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John McMurtrie

@johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social
728 followers 264 following 43 posts

Nonfiction editor, Kirkus Reviews.

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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 12/06/2026
I can still smell the oil paint in my mind, 28 years after seeing the luscious landscapes of his native Yorkshire at the MFA in Boston. RIP, David Hockney.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
Oakland
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 12/02/2026
RIP, Bud Cort. I had the pleasure of interviewing him in 2004, when he appeared in Wes Anderson’s “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.” www.sfchronicle.com/entertainmen...
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Ashley Parker @ashleyrparker.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
I arrived at The Post during a personal and professional nadir. But they welcomed me into their merry band of misfits, and believed in me — so I started believing in myself, too. My ode to what makes The Post so special. ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹 www.theatlantic.com/politics/202...
theatlantic.com
The Murder of The Washington Post
Today’s layoffs are the latest attempt to kill what makes the paper special.
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Peter Baker @peterbakernyt.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
No struggling newspaper ever saved itself by becoming a worse and less essential product. But what's happening today at the @washingtonpost.com is not just the latest devastating contraction of the news industry; it's the gutting of an American institution vital for a healthy society
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 23/12/2025
No watering required #christmasbooktree
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 17/11/2025
Happy to share with you Kirkus’ Best Nonfiction Books of the Year: www.kirkusreviews.com/best-of/2025...
kirkusreviews.com
Best of 2025 | Kirkus Reviews
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 08/11/2025
The beauty of Oakland
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
Some nonfiction books to counter the dread: www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-fea...
kirkusreviews.com
4 New Nonfiction Books That Will Bring You Joy | Kirkus Reviews
Enough with the bad news and doomscrolling. These new releases are guaranteed to lighten your mood.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 09/10/2025
Such a thrill to present Scott Anderson with the 2025 Kirkus Prize for Nonfiction last night in New York. You can read about all the winners here. www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-fea...
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 27/09/2025
A midnight blue LaSalle, circa 1940
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 16/09/2025
I’m biking on a beautiful afternoon, the trees alive with the setting sun, and I see an older man in saffron robes on the sidewalk, his gentle gait and head held low making me think, “This guy gets it.” Then, passing by him, I see his forefinger, just as gently, scrolling down the face of his phone.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
Behold the 2025 Kirkus Prize finalists! lithub.com/here-are-the...
lithub.com
Here are the finalists for the 2025 Kirkus Prize.
Today, Kirkus Reviews announced the 18 finalists for the 2025 Kirkus Prize, in the categories of Fiction, Nonfiction, and Young Readers’ Literature. Finalists are chosen from the pool of writers wh…
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 21/08/2025
So many of us are indebted to Malcolm Margolin, who did much to celebrate the culture and history of California. I’ll miss his passion, his wisdom and his wit — and his endearing Boston accent. May his memory be a blessing. www.berkeleyside.org/2025/08/20/m...
berkeleyside.org
‘A mighty redwood of a man has fallen.’ Remembering Malcolm Margolin, founder of Heyday books
Writer, editor and publisher Malcolm Margolin, who promoted Indigenous cultural renewal across California, died Wednesday. He was 84.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 27/07/2025
Farewell to a master satirist. #tomlehrer
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MIT Press @mitpress.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
Kirkus Reviews nonfiction editor @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social recommends "More Butch Heroes" in a Pride Month round-up of new standout LGBTQ+ titles:
kirkusreviews.com
Pride Month Reads: 5 New LGBTQ+ Nonfiction Books | Kirkus Reviews
These essential titles shed light on queer lives, past and present.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 19/04/2025
These lines from Dawn Staley’s “Uncommon Favor” (Atria/Black Privilege Publishing, May 20): “Every fiber of my soul screamed sports, sports, sports. Before long, my family nicknamed me ‘Dirt’ because it became clear I’d rather play ball than bathe.”
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 07/04/2025
Wayne Thiebaud’s delicious “Nine Books,” 1991-92, at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 29/03/2025
San Francisco beach artist (with rake)
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 11/03/2025
Hanging out with my buds.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 08/03/2025
Randomly met this beauty today: a 1968 Citroën DS.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 06/03/2025
Oakland
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 01/03/2025
The Women of the Black Panther Party Mural, Oakland
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
Beautiful day in the neighborhood
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MIT Press @mitpress.bsky.social · 18/02/2025
"A creative resurrection of people around the world who broke gender norms." — Kirkus Reviews Ria Brodell's ingenious project celebrating queer lives continues in "More Butch Heroes," coming this April:
kirkusreviews.com
MORE BUTCH HEROES | Kirkus Reviews
Living as themselves—and often punished for it.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
I found a redwood branch that fell during a storm. I brought it home, where it now shines.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
And the best book title of the year (so far) goes to…
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
I so enjoyed speaking with Pico Iyer about his outstanding new book, “Aflame: Learning From Silence.” @Riverheadbooks.bsky.social is publishing it today. www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-fea...
kirkusreviews.com
Pico Iyer Talks About the Power of Silence | Kirkus Reviews
In his latest book, ‘Aflame,’ the peripatetic writer extols the virtues of the contemplative life.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
The richness of redwoods at sunset.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 29/12/2024
Rest in peace, Jimmy Carter. I had the honor of interviewing him twice. He was lighthearted and laughed easily and was as warm as anyone I’ve ever met. In 2015, he played along with me for this photo I took of him.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
Raising Hare, by Chloe Dalton, is an extraordinary book. Here’s the Kirkus review. www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews...
kirkusreviews.com
RAISING HARE | Kirkus Reviews
Made more humane by a hare.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
Solid!
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
Keeping up with the kids. #spotify
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 04/12/2024
Fire in the neighborhood
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 30/11/2024
“No one has ever successfully painted or photographed a redwood tree. The feeling they produce is not transferable.” — Steinbeck
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 22/11/2024
You got me singing even though it all looks grim You got me singing the Hallelujah hymn
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 16/11/2024
At the Texas Book Festival, y’all. Goodwill abounds.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 21/11/2023
For Thanksgiving, I wrote a little something about my non-love of turkey www.zyzzyva.org/2023/11/21/t...
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 10/11/2023
So pleased to see my L.A. Times profile of Paul Yamazaki, book buyer of City Lights Books, in the bookstore’s front window. Paul will receive the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation on Nov. 15. Here’s my piece: www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 25/10/2023
Always a pleasure to lay eyes on San Francisco’s Hallidie Building, which opened in 1918. Designed by Willis Polk (1867-1924), it was one of the first buildings in the world to make use of a glass curtain wall.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 13/10/2023
A sign hand-painted by the late Lawrence Ferlinghetti — a veteran of World War II — at City Lights Books in San Francisco.
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ZYZZYVA @zyzzyvamag.bsky.social · 05/10/2023
Jon Fosse winning the Nobel Prize is also a major victory for the Bay Area’s @transitbooks.bsky.social, which began publishing Fosse in 2020. We couldn’t be more proud of Adam Levy and Ashley Nelson Levy, our friends who run Transit Books. Here’s to the power of nonprofit presses!
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 04/10/2023
Still thinking about this place: Great Island Trail. As part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, it remains protected by legislation signed by John F. Kennedy in 1961.
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 25/09/2023
“Every landscape which is dreary enough has a certain beauty to my eyes.” — Henry David Thoreau, “Cape Cod”
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 06/09/2023
I have the honor of breaking the news for the L.A. Times that Paul Yamazaki, beloved book buyer of City Lights, will receive the Literarian Award from the National Book Foundation. Paul is so deserving of this award, and it was a joy to write this profile of him. www.latimes.com/entertainmen...
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 01/09/2023
Bella macchina
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John McMurtrie @johnmcmurtrie.bsky.social · 18/08/2023
In the spirit of this site’s name, here’s some non-toxic blue sky above the coast of California.
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