Hello.
I’m a writer focusing on travel, food, history, cultural commentary, and personal narratives.
My most recent book is The Not-Quite States of America, a history-rich travelogue about the U.S. territories/colonies (W.W. Norton), which Smithsonian named one of the top ten travel books of 2017.
I run the newsletter Snack Stack, where I explore history, culture, politics, and science through the subject of snacks.
I live in Minneapolis and tweet @douglasmack.
Recent Work
(See more in the Writing section)
The Not-Quite States of America
A history-rich travelogue about the U.S. territories. Published by W. W. Norton. Named one of the Ten Best Travel Books of the Year by Smithsonian. More here.
Interpreting America at the Minsk Book Fair
In February 2020, just before the world changed in so many ways, I went to Minsk to represent (and attempt to explain) the USA at a book fair. Read it on LitHub.
A Brief History of the Trump Country Diner
A deep-dive history and analysis of political journalists’ love of diners and the way their diner stories distort reality. Read it on The Counter.