazon.com/dp/0449149307
- The Last Mogul (1998) An unauthorized biography of Lew WassermanLew WassermanLewis Robert "Lew" Wasserman was an American talent agent and studio executive, sometimes credited with creating and later taking apart the studio system in a career spanning more than six decades...
, a Hollywood talent agentTalent agentA talent agent, or booking agent, is a person who finds jobs for actors, authors, film directors, musicians, models, producers, professional athletes, writers and other people in various entertainment businesses. Having an agent is not required, but does help the artist in getting jobs...
who later became head of Universal StudiosUniversal StudiosUniversal Pictures , a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, is one of the six major movie studios....
. In his book, McDougal accuses Wasserman of mob ties, monopolistic practices and alludes to Ronald ReaganRonald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
illegally favoring Wasserman. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0306810506
- The Yosemite Murders (2000) In Yosemite National ParkYosemite National ParkYosemite National Park is a United States National Park spanning eastern portions of Tuolumne, Mariposa and Madera counties in east central California, United States. The park covers an area of and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain...
, Cary StaynerCary StaynerCary A. Stayner is an American serial killer currently on death row for the 1999 murders of four women in Mariposa County near Yosemite, California.-Early life:Stayner was born and raised in Merced, California...
commits murder after murder as law enforcement scrambles to decipher anything that will save hapless vacationers.http://www.amazon.com/dp/0345438345
- Privileged Son (2001) A biography of Los Angeles Times publisher Otis ChandlerOtis ChandlerOtis Chandler was the publisher of the Los Angeles Times between 1960 and 1980, leading a large expansion of the newspaper and its ambitions...
., and winner of the Fordham UniversityFordham UniversityFordham University is a private, nonprofit, coeducational research university in the United States, with three campuses in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
Anne M. Sperber Award as the nation's best media biography in 2002 Priviledged Son was later adapted into a PBS American experience documentary titled Inventing L.A.: The Chandlers and Their Times. In 2007, McDougal discussed his book on NPR'sNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...
Morning EditionMorning EditionMorning Edition is an American radio news program produced and distributed by National Public Radio . It airs weekday mornings and runs for two hours, and many stations repeat one or both hours. The show feeds live from 05:00 to 09:00 ET, with feeds and updates as required until noon...
.http://www.amazon.com/dp/0306811618
- Blood Cold (with Mary Murphy) (2002) Former child actor, acclaimed star of In Cold BloodIn Cold BloodIn Cold Blood is a 1966 book by Truman Capote.In Cold Blood may also refer to:* In Cold Blood , a 1967 film and 1996 miniseries, both based on the book* In Cold Blood...
and iconic ‘70s TV detective in BarettaBarettaBaretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975 to 1978. The show was a milder version of a successful 1973–74 ABC series, Toma, starring Tony Musante as chameleon-like, real-life New Jersey police officer David Toma...
, Robert BlakeRobert BlakeRobert Blake may refer to:*Bob Blake , American professional ice hockey player*Robert Blake , English naval commander*Robert Blake , pioneering Irish dentist...
met Bonny Lee Bakley at a party and slept with her the same night. A Hollywood parasite and con artist known for elaborate Internet sex scams and a shameless pursuit of money and fame, Bonny wanted to marry a star and by the late ‘90s, Blake was her target: a troubled has-been coasting on the fumes of past success. Six months after their quickie wedding, Bonny was shot to death in a parked car on a dark Hollywood side street, and the No. 1 suspect was Baretta.http://www.amazon.com/dp/0451410734
- Five Easy Decades: How Jack Nicholson Became the Biggest Movie Star in Modern Times (2008) A biography about the life of American film star Jack NicholsonJack NicholsonJohn Joseph "Jack" Nicholson is an American actor, film director, producer and writer. He is renowned for his often dark portrayals of neurotic characters. Nicholson has been nominated for an Academy Award twelve times, and has won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice: for One Flew Over the...
. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0470422823
- The Candlestickmaker (2011) His most recent book and a work of fiction, based on McDougal's own experiences serving in the US Navy during the Vietnam WarVietnam WarThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. http://www.amazon.com/dp/1456509039
Works in Progress
- Things Have Changed: The Lives of Bob Dylan Currently a work-in-progress, this book will detail the life of the folk rockFolk rockFolk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
legend Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
.