Brian Lee Knopp is an author. He teaches nonfiction writing for the Great Smokies Writing Program at the University of North Carolina Asheville. His first book, "Mayhem in Mayberry," was published in 2009. His second book, "Dreams I'm Never Gonna See: The Takeover of WDIZ Rock 100/FM and Other Essays," was published in 2024. Before becoming a writer, Knopp was a private investigator. Before that, he was a sheep-shearer.