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"Luke Ford reports all of the 'juicy' quotes, and has been doing it for years." (Marc B. Shapiro)
"This guy knows all the gossip, the ins and outs, the lashon hara of the Orthodox world. He’s an [expert] in... all the inner workings of the Orthodox world." (Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff) LATEST POSTS:
- Dennis Prager v Cedars-Sinai Lawsuit
- Dennis Prager Through Randall Collins: Interaction Ritual Chains
- What is a ‘Received Idea’?
- Jordan Bardella: The Manufacture of Normality
- Everyone Became Television: Bourdieu’s Warning and the 2026 Iran War
- Marine Le Pen
- The Coalition-Proximity Rule
- Nigel Farage
- Bernard Haykel: A Life Between the Text and the Gun
- Walker Connor (1926-2017)
- Benedict Anderson and the Nation as Imagination
- Anthony D. Smith: The Student Who Kept the Question and Rejected the Answer
- Ernest Gellner
- Eric Kaufmann: The Man Who Made the Majority Visible
- Dominic Cummings: A Biography
- Steve Lopez: The Last City Columnist
- California Historian Kevin Starr
- Stephen Kotkin: A Life in Power
- William T. Vollmann: An American Life in Excess
- Rod Dreher: A Life in Exile
BEST POSTS:
- * The Enlightenment Wasn’t Enlightened (6-23-26)
* Mr. Burge Draws The Line (6-23-26)
* 'Improving on Democracy' (6-17-26)
* People Leak To People Who Are Fun (6-11-26)
* Why Does Australia Produce So Many Great Journalists? (6-11-26)
* Steve Wynn and the Press: Power, Litigation, and the Contest Over Las Vegas (6-3-26)
* Sheldon Adelson and the Journalists (6-3-26)
* The Vigilant Animal: Thinkers Who Reject the Myth of Human Gullibility (6-2-26)
* The Cost of Refusing the Misunderstanding Myth (6-2-26)
* Show Me How It Travels (6-2-26)
* The Norm Explainers (6-2-26)
* Centering Marginalized Voices (6-1-26)
* What would it look like if the Washington Post put its reader first? (6-1-26)
* What would it look like if the Financial Times put its reader first? (6-1-26)
* What It Would Mean for the Los Angeles Times to Put the Reader First? (6-1-26)
* What It Would Mean for The New York Times to Put the Reader First? (6-1-26)
* Why Wembanyama Lives on the Perimeter (5-31-26)
* The Emotional Palettes Of San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco & Sacramento (5-27-26)
* The Administrative Capital: Sacramento Legal Culture (5-27-26)
* San Diego - The Quiet Republic (5-27-26)
* The Quiet Bar: San Diego Legal Culture (5-27-26)
* SF v LA Legal Culture (5-27-26)
* Why Talent Travels Poorly Between San Francisco and Los Angeles (5-27-26)
* San Francisco and Los Angeles as Rival Models of Urban Access (5-27-26)
* Social Cliques in New York, 2026 (5-25-26)
* Social Cliques in San Francisco, 2026 (5-25-26)
* The Rival Courts of Washington (5-25-26)
* The City of Private Rooms (5-25-26)
Category Archives: Author Interviews
Dennis McDougal’s First Novel Is About The Vietnam War — The Candlestickmaker
Here are my previous interviews with the author of ten books. Here’s what Amazon.com has to say about Dennis and his new book: Aboard the spy ship U.S.S. Argosy in the war-tossed waters off the coast of Vietnam, three young … Continue reading
Posted in Author Interviews, Dennis McDougal, Hollywood, Journalism, Los Angeles
Tagged dennis mcdougal, john wiley sons, mother goose nursery rhyme, o j simpson trial, tim o brien, times staff writer
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Big Boy Rules: America’s Mercenaries Fighting In Iraq
Despite a stomach bug, I interviewed by phone Washington Post reporter Steve Fainaru Wednesday evening, Jan. 13, 2010, about his 2009 book Big Boy Rules. Luke: “Tell me about the impact of 9/11 upon you personally and professionally.” Steve: “It … Continue reading
Posted in Author Interviews, Iraq
Tagged covering sports, journalistic investigation, order of magnitude, steve fainaru, stomach bug, wmd in iraq
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Contemporary American Judaism: Transformation and Renewal by Reform Rabbi Dana Evan Kaplan
We talk by phone Tuesday, June 2. (Previous interviews with Rabbi Kaplan here.) Luke: "You have a note in the beginning that some of your language in this book is a bit sharp." Dana: "I’m trying to make certain points. … Continue reading
Posted in Author Interviews, Judaism, Rabbis
Tagged american judaism, dana evan kaplan, rabbi kaplan, reform rabbi, transformation
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Kenny Gallo – A Life In The Mafia
I talk to Kenny Sunday afternoon. Since 2001, he has been an important source of information for me about organized crime. I’ve never known him to lie. I regard his new book, Breakshot, as a compelling and important read. Luke: … Continue reading
Posted in Author Interviews, Mafia
Tagged feds, informant, life quot, machine guns, Mafia, organized crime, quot, source of information, sunday afternoon
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An Interview With Author Matthew Randazzo
Matthew Randazzo is the author of three books: Ring of Hell: The Story of Chris Benoit and the Fall of the Pro Wrestling Industry, Breakshot: A Life in the 21st Century American Mafia and Mr. New Orleans: The Life of … Continue reading
Posted in Author Interviews, Mafia, Pornography, Prostitution
Tagged american mafia, chris benoit, darren aranofsky, matthew randazzo, mickey rourke, pro wrestlers
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My Interview With Elizabeth Fournier – Author of ‘All Men Are Cremated Equal: 77 Blind Dates’
Elizabeth’s book ends on a happy note — she gets married at age 37. Here’s the timeline from Elizabeth: 35 – dumped alcoholic fiance 36 – started dating new fiance 37 – engaged 38 – married 39 – pregnant 40 – baby … Continue reading
Posted in Author Interviews, Dating
Tagged baby luke, blind dates, book ends, first dates, fournier, love quot, quot
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My Interview With Author Amy Bloom
From AmyBloom.com: "Author of two novels, two collections of short stories, and a nominee for both the National Book Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award. Her stories have appeared in Best American Short Stories, Prize Stories: The O. … Continue reading
Posted in Author Interviews, Jewish Literature
Tagged amy bloom, auditory hallucinations, henry awards, lyn paul, national book critics, national book critics circle award, sore butt, two novels, yale university
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‘Much to Your Chagrin: A Memoir of Embarrassment’
I interviewed first-time author Suzanne Guillette Monday afternoon. Buy her memoir here. Luke: "Suzanne, when you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?" Suzanne: "I had always written, but I wouldn’t say that I … Continue reading
Posted in Author Interviews
Tagged guillette, keeping a journal, local restaurant, quot, time author
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Dexter Filkins – ‘The Forever War’
This book was one of the top five books published in 2008. Here are my questions: Hi Dexter, As every civilian reader must tell you, I’m amazed you are still alive. I’m amazed more reporters have not been killed. * … Continue reading
Posted in Afghanistan, Author Interviews, Iraq
Tagged afghanistan iraq, al qaeda in iraq, dexter filkins, different animal, nine lives, top five books
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‘The Tenacy of Unreasonable Beliefs’ II
Here’s the second part of my interview with author Solomon Schimmel. bRead reviews of the book "The Tenacity of Unreasonable Beliefs: Fundamentalism and the Fear of Truth" here. Solomon: "To the extent that I am ethical and moral — I … Continue reading
Posted in Author Interviews
Tagged adult education committee, bible scholar, classical reflections, fundamentalism, James kugel, orthodox judaism, orthodox shul, righteous man, Solomon Schimmel, tenacity
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