Michael Causey, a past president of Washington Independent Writers, has written in a number of genres, including historical nonfiction for National Geographic publications, advertising copy for Marriott, and journalism in the Washington Post and Washingtonian. A former PR executive, he’s also written extensively about transportation, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and executive leadership. He’s the host of Get Up!, a Monday-morning music and interview program on WOWD 94.3 FM Takoma Park, and the proud dad of twin daughters Celia and Caroline.
115 entries by Michael Causey
The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, the Rise of Improv, and the Making of an American Film Classic
By Daniel de Visé
An outstanding chronicle of Belushi and Aykroyd’s magical, comical bond.
The prolific novelist talks process, Putin, and why it’s vital to get the book done first.
George Harrison: The Reluctant Beatle
By Philip Norman
A flat, uninspired look at the quietest Fab.
The writer talks SoCal, the punk scene, and the challenge of problematic lyrics.
Scattershot: Life, Music, Elton & Me
By Bernie Taupin
A 1970s songwriting virtuoso looks back — and forward.
Nein, Nein, Nein!
By Jerry Stahl
A writer soothes his sadness at Auschwitz. Really.
Don’t Tell Anybody the Secrets I Told You: A Memoir
By Lucinda Williams
The famed singer turns her unflinching eye inward.
Act Naturally: The Beatles on Film
By Steve Matteo
A detailed but weak addition to the Fab Four canon.
Positive Vibrations
By Stuart Borthwick
Its beach-party vibe belies the music’s power and reach.
The Invisible Siege
By Dan Werb
Meet the warriors trying to save us from the next pandemic — and ourselves.
The McCartney Legacy: Volume 1: 1969-73
By Allan Kozinn and Adrian Sinclair
A valuable addition to the ever-growing Beatles canon.
American Autopsy: One Medical Examiner’s Decades-Long Fight for Racial Justice in a Broken Legal System
By Michael M. Baden, M.D.
A noted forensic pathologist shares the horror of what he’s seen.
The renowned historian turns his attention to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Lyrics
By Bryan Ferry
This stylish compendium would be right at home in the poetry section.
Nein, Nein, Nein!: One Man’s Tale of Depression, Psychic Torment, and a Bus Tour of the Holocaust
By Jerry Stahl
A writer soothes his sadness at Auschwitz. Really.
Unmask Alice: LSD, Satanic Panic, and the Imposter Behind the World’s Most Notorious Diaries
By Rick Emerson
The gripping tale of fake journals that ignited real terror.
Positive Vibrations: Politics, Politricks and the Story of Reggae
By Stuart Borthwick
Its beach-party vibe belies the music’s power and reach.
Beeswing
By Richard Thompson with Scott Timberg
This hit-or-miss memoir leaves far too much unsaid.
Meet the warriors trying to save us from the next pandemic — and ourselves.
Citizen Cash: The Political Life and Times of Johnny Cash
By Michael Stewart Foley
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The country icon was less neutral than he sometimes appeared.
The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present
By Paul McCartney
An expansive compilation — and confirmation — of the master’s genius.
Dolly Parton, Songteller
By Dolly Parton with Robert K. Oermann
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An American treasure tells it like it is.
Rock Me on the Water: 1974 — The Year Los Angeles Transformed Movies, Music, Television, and Politics
By Ronald Brownstein
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The author makes a strong case for the Left Coast’s creative primacy during the mid-70s.
Beeswing: Losing My Way and Finding My Voice, 1967-1975
By Richard Thompson with Scott Timberg
This hit-or-miss memoir leaves far too much unsaid.
They Just Seem a Little Weird: How KISS, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, and Starz Remade Rock and Roll
By Doug Brod
The hair and the sound were both bigger in the 1970s.
150 Glimpses of the Beatles
By Craig Brown
An unusual, uneven look at the Fab Four.
Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics
By Dolly Parton with Robert K. Oermann
An American treasure tells it like it is.
Let Love Rule
By Lenny Kravitz with David Ritz
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The performer’s first memoir reveals a winning, clear-eyed maturity.
Kindred Spirits: An American Music Journey
By Les Hatley
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A sweeping, scrapbook-like celebration of DC bands and venues.
All I Ever Wanted: A Rock ‘n’ Roll Memoir
By Kathy Valentine
An unsentimental, inspiring recollection of life in the Go-Go’s.
A critic schools readers on the decade that changed music.
Thanks a Lot Mr. Kibblewhite
By Roger Daltrey
The Who’s vocal frontman opens up about his life.
Face It: A Memoir
By Debbie Harry
One of America’s New Wave pioneers gives readers a backstage history.
Cruel to Be Kind: The Life and Music of Nick Lowe
By Will Birch
This power pop singer and (song) writer’s writer somehow still flies under the radar.
Twilight of the Gods
By Steven Hyden
This musical elegy will have you shredding on air guitar in no time.
The journalist talks Spam, dead parrots, and the Ministry of Silly Walks.
Thanks a Lot Mr. Kibblewhite: My Story
By Roger Daltrey
The Who’s vocal frontman opens up about his life.
The journalist talks the wisdom, resilience, and continued relevance of Betty Ford.
Sound Pictures: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin, The Later Years, 1966-2016
By Kenneth Womack
This second half of the two-volume biography ably captures the late music man's genius.
Lou Reed
By Anthony DeCurtis
This well-balanced biography separates the man from the icon.
Maximum Volume
By Kenneth Womack
The first in a two-volume series about the genius behind the geniuses.
Widely praised as our greatest former president, it's time to reassess Jimmy Carter’s tenure in the White House, says his one-time chief domestic policy adviser.
Twilight of the Gods: A Journey to the End of Classic Rock
By Steven Hyden
This musical elegy will have you shredding on air guitar in no time.
The famed reporter talks bin Laden, My Lai, and how the mainstream media underestimates Trump.
The Captives: A Novel
By Debra Jo Immergut
Do we ever really leave high school behind?
The writer talks history, the sea, and the reissued book that captures his younger self.
The bestselling writer talks research, Army artists, and his knack for finding themes after the fact.
The famed whistleblower explains why we're closer than ever to doomsday.
The daughter of famed intellectual Alan Watts talks about editing her late father's letters.
The journalist explains why the elderly are so much happier than the rest of us.
The Radical Right isn't as bad as you think, says the seasoned journalist in Alt-America. It's worse.
The international-relations expert talks whistleblowers, the CIA, and the danger of putting too many military men in charge.
Lou Reed: A Life
By Anthony DeCurtis
This well-balanced biography separates the man from the icon.
The bestselling novelist is back with a brand-new protagonist.
Maximum Volume: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin, The Early Years, 1926-1966
By Kenneth Womack
The first in a two-volume series about the genius behind the geniuses.
The celebrated novelist celebrates another writer: the late Peter Taylor.
The rock 'n' roll writer talks about Reginald Dwight, the man who became Elton John.
Shake it Up: Great American Writing on Rock and Pop from Elvis to Jay Z
By Jonathan Lethem and Kevin Dettmar
A mostly melodic compendium of essays on the music that made us.
The former soldier and prosecutor talks about his unusual path to writing — and the eerie prescience of his debut novel.
The historian behind The Evangelicals explores the political power of true believers.
The Prince of Puke. The People’s Pervert. These and other honorifics are titles filmmaker, author, and spoken-word performer John Waters wears with garish pride.
The former rocker talks music, memoir, and “She Blinded Me with Science.”
Open to Debate: How William F. Buckley Put Liberal America on the Firing Line
By Heather Hendershot
The conservative’s on-air irascibility didn’t always rear its head in private.
The Emmy-winning actress talks conservation, leading men, and her new memoir, Wild Things, Wild Places.
The writer and longtime activist hasn’t given up on the power of the electorate just yet.
The novelist talks inspiration, the Great Recession, and the importance of listening closely.
The journalist and New Yorker staff writer discusses his new book, American Heiress, about the enigmatic Patty Hearst.
Never a Dull Moment: 1971, the Year That Rock Exploded
By David Hepworth
Making the case — or not — for a particular time’s musical dominance.
The professor offers a sobering yet hopeful assessment of modern-day America
The Other Side of Silence
By Philip Kerr
A likeable, down-on-his-luck gumshoe unravels a mystery in Cold War-era Europe.
Panic at the Pump: The Energy Crisis and the Transformation of American Politics in the 1970s
By Meg Jacobs
Recalling gas-station lines, embargoes, and all-around angst
(Mostly)
The editor of Women Crime Writers discusses sexism, how crime novels have evolved, and the fact that women dominate bestseller lists but continue to be underrepresented by book reviewers.
And Yet…
By Christopher Hitchens
An entertaining posthumous collection of writings from the witty, acerbic Brit.
Gilliamesque: A Pre-Posthumous Memoir
By Terry Gilliam
The Python-turned-director ponders his mortality but still tilts at windmills.
The novelist and Vietnam vet opens up about the real-life trauma behind his latest fictionalized work, The Trion Syndrome.
The biographer recounts his chronicling of the irascible, inimitable Gore Vidal.
Raw Deal: How the “Uber Economy” and Runaway Capitalism are Screwing American Workers
By Steven Hill
You might want to stop high-fiving yourselves, freelancers.
A master of historical fiction discusses his craft.
The Patriarch: A Bruno, Chief of Police Novel
By Martin Walker
This latest in the detective series is as pleasant as a nice brunch.
The Richest Man Who Ever Lived: The Life and Times of Jacob Fugger
By Greg Steinmetz
The subject may have been a towering financial figure, but this book makes him out to be a bit taller than he really was.
The Dorito Effect: The Surprising New Truth about Food and Flavor
By Mark Schatzker
Food today might look better, but that doesn't mean it is better.
The attorney/author discusses Snowden, RFK, and his brand-new novel.
The creator of fictional gumshoe Bernie Gunther talks about his latest novel, ad agencies, and how to write a book at the office.
Turns out there's something sinister lurking behind your chirpy Facebook newsfeed and helpful Amazon shopping cart.
Melancholics of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your painted-on smiley face.
The prolific author discusses epigraphs, music, and the importance of titles.
The Age of Acquiescence: The Life and Death of American Resistance to Organized Wealth and Power
By Steve Fraser
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A cutting study of how American workers lost the will to battle for their well-being.
About the only black and white you'll find in Village of Secrets: Defying the Nazis in Vichy France are the photographs. In this impassioned work, author Caroline Moorehead chronicles the town of Chambon’s resistance during World War II. It is a true tale of heroism, cowardice, and the spectrum of behavior lurking in between.
In his latest book, Empire of Sin, the author chronicles the rise and fall of the Big Easy’s infamous Storyville.
Richard Ford writes time-capsule books. His Frank Bascombe novels should be included in the next NASA probe sent deep into outer space. It will help residents of Planet Glort, on the other side of the Milky Way, better understand what it is to be a human on Planet Earth.
The Americans wanted to throw him a parade. The French wanted to hang him. Welcome to the world of the Marquis de Lafayette, hero of the American Revolution and lightning-rod pariah in his homeland. In her insightful new biographical portrait, Laura Auricchio gives us a panoramic view of a man who could be both a young hothead and a far-ranging thinker.
How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World
By Steven Johnson
Appreciate the genius and life changing power of innovations that continue to revolutionize life today.
The author and TV/radio host discusses his latest book, Death of a King: The Real Story of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s Final Year, written with David Ritz.
In case being Steve Jobs' long-lost sister or the inspiration for a character on “The Simpsons” isn't interesting enough for you, Mona Simpson is also a very good writer.
The short-story master and talented novelist discusses the writing life and his new 9/11-themed novel, Before, During, After.
But Enough About You: Essays
Christopher Buckley
Witty and irreverent, Buckley’s essays range from the treatment of goldfish to thoughts on major political figures.
There's far more brioche than bullets on display in Martin Walker’s latest Bruno, Chief of Police book, The Resistance Man.