NEW BOOK ALERT! Going Rackless: Two Years with Chicago’s Amateur Pool Leagues and the Quest for Glory at the Biggest Tournament in the World

I’m super thrilled to announce my next book will be published by 3 Fields Books, an imprint of the University of Illinois Press!!!

Going Rackless: Two Years in Chicago’s Amateur Pool Leagues and the Quest for Glory at the Biggest Tournament in the World follows the camaraderie, drama, and obsessions of four teams in Chicago’s American Poolplayers Association as they fight to qualify for a spot in the World Pool Championships, held each year in where else but Las Vegas.

Going Rackless is written in the style of classic longform nonfiction, combining on the scene reporting from grimy halls across Chicago and the wild World Championships with a fun and expansive look at the world of pool, from Chicago’s cinematic history of old-school hustling to the mechanics of the perfect shot to the time a new professional league immediately bankrupted itself by having to pay out the promised award for a trick shot organizers didn’t think could be done.

Many thanks to 3 Fields Books for their interest in this project! I am turning in the manuscript in December, with publication hopefully within a year from then. 🎱

As one player says, “If you don’t have rivals, you’re doing it wrong,” and it’s in that spirit of competition and personal satisfaction that everyone hopes they’ll be the one to make the most important shot of the year.

The ballad of the world’s most extreme funeral escort driver and his infamous private security agency

New story out at Narratively – this time about a Florida police impersonator carrying out some of the most raucous funeral processions of all time.

From the early 2010s until fairly recently, Jeremy Dewitte and Motor State used vehicles outfitted with lights and sirens and dressed in uniforms with badges and duty belts to completely take over roads in central Florida and threaten drives they said were crowding the funeral processions they’re hired to protect. The completely over the top behavior caught the attention of numerous (real) law enforcement agencies and led to a wild, years’ long saga involving prison sentences, fraud, internet fame, stolen valor, Dr. Phil, WWE, lawsuits, and more!

The story also explores the phenomenon of police impersonation, an insidious crime that is even more unsavory in our current reality of excessive police violence. Thanks to Narratively for publishing this longform story and the typically top-notch layout and art! I encourage everyone to check out the site – it’s full of truly incredible stories about all kinds of surprising and interesting topics.