James Pogue is an American essayist and journalist.[1] He is a contributing editor at Harper's magazine, and his pieces have appeared on the cover.[2][3] He is the author of Chosen Country: A Rebellion in the West, a first-person account of conflict over public lands in the American west.
Pogue grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has written frequently about midwestern politics.[4][5] His essay about the city's political history was collected in City by City, published by FSG.[6]
His 2019 Harper's article on farm murders in South Africa has been frequently cited in academic literature.[7][8] He has written about dissident Irish Republican Army groups in Northern Ireland[9] and frequently about militia groups in the rural American west.[10][11]
His work on armed politics frequently intersects with reporting on environmental issues. Pogue has contributed reporting and opinion pieces to the Los Angeles Times on environmental policy,[12][13] and has written frequently about forestry and fire in California.[14][15]
Pogue is the author of Chosen Country: A Rebellion in the West. The book was called a "fascinating debut" by NPR,[16] and praised in the New York Review of Books, The Los Angeles Review of Books and other publications.[17][18] It was criticized by some publications for its personal narrative and essayistic digressions. Kirkus called the book "courageous," but cited "some excess and irrelevance."[19]