Dean Jobb

I’m drawn to fascinating people and events that have been overlooked or forgotten – hidden gems tucked away in the attics of history, stories waiting to be told. Ideas and inspiration can come from a footnote in a book, a museum exhibit or a reference in the news. I discovered the subject of my latest book, Empire of Deception – Leo Koretz and his amazing oil swindle in 1920s Chicago – while doing research on another subject. I spotted a reference to his arrest in Nova Scotia and I knew instantly it was a great story. My previous books include The Cajuns: A People's Story of Exile and Triumph, which chronicles the expulsion of French-speaking Acadians from Eastern Canada more than two centuries ago and the founding of Louisiana’s Cajun culture. Calculated Risk is an investigation into a 1992 explosion that killed twenty-six Nova Scotia coal miners and led to sweeping reforms to workplace safety laws. I was a reporter, editor and columnist with Halifax’s leading newspaper, the Chronicle Herald, for 20 years and I write for major newspapers and magazines in Canada and the U.S. I have been a journalism professor at the University of King’s College in Halifax since 2004.