R.I.P. Joe Bageant

Oh, rats! I just found out last week that writer Joe Bageant, author of the former book of the week Deer Hunting with Jesus: Dispatches from America's Class War, died last year on March 26 at age 64.

Naturally, he will be missed. I'm just a bit embarrassed that it took me so long to find out about it. He was a good writer and we can never have enough of those. Plus he was able to write from a point of righteous anger without giving one the impression that his work should be printed in an all caps format. If you haven't yet had the chance to read his work, please don't hesitate to do so.

Book of the Week

Poor Joe Bageant may never be as hip as Thomas Frank or Rush Limbaugh but I found his take on Red State America to be a welcome breath of fresh air when I first read it back in 2007. I'm just sorry it took me so long to find an occasion to mention it.

I read a lot of books in my spare time but I don't always find time to mention the ones worth reading. And this book was definitely worth reading. It would be nice to think that Obama's election has made this particular book out of date -- but I doubt it.