Andy McPhee is the author of the forthcoming The Doctors’ Riot of 1788: Body Snatching, Bloodletting, and Anatomy in America, a historical nonfiction account of a riot against doctors for stealing bodies, due January 6, 2026, and of Donora Death Fog: Clean Air and the Tragedy of a Pennsylvania Mill Town, a historical nonfiction book about the worst air pollution disaster in US history. He has also written four nonfiction books for young adults, written or edited more than 750 newspaper and magazine articles, and managed the publication from beginning to end of more than sixty healthcare textbooks and reference books. A former registered nurse McPhee practiced and taught nursing for many years and worked in the publishing field even more years, starting as a writer and editor at Weekly Reader’s mid-level science magazine and finishing as a healthcare textbook publisher for F. A. Davis in Philadelphia..
He is a Fellow of the National Writing Project and earned two feature writing awards from the Association of Educational Publishers, now a division of the American Association of Publishers. He has presented numerous writing seminars at national conferences, given a number of webinars, and appeared on several podcasts for his books. He was an award-winning actor in community theaters in two states and also directed a number of plays and musicals.
Now retired, Andy has been married nearly 30 years. He and his wife have four children and five grandchildren. The couple live in Saint Petersburg, Florida, with their two dogs. Andy loves golf, books, and fine food—not necessarily in that order.
Expert Topics
Body Snatching from da Vinci to Today—And Yes, It’s Still Going On
Da Vinci himself was known to “snatch” bodies from graves and even hang around a hospital waiting for someone to die so he could study their body. Body snatching became essential in the mid- to late-1700s and throughout the 1800s, and is actually still around today. It just takes on a different, more subtle form.
Donora Death Fog: A Look Back at the Worst Air Pollution Disaster in US History
A deadly six-day smog in a small mill town in Pennsylvania called Donora led directly to the nation’s first clean air act. This session provides historical context to the little-known tragedy to better understand the town’s and mills’ reactions.
So, What’s Next? The Publishing Process from Proposal to Publication
This topic explores fundamental steps in creating a book, focusing mostly on traditional publishing but covering self-publishing as well. From forming an idea to writing a proposal and sample chapters to steps to expect in the publishing process.
How to Wrap Your Writing in History: Telling a Story Through a Historical Lens
Writing about tragic events and the people who experienced them requires that the writer understand the background of that particular moment in time and to slowly bring that backstory to the forefront. When the event “occurs,” the reader can then more fully comprehend what the event must have meant to people at the time.
How My Journey Through Nursing Informs Everything I Write and How I Write It
An author’s own background informs their writing in sometimes surprising ways. This topic explores ways to make sure that one’s background and experiences don’t get lost in the story.
Recent Interviews and Webinars
- Sylvan Stool Lecture for the C. F. Reynolds Medical History Society, November 12, 2024
- Chester County History Center, July 16, 2024
- Weather Brains: Bucket o’ Blood, February 24, 2024
- Writers Association of Northern Appalachia Reading Series, May 4, 2023
For Download
