Promotional Information

Just as mass-market magazines and cheap books have played important roles in the creation of an American identity, those skilled craftsmen (and women) whose careers are the subjects of Ronald Weber’s narrative profoundly influenced the outlook and strategies of the high-culture writers who are generally the focus of literary studies.Hired

About the Author

Ronald Weber is Professor of American Studies at the University of Notre Dame and the author of many books, both fiction and nonfiction. He is the editor of The Reporter as Artist: A Look at the New Journalism Controversy.

Reviews

Those interested in the crazy business of writing will find Hired Pens an illuminating addition to their library.
*The New York Times Book Review*

Weber is a meticulous scholar. He tells the story of professional writing in America with hundreds of details.
*The Columbus Dispatch*

Previous authors have covered the ground he walks in this new book, but no one has covered it better…Weber is a masterful writer, but he also relies heavily on the autobiographical writings of the subjects he has chosen; that reliance is not misplaced because the passages he cites are so pertinent and illuminating.
*Publishers Weekly*