“Places like Hilton Head, with water adjacency and nice climates, are in high demand, and land values are insane. In the case of Hilton Head, which was developed in 1970 on what had been a mosquito- and alligator-infested swampy barrier island, land value has leaped from nearly zero to now unaffordable.”

American journalist, television writer, and author

Susan Orlean is an American journalist, television writer, and bestselling author. She has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1992 and is known for books such as The Orchid Thief and The Library Book. Her work has also appeared in magazines including Vogue, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and Outside. In 2021, she joined the writing team of the HBO comedy series How To with John Wilson, adding television to a career built on reporting and long-form nonfiction.