Mike D'Orso
Encyclopedia
Mike D'Orso is an American journalist based in Norfolk, Virginia
. He is known as the author of the books Like Judgment Day: The Ruin and Redemption of a Town Called Rosewood (1996) and Eagle Blue: A Team, A Tribe and a High School Basketball Season in Arctic Alaska (2006), and as co-author of Walking With the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement (1998), written with U.S. Congressman and former civil rights
leader John Lewis
, and Body For Life (1999), written with fitness expert Bill Phillips
. His most recent book is "Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them" (2011), written with actor/activist Ted Danson.
, and was raised in numerous military base cities, including Key West, Florida
, San Diego, California
, Charleston, South Carolina
, and Frankfurt, Germany. He graduated with a degree in philosophy
from the College of William and Mary
in 1975 and earned a master's degree
in English from William and Mary in 1981. From 1981 to 1984, he was a staff writer for Commonwealth Magazine, then became a features writer for The Virginian-Pilot
newspaper from 1984 to 1993. From 1988 to 1993, he was a frequent contributor to Sports Illustrated magazine. Seven of his books have been best sellers, including Body for Life
, which was a #1 New York Times best seller, and Walking With the Wind, which won the 1999 Robert F. Kennedy Book Award and was selected for Newsweek
magazine's 2009 list of "50 Books For Our Times".
. His first book, Somerset Homecoming (1988), written with Dorothy Redford, details Redford's extensive investigation into her ancestors' experience as slaves in North Carolina
. Like Judgment Day explores the 1923 destruction of the rural black community of Rosewood, Florida
, and the survivors' and descendants' legal pursuit of monetary reparations
seventy years later. Walking With the Wind traces John Lewis's personal journey as an active leader in the civil rights movement during the 1960s. Eagle Blue examines the plight of rural Native American
villagers in arctic Alaska
as they struggle to shift from a subsistence lifestyle of hunting, trapping and fishing to a modern cash economy for which they are culturally and educationally unprepared. Plundering Paradise (2002) describes the social and environmental impact on the ecologically delicate Galapagos Islands
as thousands of desperately poor Ecuadorian citizens have recently moved to the islands in search of jobs with the tourist industry there.
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. With a population of 242,803 as of the 2010 Census, it is Virginia's second-largest city behind neighboring Virginia Beach....
. He is known as the author of the books Like Judgment Day: The Ruin and Redemption of a Town Called Rosewood (1996) and Eagle Blue: A Team, A Tribe and a High School Basketball Season in Arctic Alaska (2006), and as co-author of Walking With the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement (1998), written with U.S. Congressman and former civil rights
Civil rights
Civil and political rights are a class of rights that protect individuals' freedom from unwarranted infringement by governments and private organizations, and ensure one's ability to participate in the civil and political life of the state without discrimination or repression.Civil rights include...
leader John Lewis
John Lewis (politician)
John Robert Lewis is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1987. He was a leader in the American Civil Rights Movement and chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee , playing a key role in the struggle to end segregation...
, and Body For Life (1999), written with fitness expert Bill Phillips
Bill Phillips (author)
William Nathaniel "Bill" Phillips is an American entrepreneur and author. He is the author of the fitness book Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength. He is the author Eating for Life, founder and former editor in chief of Muscle Media magazine and the former CEO of EAS, a...
. His most recent book is "Oceana: Our Endangered Oceans and What We Can Do to Save Them" (2011), written with actor/activist Ted Danson.
Life
D'Orso's father was a U.S. Navy submarine officer and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. D'Orso was born in Portsmouth, VirginiaPortsmouth, Virginia
Portsmouth is located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of the U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of 2010, the city had a total population of 95,535.The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard, is a historic and active U.S...
, and was raised in numerous military base cities, including Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
, San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
, and Frankfurt, Germany. He graduated with a degree in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
from the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
in 1975 and earned a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in English from William and Mary in 1981. From 1981 to 1984, he was a staff writer for Commonwealth Magazine, then became a features writer for The Virginian-Pilot
The Virginian-Pilot
The Virginian-Pilot is a daily newspaper based in Norfolk, Virginia, and serving the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, southeastern Virginia, the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and northeastern North Carolina. The flagship property of Landmark Media Enterprises, The Pilot is Virginia's largest daily...
newspaper from 1984 to 1993. From 1988 to 1993, he was a frequent contributor to Sports Illustrated magazine. Seven of his books have been best sellers, including Body for Life
Body for Life
Body for Life is a 12-week nutrition and exercise program, and also an annual physique transformation competition. It was created by Bill Phillips, a former competitive bodybuilder and owner of EAS, a manufacturer of nutritional supplements. It has been popularized by a bestselling book of the...
, which was a #1 New York Times best seller, and Walking With the Wind, which won the 1999 Robert F. Kennedy Book Award and was selected for Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
magazine's 2009 list of "50 Books For Our Times".
Works
D'orso's work most often deals with issues of social justiceSocial justice
Social justice generally refers to the idea of creating a society or institution that is based on the principles of equality and solidarity, that understands and values human rights, and that recognizes the dignity of every human being. The term and modern concept of "social justice" was coined by...
. His first book, Somerset Homecoming (1988), written with Dorothy Redford, details Redford's extensive investigation into her ancestors' experience as slaves in North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. Like Judgment Day explores the 1923 destruction of the rural black community of Rosewood, Florida
Rosewood, Florida
The Rosewood massacre was a violent, racially motivated conflict that took place during the first week of January 1923 in rural Levy County, Florida, United States. At least six blacks and two whites were killed, and the town of Rosewood was abandoned and destroyed in what contemporary news reports...
, and the survivors' and descendants' legal pursuit of monetary reparations
Reparation (legal)
In jurisprudence, reparation is replenishment of a previously inflicted loss by the criminal to the victim. Monetary restitution is a common form of reparation...
seventy years later. Walking With the Wind traces John Lewis's personal journey as an active leader in the civil rights movement during the 1960s. Eagle Blue examines the plight of rural Native American
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
villagers in arctic Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
as they struggle to shift from a subsistence lifestyle of hunting, trapping and fishing to a modern cash economy for which they are culturally and educationally unprepared. Plundering Paradise (2002) describes the social and environmental impact on the ecologically delicate Galapagos Islands
Galápagos Islands
The Galápagos Islands are an archipelago of volcanic islands distributed around the equator in the Pacific Ocean, west of continental Ecuador, of which they are a part.The Galápagos Islands and its surrounding waters form an Ecuadorian province, a national park, and a...
as thousands of desperately poor Ecuadorian citizens have recently moved to the islands in search of jobs with the tourist industry there.