Dwight "D." or "Doc" Watkins (born February 10) is an author,[1] HBO writer, and professor at The University of Baltimore.

Watkins beat addiction, the streets and graduated from Johns Hopkins University, which inducted him into its prestigious Society of Scholars[7] and named him a Distinguished Alumnus.

He also won a 2024 James Beard Media Award for his Salon essay “Navigating the new sober boom, where a person’s sobriety is as unique as their fingerprint,” in addition to a Vernon Jarrett Medal for Journalistic Excellence.

[21][22][9][23] Kirkus Reviews described the book as "A familiar story to fans of The Wire, but Watkins provides a gritty, vivid first-person document of a desperate demographic.

[25][26] We Speak For Ourselves is Watkins' third book, published in April 2019 by Atria is a collection of essays showcasing black voices in east Baltimore.

Poet Nikki Giovanni praised Black Boy Smile, saying "This is a book all young men should read.

[40] After the success of HBO's We Own This City, Watkins and The Wire creator David Simon collaborated on this retrospective of the critically-acclaimed show.