ABOUT

I grew up in Illinois, graduated from Williams College, and studied at Princeton Theological Seminary. After working as a political speechwriter, I began writing for newspapers and magazines. My first book, Starstruck: When A Fan Gets Close to Fame, about the gravitational pull of celebrity, grew out of my childhood obsession with collecting autographs. As a longtime contributing editor at Vanity Fair, I reported on culture, politics, religion, crime, business, technology and national security. Of all my VF stories, this is one of my favorites: a love story about a breeder of Pembroke Welsh Corgi dogs who happened to be the Queen of England. My next book, Stronger: The Untold Story of Muscle in Our Lives, to be published by Dutton on March 11, 2025, is about the central role of muscle in human life.