First published 2005
John Gregory Dunne spent four decades observing America with an unforgiving gaze. His nonfiction cuts through the surface of contemporary life to expose uncomfortable realities about Hollywood, politics, sports, and popular culture. This collection brings together his sharpest essays spanning his entire career. Dunne writes with dry humor and pointed skepticism as he examines the film industry from inside L.A. studios and ventures into the glittering artifice of Las Vegas. He dissects public spectacles and private moments with equal precision, from the machinery of American entertainment to intimate reflections on raising his adopted daughter. The book combines pieces from his previous collections with essays from his final fifteen years, never before gathered in one volume. Dunne refuses to flinch from unpleasant truths, delivering observations that cut deep into the fabric of late twentieth century American life.
Genres: essays, american-fiction, 20th-century, american, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century
Vibes: dry-humor, intimate, pointed-skepticism, thought-provoking
Tropes: expose-uncomfortable-realities, unforgiving-gaze
Period: Late 20th Century
350 pages · Paperback · Thunder's Mouth Press