rory nugent

rory nugent IS A WRITER AND AN EXPLORER, BUT NOT THE USUAL KIND. HIS WORK TAKES INVENTORY OF THE POORLY LIT SHELVES IN THE COMMUNAL WAREHOUSE, THOSE AREAS OF DEEP SHADOWS CAUSED BY STOCK--ESPECIALLY CULTURES AND TRADITIONS--GONE MISSING AND ABOUT TO GO MISSING. HIS FINDINGS HAVE APPEARED IN NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES PUBLISHED AROUND THE WORLD, AND IN HIS THREE BOOKS: DOWN AT THE DOCKS (PANTHEON, 2009); DRUMS ALONG THE CONGO (HOUGHTON-MIFFLIN, 1993);and THE SEARCH FOR THE PINK-HEADED DUCK (HOUGHTON-MIFFLIN, 1991).

nugent,58, WAS BORN IN NEW YORK. AFTER GRADUATING FROM WILLIAMS COLLEGE (BA, 1975), HE WENT TO SEA ABOARD FREIGHTERS AND CANVAS-FLIERS. EARLY ON, IN 1976, HE MADE HIS BONES BY COMPETING IN THE OBSERVER SINGLE-HANDED TRANS-ATLANTIC RACE. HE FINISHED OUT OF THE MONEY, BUT STAYED IN THE GAME AND PUT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF MILES UNDER THE KEEL. HE WENT ON TO LOG 4 1/​2 SOLO OCEAN CROSSINGS, THE FRACTION INCLUDING HIS SHIPWRECK ABOARD GODIVA CHOCOLATES SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DRINK. HE WAS RESCUED FIVE DAYS LATER AND 28 POUNDS LIGHTER.

NOT WANTING TO SWIM ANYMORE, nugent TOOK TO FIELD RESEARCH AND BEGAN DOCUMENTING NATURE'S NUMINOUS WONDERS IN AREAS FAR OFF THE BEATEN TRACK. HIS TRAVELS OFTEN HAD HIM CRISSCROSSING WHITE BLANKS ON WORLD MAPS IN SEARCH OF FLORA AND FAUNA MOST EXPERTS CONSIDERED EXTINCT; nugent, HOWEVER, IMAGINED THEM HIDING AND DOING SO FOR GOOD REASONS, LIKE THE PINK-HEADED DUCK AND NESSIE'S AFRICAN COUSIN, MOKELE-MBEMBE. ALONG THE WAY, HE MOUNTED SOLO EXPEDITIONS DOWN GREAT RIVERS (BRAHMAPUTRA, NILE--WHITE AND BLUE, UELE/​UBANGI,SOBAT, AMONG OTHERS) AND NEGLECTED STREAMS (LIKOULA AUX HERBES, RIO ORO,AND PLENTY MORE), THROUGH JUNGLES AND DESERTS, AND INTO A RARELY SEEN WORLD ABOVE THE CLOUDS, IN THE HIMALAYAS. HIS FIRST TWO BOOKS DETAIL SOME OF HIS DISCOVERIES.

IN 1992, nugent SHIFTED GEARS AND BEGAN WORKING FULL-TIME AS A JOURNALIST, HIS BEAT THE NIGHTMARE, HIS QUEST THOSE ELEMENTS ALLOWING IT TO PROSPER. FOR THE NEXT TEN YEARS, HE INVESTIGATED DYSTOPIAS OF ONE SORT OR ANOTHER AND LIVED WITH THEIR CREATORS AND AGENTS: NITWIT GENERALS AND LOUSY WARS IN EUROPE, AFRICA AND ASIA. HE BECAME INTIMATE WITH BOTH THE PRIESTS AND PROPHETS OF INTOLERANCE, ALONG WITH THE DEMONS THAT RISE OUT OF BULLETS, MACHETES, FAMINE AND KILLING FIELDS THE SIZE OF TEXAS. HIS PHOTOS AND NEWS STORIES MERITED ROUTINE INCLUSION ON SHORT-LISTS FOR ANNUAL JOURNALISM AWARDS, AND SOME REMAIN STANDARDS. A FEW HIGHLIGHTS...nugent EARNED ACCESS INSIDE THE IRA, THE ONLY NEWSMAN EVER TO TRAVEL AND LIVE WITH AN ACTIVE BRIGADE, AND WAS ABLE TO REPORT ON THE VIEW FROM BEHIND THE MASK; HIS STORY PRESAGED THE PEACE DEAL IN NORTHERN IRELAND. HE ALSO SPENT MONTHS INSIDE THE WHEELHOUSE TO RADICAL ISLAM (THEN BASED IN KHARTOUM, 1994-95)AS THE OFFICER CORPS DREW THE MAPS LEADING TO 9/​11, AND HIS STORY PROVED EERILY ACCURATE.

AFTER AN ASSIGNMENT IN IRAN AND IRAQ, IN 2002, nugent EXITED THE GLOOM AND REFOCUSED ON AMERICA, ASSEMBLING NOTES FOR HIS BOOK DOWN AT THE DOCKS. A NEW BOOK IS UNDERWAY.