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Paul Stephen McHugh (1950-) is an author, journalist, and outdoor sportsman. He has published three non-fiction books and three novels. He was an editor and feature writer for the Outdoors Section of The San Francisco Chronicle from 1985 to 2007.

Education
In his teens, McHugh spent six years in a St. John Vianney College Seminary, studying to be a priest. He graduated from Florida State University in 1972 with a B.A. in English/Poetry and minor in psychology. While there, he was the editor of the student magazine Embryo. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

Journalism
From 1978 to 1985 McHugh was a freelance journalist. He write articles published in California, California Living, New West, and National Fisherman. He was also a featured writer for NNI (national news story network).

From 1985 to 2007 he was an editor and feature writer for the Outdoors Section of The San Francisco Chronicle.

After 2007, McHugh wrote articles on a freelance basis for publications including New York Times , Washington Post  , Miami Herald, Los Angeles Times  and San Jose Mercury News.

Newspaper Series

 * 1993-1994: Exposé of corruption among management at Asilomar Conference Center.
 * 1995: Exposé of corruption in management of California Parks Foundation.
 * 2005: The North Coast, a front-page newspaper series for the San Francisco Chronicle that included videocasts and podcasts based on a 400-mile sea kayak voyage from the Oregon border to San Francisco Bay. This series was submitted for a Pulitzer Prize.

Broadcast Journalism

 * Produced, wrote and narrated “The Eel – Life of a Threatened River,” broadcast in California on PBS in 1982.
 * Produced, wrote and directed “Return of the Desert Bighorn,” broadcast nationwide on PBS in 1984.

Awards
1990


 * Writer of the Year from Outdoor Writers Association of America
 * National Mercury Award in conservation issue writing from Ducks Unlimited

1992


 * Best Column Award from Outdoor Writers of California

Fiction

 * The Search for Goodbye-to-Rains, Island Press, 1980.
 * Deadlines, Cypress House, 2010. Winner of the 2011 National Indie Excellence Award and the 2011 Bay Area Independent Publishers Book Award.
 * The Blind Pool, ElkHeart Books, 2017. Winner of the 2018 Chanticleer Reviews, “Clue – Thriller & Suspense,” 1st in category prize.

Nonfiction

 * Wild Places, Foghorn Press, 1995.

Athletics
In 1986, Paul McHugh helped launch the surf contest known as the Santa Cruz Paddlefest for waveskis, SUP riders and kayak surfers.

In 1988, McHugh was on the first U.S. National kayak surfing team

From 1995-2005, McHugh competed in sea kayak races in San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean.

Personal
McHugh was born in Homestead, Florida in 1950. He lives on the San Francisco Peninsula with his wife, Dawn Garcia.