And since dap is the word of the week...

...allow me to extend some:

1.) Brendan Koerner is one of my of best friends. We met over tacos many many moons ago in a greasy Salvadoran joint, at the bottom of Adams Morgan, and since then have had a hell of a time reflecting on everything from Moby Dick to the ultimate fate of Peyton Manning. More importantly, Brendan is a beautiful writer, and this month he's published a history of a forgotten slice of World War II. His book, Now The Hell Will Start chronicles the life of Herman Perry, a black GI who kills his superior officer and then flees into the bush to hide out with a bunch of head-hunters. Do yourself a favor--check out this beautiful profile by Brendan on blacks and Native Americans. And then go buy his book.

2.) And then do yourself another favor. Get familiar with Amanda Ripley. Over ten years ago, me and Ripley worked togethe at Washington City Paper. Ripley was amongst a group of writers who I just knew were ten times smarter than me, and destined to kinda be a big deal. And they kinda are. Anyway, to understand the job of a real writer, check out Amanda's assault on the cult of John McCain which she published back in 1999. And then check out her new book, The Unthinkable, a fascinating meditation on who survives disaster, who doesn't and why.