News & Politics

New DC Books That Are Worth Checking Out

From national politics to local music.

The Big Break by Ben Terris

The Washington Post reporter offers a portrait of the city’s weird post-Trump era, profiling local characters such as a pollster who gambles and a lobbyist who got rich off his Trump connections. Their stories end up overlapping in surprising ways.

 

White Burgers, Black Cash by Naa Oyo A. Kwate

The author, a Rutgers professor, explores how racism has driven the fast-food industry. Our area plays a big role in her history, from local chains like Little Tavern to the city’s 1980s fried-chicken boom.

 

Indigenous DC by Elizabeth Rule

An AU professor, Rule has spent years documenting local sites related to Native Americans. Now she’s turned that work into a book, connecting stories of political action, art, and military service to locations around town.

 

The Inner Ear of Don Zientara by Antonia Tricarico

Now in its third iteration, Inner Ear is the studio where many of DC’s best albums have been made. This lush book combines old photos with the memories of musicians who have worked with owner Don Zientara.

 



This article appears in the June 2023 issue of Washingtonian.