Joe Bageant

An update on what I've been doing lately

Greetings earthlings,

How strange it is to realize that six months have passed without writing an essay for the internet. The reason is I have discovered that I do not seem to do more than one thing at a time, in this case, focus to write a book and let my mind roam around in the essay process.

This summer I signed a book deal with Random House Crown, with the manuscript to be delivered May 1, 2006. The book is tentatively titled DRINK, PRAY, FIGHT AND FUCK: Dispatches from the American Class Wars. Whether such a title will make it onto the shelves at Borders next summer without asterisks may be a good indicator of how strong a grip America’s new neocon consciousness still has on freedom of speech.

Cover drawing for my upcoming book

Here is the dust jacket drawing for my book, Drink, Pray, Fight and Fuck, to be published next year by Crown, a division of Random House. The artist is Mike Caplanis, who has been called one of America's finest caricaturists. Mike says: "If I'm so good why am I so broke? CALL ME!" Mike is represented by Joan Sigman of the Newborn Group in New York. (212) 989-4600. One of these days I'd like to do a ripping gonzo book on America with Mike as my Ralph Steadman. We shall see.

How did working class get fleeced?

Dear Mr. Bageant,

Thank you. This is the best social-political commentary I have read in many years. Very powerfully written. I have straddled this cultural divide myself for most of my life. It can be a lonely place.

At last, somebody finally said it

About your commentary Poor, white and pissed: At last someone has finally really said it, and said it true! More later, It's after midnight and I have to email this to everyone I know before I sleep.

Count me in!

Zelda

P.S. Who the hell are you and why haven't I read anything by you before???

You definitely have a handle on reality

Joe,

I haven't seen your work for a while until I ran across the Cold Type site. As I have written you before, your work is so different from anything I read. I drives a spike into some part of Psyche, because I agree almost completely with the analysis and the tone of what you say. I wrote a response to one of your essays on Christianity and you sent me a complimentary note. I just read your Ditch essay, and was prompted to send a report from the Western Confederacy.