Between the lines of fact and fiction stands a man who is not afraid to be inspired by both.
S.V. DÃte has written for the Los Angeles Times, Orlando Sentinel and the Associate Press, just to name a few.
He currently serves as the capital bureau chief for the Palm Beach Post. With the Post, he has the privelege of covering the governor, the Legislature and even hurricanes.
On Monday, DÃte will host a summit to talk more about his career.
DÃte will host his “fact or fiction” seminar in Room 410A of the Coleman Library.
The event will be followed by a reception in Jazzman’s Café.
This will be the first event marking the celebration of National Library Week that extends from Sunday to April 16.
DÃte has the ability to use those two elements to create brilliant stories that evoke emotion from the reader.
Stories, like his novels “Smokeout” and “Deep Water” earned praise from the New York Times.
While other stories, like the investigative reporting he did on former House Speaker Tom Feeney and the ex-Hooters waitress in Tallahassee, sparked anger, making him the first reporter ever banned from the Florida Chamber.
“I picked DÃte because I heard him do a presentation at the main public library about two months ago,” said Robert Visk.
Visk, the public relations coordinator for Coleman Library, said, “You don’t normally find an author who writes in so many media styles.”
DÃte understands that there are benefits to his job besides making money.
“The only downside to being a journalist is the pay, but there are not many jobs where you can seek the truth and it actually matters,” DÃte said.
Not only did DÃte seek and expose the truth about Feeney and was proudly kicked out of the chamber.
He was also awarded for a piece he produced in 2003 regarding fraud in Gov. Jeb Bush’s school voucher initiative.
From “fact to fiction” DÃte switches his style and strays from hard news to novels.
His epiphany to write fiction occurred and materialized on a sailing sabbatical with his wife from Florida across the Atlantic Ocean.
“It was the most difficult and challenging and fun thing we have done before we had children,” Dãte said.
DÃte laughed at the thought.
“If I can cross an ocean, by God I can write a novel.”
While on the year-long voyage, DÃte started and finished his first novel, “Final Orbit.”
According to his Web site, DÃte has produced five novels total.
He is currently working on his sixth.
He is the author of “Quiet Passion,” a biography of Florida Sen. Bob Graham.
“My publisher asked me if I knew who Bob Graham was. I said yes,” DÃte said.
“Then he asked if I could write a biography on him in three months. I said sure,” DÃte explained.
This was a challenge for DÃte because he had to analyze and compile 37 years of information in three months.
DÃte said he thinks his journalism background aided in the research of his biography and novels.
Journalism and fiction-writing skills compliment each other, DÃte said.
DÃte said writing novels has helped his newspaper writing.
The novels have also shown him that traditional newspaper writing is not always the best.
DÃte said he does think that being a novelist is a lot more fun since the story can have any desired ending.
However, he is still dedicated to journalism.
DÃte explained that journalism is where he has the ability to have a real effect on change.
For more information on “Fact or Fiction” and National Library Week, contact the Coleman Library’s Public Relations Coordinator at 599-3330 robert.visk@famu.edu
Contact Monique Brackett at famuanlifestyles@hotmail.com