About Dee
Deirdre "Dee" Bunker is a former city journalist who moved to Nantucket five years ago seeking a "quieter pace of life." Instead, she found herself surrounded by the most colorful cast of characters she's ever encountered—and she covered City Hall for eight years.
With a journalism degree from Northwestern and nearly two decades of reporting experience, Dee brings a professional rigor to ACK Guide that some of our other contributors find "unnecessary" and "a lot of follow-up questions." She takes her job seriously, which is precisely what makes her interviews so illuminating.
Her Approach
Dee's interview style is simple: ask straightforward questions, listen carefully, and let people speak for themselves. She's found this technique remarkably effective on the island, where interview subjects often reveal more than they intend simply by being given the space to talk.
"I'm not trying to catch anyone in a 'gotcha' moment," Dee explains. "I'm just curious. When someone tells me they spent $12,000 on shark-spotting equipment and have never seen a shark, I want to understand that. When someone charges $350 for a sunrise experience and calls it 'accessible,' I have follow-up questions. That's just journalism."
Her subjects often describe being interviewed by Dee as "thorough," "surprisingly probing," and "wait, are you going to print that?"
From Her Interviews
"I asked how long his family had been coming to Nantucket. He said 'forever.' I asked for a year. He said 2009."
"She offered to demonstrate 'ocean rhythm attunement.' It appeared to be breathing, but slower."
"When I pointed out the contradiction, he paused for a long moment and then asked if I'd tried the lobster nachos at Cru."
