Steve Almond
Cognoscenti contributor
Steve Almond is the author of 12 books, including the New York Times bestsellers “Candyfreak" and "Against Football.” His new book, “Truth Is the Arrow, Mercy Is the Bow,” is about craft, inspiration and the struggle to write.
Recently published
Trump weaponizes words. His opponents should, too
In an era of agitated distraction, Americans latch on to simple catchphrases as a way of grasping complex realities, writes Steve Almond. Trump and Republicans use this to their advantage....
The chaos Trump creates doesn’t just distract — it makes America less safe
There's a deeper harm to all the chaos President Trump creates, and it’s mostly invisible, writes Steve Almond. Trump's relentless, disruptive activity creates a vacuum: in leadership, competence and ultimately,...
'Gatsby' is 100 years old, and Fitzgerald’s tale is still America’s story
A hundred years ago, F. Scott Fitzgerald saw the dire patterns we are living through today. This is why “The Great Gatsby” still matters, writes Steve Almond.
To give rich Americans a $4.5 trillion tax cut, Trump will cut health care for the poor
Some 70 million people are covered by Medicaid, a public health insurance program for low-income Americans. Trump and Republicans want to pass a $4.5 trillion tax cut, writes Steve Almond....
The 'administrative coup' underway underscores Trump's anti-democratic ambitions
Members of the press who cover Trump, those who oppose him, those who did not vote for him and those who did, must ignore his barrage of falsehoods, writes Steve...
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The land of my childhood is on fire
As horrifying as the spread of these fires has been, they are merely the latest in a long and harrowing catalogue, writes Steve Almond. Over the past decade, not a...
Let us hold fast to the politics of mercy
This election is best understood as a referendum on cruelty, writes Steve Almond. How much cruelty will be allowed in America?
Kamala Harris' closing message: It's his record, stupid
Kamala Harris seems to have settled on a closing argument that focuses on Trump’s increasingly menacing rhetoric, writes Steve Almond. It is incumbent upon our free press to remind voters...
Dispatch from a swing state: Going door-to-door in Scranton, Pa.
Steve Almond canvassed for Kamala Harris with his teenage daughter and her two friends in Scranton, Pennsylvania, earlier this month. He left the weekend impressed by Harris' robust ground game,...
Kamala Harris is more than vibes. Here's a primer on her policies
The current GOP attack on Kamala Harris -- that she's all vibes no substance -- is being reinforced by the media, writes Steve Almond. America’s publishers and producers could cover...