Four of the Best Books on U.S. Political Assassinations
Books about political assassinations represent a grim if popular genre. After the near assassination of former President Trump, four books are well worth exploring or revisiting. Read more
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Middlebrow Art
Controversial Journalists are an Endangered Species
Journalists are an aging species. Yet one journalistic type may be said to be endangered: the one who courts controversy like the late Christopher Hitchens, Molly Ivins, and William F. Buckley, Jr. In a democracy, this is a shame. Read more
As I Please: Netflix’s Popular “American Nightmare” is Overrated
The chief theme of Netflix’s popular series “American Nightmare” is hardly groundbreaking. It was noted nearly eighty years ago by none other than George Orwell. Read more
What Everybody Gets Wrong About Nancy Pelosi (Review #2)
Molly Ball’s biography of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi explores the pride the San Francisco Democrat takes in her profession and achievements without reckoning with its downsides. Read more
An Unjustly Neglected Book About the Jonestown Cult Massacre (Review #1)
Pretty much every journalist and historian has asked, Who was Jim Jones? and How did he orchestrate the mass death of more than 900 Americans? John Peer Nugent’s “White Night” is the rare work that asks, Why didn’t the State Department or the Guyanese stop Jones? Read more
The Adult Amid the Hippies: Why You Should Read Joan Didion’s Early Essays
To anyone curious which of Joan Didion’s books you should start reading, I recommend her first two collections of essays, not only for their style but also their insight into a cultural and civic problem Americans face today. Read more
To this Blog’s Sunlit Uplands
In the spirit of this Advent season, True Writer Blog has a newly enlarged purpose. The site will continue to explore journalism, but it will branch out to good popular art, particularly books, as well as television and movies. How is “pop” art made? What makes it good, bad, or meh? Read more
How the Elements of Style is Wrong for Pro Writers
For professional writers who read William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White’s “The Elements of Style,” there is a sad, unsettling reality. The popular writing guide omits the most important writing principle, the superstar principle, the principle that wins you readers and paychecks alike. Read more