Press Kit

Studied at Columbia University & The University of Mississippi.

Born in Flowood, Mississippi and raised by a family of artists and storytellers, the writing was on the wall from the day this ole boy could crawl. Duke never hesitated. He was penning his name in the sand of time before other kids could carry their lunchbox to school. He wrote essays about life, love letters to girlfriends and poems to lovers. 

“Never let the truth interfere with a good story,” his uncle always said. 

People in Mississippi often exaggerate stories to their friends and family for the humor or tale, creating a sort of living, real life fiction. 

Building on that, Duke authored his first book of fiction, The Opaque Stones in 2014, while living at The Charmont on California & 4rth in Santa Monica.

L.A. is Duke's favorite city in the world, which is why he has returned to it so often in his writing.

That first book was dripping with sweat and sea and would become the intonation for all that followed - living a life without fear close to the water in tropical settings. 

​The author of some forty something imprints, Duke resides in Thailand with his wife, dog and three kids.