Mastering the nonfiction puzzle

“Writing a nonfiction story is like cracking a safe. It seems impossible at the beginning, but once you're in, you're in.” – Rich Cohen

  

Born in Lake Forest, IL, on this date in 1968, Cohen is a contributing editor at both Vanity Fair and Rolling Stone magazines, and is co-creator, with Martin Scorsese, Mick Jagger and Terence Winter, of the HBO series Vinyl.   His works have been New York Times bestsellers, New York Times Notable Books, and collected in the Best American Essays series.             

                                    Sometimes called one of the greatest “cultural and social” historians of the late 20^th and early 21^st centuries, Cohen has won numerous awards – and some criticism – for his works.  But regardless of how his writings are received, they always generate a lot of commentary, whether about people portrayed or the times in which they are set.  He also has been one of the leading writers on people in the entertainment industry, something he says is both interesting and a challenge.

“It's a challenge, writing about actors, especially a good actor, because you can't always tell when they're being honest and when they're pretending - that is, when they're acting,” he said.   “The really good ones don't always seem to know themselves.”

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