- Masterful writer: In "The New York Times," David Brooks hailed Matt Labash as "consistently one of the best magazine writers in the country." He is not alone. Considered one of American's most brilliant writers by the journalism community, this long-awaited book debut presents Labash at his very best. A latter day Leibling, Labash's collection will take its place alongside books by writers such as Calvin Trillin and P.J. O'Rourke..- A unique voice that's well-connected: Labash's well-informed insights, self-deprecating wit, and provocative candor feature regularly in "The Weekly Standard" and have also appeared in "Washingtonian Magazine," "American Spectator," and on Slate.com. Extremely well-liked and respected, his media contacts are many and varied. He has declined invitations to appear on everything from "HBO Sports" to "Meet the Press" --but is finally willing to make the rounds. As "LA Weekly" wrote after his Detroit piece, "it's not new to give props to Matt Labash.."- Remarkable collection: Full of wit, insight, and a trenchant grasp of the American scoundrel, Labash's masterful profiles of men on the nation's fringe--Pirate Kingfish Gov. Edwin Johnson, The Right Reverend Dr. Al Sharpton, Dirty Trickster Roger Stone--are published alongside devastating pieces on such dead or dying cities as Detroit and New Orleans; work celebrating such joyous, but overlooked pockets of American culture as Revival music and Rebirth Brass Band; and scathing, hilarious briefs on the nation's great phonies--Michael Moore, Louis Farrakhan, Donald Trump to name a few..