selected writing
pig FARMING DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS CRUEL, NEW YORK TIMES
On pigs, the poor, and African swine fever, Washington Post
The Science Behind the “Smoke” of the Great Smoky Mountains, Our state
Urban Wildlife, Indoors and Out, LOS ANGELES REVIEW OF BOOKS
THE COW WHISPERER, LOS ANGELES REVIEW OF BOOKS
The Mistaken Case of the Killer Cornbread, Atlas Obscura
Half That Tater: Sitting Down at the Welcome Table, Gravy
[Pop]Corn from a Jar, Gravy
The Great Appalachian Hog Drives, Atlas Obscura
Why The Pig Is The Most Loved And Most Loathed Animal On The Plate, NPR
High Above the Hog, New York Times
books
Lesser Beasts: A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig
order from Indiebound, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.
“Splendid book…. A witty history of western civilisation.” —Guardian (full review)
“[An] entertaining study … a broad, well-researched book.” —Economist (full review)
“[A] marvellous history.” —The Times of London
“Splendid…. A pleasure to read.” —Atlanta Journal Constitution
“The pages sizzle like bacon, and it’s tough to set aside.” —St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“A thoughtful book about the fascinating relationship between pigs and people, from Leviticus to Charlotte’s Web. I learned something new on every page: Essig has a knack for delivering reams of information with lightness and wit. Whether you eat pork or not, Lesser Beasts is a gripping meditation on the plight of pigs.” —Bee Wilson, author of Consider the Fork
Edison & the Electric Chair: A Story of Light and Death
Order from Amazon.
“Reads like a good novel.” —Economist
“[An] engaging and meticulously researched book. Edison & the Electric Chair delivers a thrilling jolt of discovery.” —Entertainment Weekly
“Steeped in historical scholarship and written with sober elegance.” —Newsday
about
I’ve written two books: Lesser Beasts: A Snout-to-Tail History of the Humble Pig (Basic Books, 2015) and Edison & the Electric Chair (Walker & Co., 2003). I’ve contributed to the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Atlas Obscura, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and Gravy. I spent an unhealthy number of years in school (B.A., U.Va.; Ph.D., Cornell). I’ve worked at burger joints, bookstores, coffee shops, and daily newspapers and now spend my days editing reports on climate science. I grew up in St. Louis and now live in Asheville, North Carolina, a small city with nice hiking trails and an affordable housing problem.
You can e-mail me by clicking here.
Here I am with the dear departed Gucci, my favorite boar at the Warren Wilson College farm:
Mark Essig 