John McPhee

About the author

John McPhee, born in 1930, emerged as one of America's most distinguished practitioners of literary nonfiction. A Princeton University graduate, McPhee began his career at Time magazine before joining The New Yorker in 1965, where he would establish his reputation for meticulous reporting and elegant prose. His expertise lies in transforming specialized subjects into accessible narratives through immersive journalism.

Prior to "A Sense of Where You Are" (1965), McPhee had contributed various pieces to national magazines, but this work marked his debut as a book-length author and established the foundation for his subsequent explorations of geography, geology, and American culture.