Patrick Dean’s new book, NATURE’S MESSENGER: MARK CATESBY’S ADVENTURES IN A NEW WORLD, reveals the complex life of the botanist and artist, who saw firsthand the rippling effects and unintended consequences of 18th century globalization on the natural world in North America and the Caribbean.
Dean’s first book, A WINDOW TO HEAVEN, revealed the riveting and unknown story of Hudson Stuck, an Episcopal priest who in 1913 led the first-ever summit of Denali, one of the world’s deadliest mountains. It was published by Pegasus Books in 2021.
"In A Window to Heaven, Patrick Dean brings together the story of a humble Episcopal priest with the stupendous chronicle of the improbable first ascent of North America's tallest and most magnificent mountain. A book whose scope, themes, and drama are worthy of Denali itself."
-- Kevin Fedarko, author of THE EMERALD MILE
“A rich and sensitive portrait of a man, a mountain, and an era in Alaska’s history that we should know better. In his careful exploration of Stuck’s life and his race to be the first to summit Denali, Dean offers a wonderful view onto the North at a time when its people, and its landscapes, should be more on our minds than ever."
-- Neil Shea, National Geographic
Book Events
UPCOMING
August 16, 2025 Possumtown Book Fest, Columbus, MS
October 18-19, 2025 Southern Festival of Books, Nashville, TN
PAST
April 8, 2025 University of Mississippi Archives, Oxford, MS
April 5, 2025 Trails & Trilliums, Beersheba Springs, TN
January 31, 2025 Mississippi Episcopal Diocesan Council, Biloxi, MS
Bio
Patrick Dean lives, works, and plays in and around Monteagle, Tennessee. He has written speeches for Congressional candidates, taught inner-city high-school English, and earned a master’s degree in theology.
Since 2012, Patrick has been a free-lance writer, social-media content creator, and website designer. He is also the executive director of the Mountain Goat Trail Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to creating a walking and cycling trail on a former railroad bed.
Patrick is a content ambassador for Territory Run Co.
Contact Patrick at deansewanee@gmail.com
Selected Writing
Out from Audubon’s Shadow: Meet a Bold Wildlife Artist and Explorer Garden & Gun (2022)
Excerpt: Meet the Ragtag Crew that Were the First to Summit Denali Adventure Journal (2021)
Testing the Foot: A Surprise Lesson in Mindfulness Territory Run Co. (2021)
How Hudson Stuck's Ascent of Denali Boosted Recognition of Indigenous Alaskans History News Network (2020)
Trails are Miracles Territory Run Co. (2020)
Surfing the Isobars Territory Run Co. (2019)
Soul Running. Territory Run Co. (2019)
What It’s Like to Quit Your Job and Become a Raft Guide. RootsRated (2018)
Blog
Featured
Contact
Email: deansewanee@gmail.com/ Twitter: @patrickldean/ Facebook: @patricklanedean/ Instagram: @deansewanee