Kurt Andersen is the bestselling author of the novels Heyday and Turn of the Century, and his writing has also appeared in the New York Times and Vanity Fair. Aside from his novels and journalistic work, he’s also the host of the Peabody Award-winning radio program Studio 360.
Fantasyland (2017) takes readers on a journey through the past 500 years of American history to show just how often this land has been home to people with a bewildering take on reality. Through a wealth of examples, Andersen tells us how Americans have indulged in some far-fetched fantasies in their excuses for gun ownership, slavery and new religions.
Evil Geniuses (2020) describes the rise of the economic right after the 1960s and the consequences of their policies today. From Milton Friedman to Ronald Reagan, it looks at the significance of some of the right’s central figures while also sketching a broader narrative that explains how the US has ended up as it has today.
Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire by Kurt Andersen explores the history and cultural trends that have led to the current state of American society. From the early settlers' belief in magical thinking to the rise of conspiracy theories and fake news, Andersen delves into the ways in which America has become a nation untethered from reality. Thought-provoking and insightful, this book offers a fascinating analysis of the forces shaping the American psyche.