Walter Kirn, a novelist, literary critic, and essayist, stands at the intersection of journalism and storytelling, diagnosing America's narrative intricacies like no other. Educated at Princeton and Oxford, he made his mark on the New York media scene, offering incisive critiques and narratives for esteemed publications such as New York Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, Time, The New Republic, and Harper's. His novel "Up in the Air" soared to fame with a 2009 film adaptation starring George Clooney. In "Lost in the Meritocracy," he humorously retraces his own path from rural Minnesota to the Ivy League. Currently, Kirn co-hosts the podcast "America This Week" and co-founded "County Highway," a print magazine reflecting America's rich complexity in the style of a nineteenth-century newspaper.