Since 1981, John has freelanced articles for more than 100 publications ranging from The Atlantic to Sports Illustrated. He’s interviewed a hijacking survivor shot in the head, probed a priest’s passion for painting religious nudes, dined with Gordie Howe, played snowshoe baseball, and crashed the women’s locker room. Adept at covering a variety of subjects, John has developed a particular interest in the personal and social dramas that play out in sports.
Articles
The Pretender
People in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, thought Lois Riess was a nice wife and grandmother. If she had a vice, it was playing the slots. Then she committed murder.
The Atavist, October 2020
Making Sense of Minneapolis
First the pandemic. Than the uprising. My search for hope amidst it all.
Notre Dame Magazine, August, 2020
The Saga of the World’s Greatest Dogsledder—and the Fight Over the Future of the Iditarod
It’s one of the most grueling races on the planet, a thousand-mile odyssey run every winter across the Alaskan wilderness. But with the return of the famed Iditarod, the exploits of Dallas Seavey, dogsledding’s most dominant figure, continue to raise questions about the fate of an embattled sport.
GQ, March 2023
The Pretender
People in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, thought Lois Riess was a nice wife and grandmother. If she had a vice, it was playing the slots. Then she committed murder.
The Atavist, October 2020
Making Sense of Minneapolis
First the pandemic. Than the uprising. My search for hope amidst it all.
Notre Dame Magazine, August, 2020
Backed by Trump, a Troubled Georgia Football Legend Eyes a Senate Seat
Leading in the polls, Herschel Walker still faces the run of his life
Washington Post Magazine, May 8, 2022