Just Answering Questions: I’m Back!

Time to catch up on the last two months! Submit your questions here.

UPDATE 5/11 AT 6:PM: I am closing questions because there are a lot! I’ll post my answers this week. The answers will be open to everyone to read — I don’t paywall in times of peril. But if you’d like to keep this newsletter going, consider becoming a paid subscriber:

I am back from a one-month, nine-city book tour for The Last American Road Trip — and I’m still hungry for questions! Welcome to the return of the monthly Q & A. We’ve got some catching up to do, but first, a few announcements:

1) My 2022 book They Knew is on sale for $2.99 as an ebook. This sale won’t last, so buy it at one of the vendors linked here! And read about They Knew — an exploration of real conspiracies and how the term “conspiracy theory” is weaponized to negate critical inquiry — here. They Knew is a critically acclaimed book that was a finalist for the LA Times Book Prize, so ignore those who say it is the ramblings of a lunatic. It is the ramblings of a critically acclaimed lunatic!

2) My tremendous thanks to the thousands of people who came to the Last American Road Trip tour. I am so touched by the turnout, especially the folks who drove long distances, and by the thoughtful questions and personal interactions in the signing line. Your support means the world and it was a pleasure to meet you in person. I’m thrilled so many folks are enjoying The Last American Road Trip! Please consider leaving a positive review on Goodreads or Amazon or wherever you bought it; it helps defeat my enemy, the algorithm.

Now for the Q & A! For those new to this feature, here’s how it works:

1) To ask a question, join as a paying subscriber, and post your question in the comments section below.

2) I will answer your questions in a separate article that will run a few days later.

3) The article with the answers in it will be open to everyone. In other words, you need to be a paying subscriber to submit a question, but not to read the Q & A.

I call this feature “Just Answering Questions” because there are many topics that, if I were to broach them out of the blue, would be like throwing a bomb into your inbox. If you’ve read my books, you know they cover disturbing ground. This way, you choose the topic — and hey, I’m just answering questions!

If you are already a paying subscriber, you are all set — you can submit a question in the comments section below!

If you’re not a paying subscriber, this is a great reason to become one. In addition to getting a personal response, your support keeps this newsletter going. I have kept my newsletter free and it will stay free. Voluntary paying subscribers make it possible for me to keep writing. They also ensure that my archives stay open to all. I am very grateful to paying subscribers and I offer this Q & A as a thank you!

Note: Past Q & As were so popular I had to shut down question submissions hours after posting. I’m planning to leave this one up a little longer, and answer as many questions as I can, reflecting the most popular topics and the ones on which I’m best informed. I may not get to all of them, but I will try my best!

Talk to you soon!

Gravestone in 19th-century cemetery in Thebes, part of southern Illinois’s “Little Egypt” that I passed driving from St. Louis to Montgomery on tour.