Latest Release

Drawn to
the Deep

Julie Hauserman’s book celebrates the life of an extraordinary adventurer who braved extreme danger to share the hidden beauty and environmental truths of the planet with others. Wes Skiles felt a pull to the water as a child, captivated by the cobalt springs of Florida. His passion for diving and innovative camera techniques earned him assignments with National Geographic and Outside. Skiles was a self-taught expert on Florida’s freshwater springs and an outspoken advocate for their conservation.

Read More…
Drawn to the Deep
“In this beautifully written, funny, moving biography, Hauserman takes readers on Wes Skiles’s extraordinary adventures under the water and on terra firma as he fought to document and save the wild places he loved. This is a magical book about a man who lived every day loving his art, his family, and the blue ball of planet Earth.”
Diane Roberts author, Dream State
“It’s easy to believe that humans evolved from the sea when you meet Wes Skiles. He was more at home underwater than above. Hold your breath as you read Julie Hauserman’s wonderful tale of a most unusual man. And remember, this tale is true.”
Bill Kurtis announcer, NPR’s Wait Wait …
Don’t Tell Me!
“Wes Skiles’s photos and films are an inspiration to all of those who love nature-especially Florida’s hidden watery world. People of his passion and determination are, and always have been, a rare breed. Hauserman has successfully captured the essence of Skiles in this long-awaited biography.”
Michael Wisenbaker archaeology supervisor, Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research
“Paints a picture of a soul driven to document the natural phenomena of this world and to share it with others for the betterment of planet Earth and its people. It will inspire and make you think.”
Shannon Switzer Swanson National Geographic Explorer
Julie Hauserman

Meet Julie

Julie Hauserman has been nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize: in 1991 for her stories about pollution in Florida’s Fenholloway River, and in 2001 for her stories about arsenic leaking out of pressure-treated lumber all over America. She won the Scripps Howard National Journalism Awards’ top environmental prize for her work on the arsenic stories.

She was a Capitol bureau reporter for the St. Petersburg Times in Tallahassee for seven years and has been a commentator for Florida Public Radio’s Capital Report, National Public Radio’s Weekend Edition-Sunday, and American Public Media’s The Splendid Table. Her essays are featured in several Florida anthologies, including The Wild Heart of Florida, The Book of the Everglades, and Between Two Rivers.

Julie’s work has been published in many newspapers and magazines, including Family Circle, Hip Mama, and the Apalachee Review.

Contact Julie