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I now consider this blog to be my Juvenelia. Have fun perusing the archives, and find me at my new haunt, here.

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Jon Krakauer's New Book Will Kick Some Powersthatbe Ass

My posse and I , while watching a censored version of The Big Lebowski for the second time in 24 hours, got to wondering what uber-amazing journalist and chronicler of lives on the edge Jon Krakauer is up to now, besides general badassery. It turns out he's turning more and more leftist and investigative by the book.

Here is the description of his new project, via Wikipedia:


It has since been announced that Krakauer's new book, The Hero, will be released by publisher Doubleday on October 14, 2008. The Hero will be about former NFL football player Pat Tillman, who enlisted in the US Army after 9/11 to become an Army Ranger and was eventually killed in action under suspicious circumstances in Afghanistan. In addition to performing research in Afghanistan, Krakauer was able to interview members of Tillman's family and read Tillman's diaries and letters, to prepare for writing the book. Doubleday's David Drake says Krakauer's interest in Tillman reflects "the fascination he has with extreme people, who push themselves to the very limits of their capabilities".

So what were those suspicious circumstances?

Well, for those who don't remember, Tillman was a soldier in Afghanistan, who happened to hold atheistic and anti-Iraq-War and anti-Republican beliefs. He also happened to be killed by "friendly fire" (likely murder), which was presented to his family for weeks as enemy fire, even though army higher-ups knew the truth.

I fully expect Jon Krakauer to do justice to this fascinating guy who died far too young, and also to do a different kind of justice to the insidious forces that kept the truth from Americans. And not only are JK's books well-done and thoughtful, he's the basically most gripping nonfiction writer I've ever read, besides Capote. I can't wait to read more of his words.

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