Hatteras Journal

by Jan Deblieu, Lois Lovejoy

In 1985 Jan DeBlieu moved to Hatteras Island and took up residence in the old home of one of the Outer Banks' most historic families. For more than a year she explored the island's dunes, marshes, waters, and towns to study its complex natural cycles, its fragile ecosystem, its bird, plant, and marine life, and the seasonal routines of its stoical residents. In  Hatteras Journal  she writes evocatively of a harsh but alluring world, where "in summer the sea oats explode with tawny seeds, the black shimmers glide over Pamlico Sound, the loggerheads heave themselves ashore on silent nights." Along with her perceptive observations about the natural life she encounters, she describes the futility of former government policies such as dune construction, the dangers of peat mining to the sounds and bays, the efforts to protect loggerhead turtles on Bald Head Island, and the evolution of Hurricane Gloria and its effects on the barrier islands. This is a vividly rendered account of the rigors and rewards of dwelling in a habitat where only the most resilient forms of life―natural and human―manage to prevail. Jan DeBlieu is the author of four books and dozens of articles and essays about people and nature. Her first book,  Hatteras Journal (Fulcrum 1987), is considered a regional classic on the Outer Banks. It was reprinted in paper by John Blair, Publisher in 1998.  Meant to Be Wild  (Fulcrum 1991) was chosen as one of the best science books of the year by  Library Journal .  Wind  (Houghton Mifflin, 1998; Shoemaker & Hoard 2006) won the John Burroughs Medal for Distinguished Natural History Writing, the highest national award given for a volume of nature writing.  Year of the A Journey from Sadness to the Stars  was published by Shoemaker & Hoard in Spring 2005. All Jan’s books remain in print.  Year of the Comets  was released in paper in December 2006. Most of Jan’s work explores the subtle ways we are shaped by the landscapes where we live and work. She has contributed essays to many national publications, including  The New York Times ,  Audubon , and  Orion .  In the spring of 2003 Jan was named the Cape Hatteras Coastkeeper for the North Carolina Coastal Federation, a grassroots environmental group that works to protect coastal waters from pollution. A longtime environmental activist, in the late 1980s she helped form a group that successfully kept oil companies from drilling off the Outer Banks. She lives on Roanoke Island with her husband and son. “Not since Ben MacNeil wrote The Hatterasman in the 1950s has that bare bone of sand between Bodie and Ocracoke islands been written about so affectionately, intelligently, and well.” — Norfolk Virginian-Pilot

Genres: Nature, Nonfiction

232 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Jan DeBlieu is an American writer whose work often focuses on how people are shaped by the landscapes in which they live. Her own writing has been influenced by her adopted home in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Reviews

[Win Dunwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

My late mother’s favorite book given to me as a 1992 birthday present with a poignant inscription which makes it now my favorite book of multiple readings over the years.

[Philip L · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book at an estate sale that my wife and I went to this summer. Just browsing through a bookshelf of someone else's castaway books that they no longer wanted. I've found some pretty cool treasures over the years that way. This book caught my eye because my family has spent many summers on the Outer Banks going back some 30 years. This copy is actually signed by the author so the original owners must have had some connection.
Jan Deblieu lived on Hatteras Island (southern part of the Outer Banks) for several years with her husband back in the 1980's. This was just before the Banks really started to be developed and turned into a major vacation spot. First time I visited was when I was a kid with my parents back in the 70's at the Hatteras National Seashore and then again later with friends around '85 or '86. From about 1992 to the present my wife & I have been going down just about every summer to the northern end of the Banks, so we've seen the rampant over-development that has occurred.
This book was published around 1986.
Ms. Deblieu hits a little bit on the history of the Hatteras area, but mostly on the people who live there and live a life very much connected to the sea & surf. The sometimes harsh weather, the swirling changes in seasons & currents and how these effect the local residents. Each chapter dives into a specific subject matter; fishing, loggerhead turtle conservation, beach erosion, life saving, hurricanes, climate change, ghost crabs, or migratory shore birds. It isn't all just facts and science though, it's her personal experiences with all these different people, ideas & opinions, and how the locals have carved out a life living with nature and what the land has to offer.
Really enjoyed this book. So much so that I might just have to dive in and read more of her writing.

[DC Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hatteras Journal by Jan Deblieu is a fascinating insight to the Outer Banks of the mid-80’s. As a long time visitor to the island going back to the 80’s, her book gave me a warm comfort reading about one of the few travel places that feels like home to me.

Deblieu moved to Rodanthe and spent a year in the Outer Banks, writing about her time there. Much of the book is centered around nature and the elements, as she discusses topics like ecology of the marshes, fishing, weather, and turtle nesting. Much of her stories on these topics however are captured through her own explorations and interviewing experts and their first hand account. For instance, she doesn’t just rattle off facts about the ecology of the pocosin marshes— rather she joins a research team to experience them in person and ask questions. Her style of writing is like a familiar friend and her methods of capturing those moments in the field of study add to the enjoyment of the book.

I’ll admit I likely have some bias— this is a well written book about one of my favorite places and a book I remember my mom reading when I was a kid. I was going to like this book no matter what. But I truly think that Deblieu captured something special and timeless in how this book comes together.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

(no 60 of 2017)

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I discovered this book by accident while on my first trip to the Outer Banks. It was a absolute pleasure to read the mix of journalism and naturalism in each chapter. I especially enjoyed reading about the families, creatures, and settings of Hatteras Island while staying there -- I enjoyed the happy overlaps. A quiet and immersive read, the chapters almost read like loosely connected essays. I particularly enjoyed the recounting of Hurricane Gloria, the author's discovery of creatures in the sea lettuce, and the logistics of fish packing. Recommended for not as light but highly relevant and engaging beach reading.

[David Ward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hatteras Journal by Jan Deblieu (John F. Blair Publisher 1998)(508.756175) is a thoughtful and interesting series of reflections from an author who spent a year on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. She writes about an eclectic mix of topics including those of particular interest to me: Loggerhead turtles, red drum fishing, various methods of fishing commonly employed by the bankers, and the operation of a fish packing house. This is a very worthwhile read. My rating: 7.5/10, finished 8/22/13.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

An outsider's view of life, human and wild, on Hatteras Island. It is at it's best when focusing on Hatteras; it goes astray with topics like peat bogs on the mainland and sea turtles to the south of Hatteras.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Showed a great understanding about environmental problems on the Outer Banks.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

1987 A descripted look at the Outer banks and what it is like to really live on the island. There are original drawings by Lois Lovejoy that I just loved.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are interested in coastal life: fishing, turtles, microscopic life, and especially the Outer Banks, read this book. I found it fascinating.