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Conversations with Maine Authors & Artists

Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Sep 9

My John McPhee book is the subject of the latest episode of "Conversations from Pointed Firs,"a wonderful monthly podcast & radio show from WERU-FM in Maine (link: bit.ly/47wBhgh). The show is on people & work that invokes "the spirit of Maine," and I was thrilled McPhee and my book are included.

Conversations with Maine-connected authors and artists and books and creative projects that invoke the spirit of Maine, its history, ecology, culture and contribution to community and quality of life.

Author Event: Noel Rubinton, 'Looking for a Story: A Complete Guide to the Writings of John McPhee'

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Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Jul 28

As my book tour takes a summer pause, I thank conversation partners on 8 stops so far: John Timpane, Jennifer Weiner, Kevin Lerner, Stacey Vanek Smith, Philip Eil, Marc Fisher, Dave Carner, & Jeff Gordinier. Thanks @princetonupress.bsky.social & all who attended, Princeton to LA. More in the fall!

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Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Jul 8

Looking forward to being at the wonderful Blue Hill Library in Maine July 15 at 7pm to talk about my John McPhee book--his Maine writing and far beyond. It's cosponsored by the splendid Blue Hill Books & I'll be in conversation with one of their great booksellers, Dave Carner. bit.ly/4lzdxvD

The Blue Hill Public Library and Blue Hill Books are cosponsoring an author talk with Noel Rubinton on his new book, Looking for a Story: A Complete Guide to the Writings of John...

Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Jul 4

Happy 4th! Spent a wonderful part of the day at my favorite bookstore in Washington, the great Politics and Prose. And thanks to them for treating my John McPhee book so well.

Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Jun 30

Thanks for the comment from @lawrencecphd.bsky.social, who himself has done important environmental history writing.

Lawrence Culver @lawrencecphd.bsky.social · Jun 29

California has always been a perilous paradise. John McPhee wrote eloquently about Los Angeles‘s attempts to control the inexorable forces of geology, and the new book California Against the Sea focuses on an accelerating peril for the state: the ocean and sea level rise.

Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Jun 29

John McPhee's writing on LA & California is as relevant now as when he wrote it. More evidence: @altajournal.bsky.social made "California Against the Sea" by Rosanna Xia July's selection for its California Book Club. She says the title is “a nod to John McPhee’s ‘Los Angeles Against the Mountains.’"

Why You Should Read This: ‘California Against the Sea’

Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Jun 29

John McPhee's writing on LA & California is as relevant now as when he wrote it. More evidence: @altajournal.bsky.social made "California Against the Sea" by Rosanna Xia July's selection for its California Book Club. She says the title is “a nod to John McPhee’s ‘Los Angeles Against the Mountains.’"

Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Jun 25

John McPhee has a wonderful new article in the latest New Yorker telling how at age 10 he first appeared in the magazine and was drawn into its orbit. It's McPhee's 166th time in the magazine going back to 1963. The story is also recounted in my book, leading off the section on his New Yorker work.

Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Jun 23

New from Princeton Alumni Weekly on my McPhee book: bit.ly/4nds7KL "New Book Chronicles the Career of Prolific Writer and Professor John McPhee ’53. Looking for a Story offers the first comprehensive inventory of the Princeton professor’s writings, beginning with his high school and college works."

William Langewiesche, the ‘Steve McQueen of Journalism,’ Dies at 70

Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Jun 19

Nonfiction writing lost a huge talent with the death of William Langewiesche, award-winning magazine & book author. He was inspired by John McPhee:"Here was this guy writing about these obscure subjects, making a living doing it, and by the way it was beautiful," he told the San Francisco Chronicle.

He was a master of long form narratives, often involving high-stakes topics. He reported for Vanity Fair, The Atlantic and The New York Times Magazine.

Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Jun 19

It was a great night talking about my John McPhee book at DC's Politics and Prose Bookstore--an honor to be there. My wonderful conversation partner was Marc Fisher, columnist for the Washington Post & former McPhee student at Princeton. Thanks to the audience for coming & having terrific questions.

Noel Rubinton — Looking for a Story: A Complete Guide to the Writings of John McPhee - with Marc Fisher — at The Wharf

Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Jun 18

A powerful report.

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Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Jun 18

Looking forward to a great evening. Thanks @princetonupress.bsky.social

Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · Jun 17

Join @politicsprose.bsky.social‬ at the Wharf in welcoming @noelrubinton.bsky.social‬ to discuss his new book, Looking for a Story, tomorrow (June 18) at 7 pm EDT. He will be in conversation with @marcfisher.bsky.social‬.

Learn more:

John McPhee has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1965 and has written more than thirty acclaimed books that began on the magazine's pages. But few readers know or fully appreciate the…

politics-prose.com

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Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Jun 15

I'm honored to be in the Washington Post Literary Calendar today for my Politics and Prose Bookstore (Wharf Branch) event this Wednesday, June 18, at 7pm. I'll be in conversation with Marc Fisher, a terrific Post columnist and former John McPhee student at Princeton.

Ideas Podcast: Looking for a Story

Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Jun 10

A friend sent me this photo of the John McPhee section of his personal library. I am honored.
My book tour goes next to Politics and Prose in DC on June 18, and then DIESEL books in Los Angeles on July 23.

Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Jun 6

Today I had a great John McPhee book event at the Brown University Bookstore in Providence--so special to be back at the alma mater I care so deeply about. Thanks to the staff of the bookstore and my wonderful conversation partner (and talented book author) @phileil.bsky.social.

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Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · Jun 1

@calebzakarin.bsky.social, editor of the @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social, interviewed me for a podcast about my John McPhee book. It's a wide-ranging conversation, including talking about what makes McPhee so extraordinary and the many discoveries in the book.
bit.ly/3SyEvXT

Looking for a Story is a complete reader’s guide to McPhee’s vast published work, documenting much rarely seen or connected with McPhee, including remarkable early writing for Time magazine published ...

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Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · May 30

Thanks to @princetonupress.bsky.social and to @calebzakarin.bsky.social, a terrific interviewer.

Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · May 30

Listen to Noel Rubinton discuss John McPhee, the Pulitzer Prize–winning writer, teacher, and pioneer of creative nonfiction, and his inspiring career.

press.princeton.edu/ideas/ideas-...

@noelrubinton.bsky.social #JohnMcPhee @newyorker.com @newbooksnetwork.bsky.social

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Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · May 30

My John McPhee book event at @bookculture.com in NYC was a wonderful success. Stacey Vanek Smith of Bloomberg Audio (and a former McPhee student) was a spectacular conversation partner. Thanks to all who attended and a great bookstore. Next up on my tour: the Brown Bookstore, Providence, June 5.

Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · May 29

Thanks to my publisher, @princetonupress.bsky.social, which I appreciate so much. Looking forward to Book Culture.

Princeton University Press @princetonupress.bsky.social · May 28

Join @noelrubinton.bsky.social‬ at @bookculture.com‬ tomorrow (May 29) at 7 pm EDT for a discussion about his new book, Looking for a Story. NPR's @svaneksmith.bsky.social‬ will join in conversation.

Register today: www.bookculture.com/event/112th-...

Looking for a Story: A Complete Guide to the Writings of John McPhee by Noel Rubinton

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Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · May 29

Today I had the honor of giving the keynote speech at the International Association of Literary Journalism Studies conference, held at Marist University in Poughkeepsie, NY. The group included many professors from around the world & it was a pleasure to talk with them on my new book on John McPhee.

Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · May 27

Thanks for the praise from the spectacular author of Prescription for Pain (Steerforth). Looking forward to being with him in Providence June 5 at the Brown Bookstore.

Philip Eil @phileil.bsky.social · May 27

I just posted my 5-star Goodreads review of @noelrubinton.bsky.social's book, Looking for a Story: A Complete Guide to the Writings of John McPhee.

You can hear us chat about it next Thursday at 4:30 p.m. at the Brown Bookstore in Providence!

A five-star Goodreads review of Noel Rubinton's book Looking for a Story: A Complete Guide to the Writings of John McPhee that reads:

Rubinton's book is a must-read for anyone interested in American narrative nonfiction -- and, more broadly, American literature since the 1960s.

It is exhaustively researched and reported. It is clearly and engagingly written. And it pays a well-deserved tribute to a giant of American letters whose importance and accomplishments I didn't fully appreciate before reading.

I especially recommend it for folks interested in the history of The New Yorker, Princeton University, and/or American nature writing.

Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · May 26

Thanks, @phileil.bsky.social, look forward to seeing you in PVD on 6/5. This week. at 7pm on May 29, I am in conversation about my John McPhee book with @bloomberg.com Stacey Vanek Smith at @bookculture.com 112th St. in NYC.

Philip Eil @phileil.bsky.social · May 24

This Hessler piece is an excerpt from @noelrubinton.bsky.social excellent book on McPhee, Looking for a Story: A Complete Guide to the Writings of John McPhee.

I'll be talking with Noel about it at the Brown Bookstore on Thursday, June 5, at 4:30!

“Please Keep Caring.” What John McPhee Taught Generations of Writers and Journalists

Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · May 25

Thanks for your comment. My book is due to be published in the UK on July 8.

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Noel Rubinton @noelrubinton.bsky.social · May 23

Literary Hub has published an excerpt from the beautiful foreword that Peter Hessler (a former John McPhee student and wonderful New Yorker writer and author in his own right) did for my Looking for a Story book. Hessler gets to the heart of McPhee's genius and humanity.
bit.ly/4kCjQOH

In the spring of 1991, when I was a junior at Princeton, I took John McPhee’s seminar on nonfiction writing. Back then, I was an English major who hoped to become a novelist, and I focused primaril…