Scott W. Berg

Scott W. Berg is the author of The Burning of the World: The Great Chicago Fire and the War for a City's Soul (2023); 38 Nooses: Lincoln, Little Crow, and the Frontier's End (2012); and Grand Avenues: The Story of Pierre Charles L'Enfant, the French Visionary Who Designed Washington, D.C. (2007), all published in hardcover by Pantheon Books and in paperback by Vintage Books. He is a professor of English at George Mason University, where he teaches publishing, nonfiction writing and literature, and acts as publisher of Stillhouse Press. Born and raised in Minnesota's Twin Cities, Scott received a BA in Architecture from the University of Minnesota, an MA in English from Miami University of Ohio, and an MFA in Creative Writing from George Mason University, where he now teaches nonfiction writing and literature. Since 1999, he has also been a contributor to The Washington Post and other publications. Scott's principal research interests include place origins, architectural history, urban history, and the intersections of lesser-known individuals with history's more famous figures. His feature writing for the Washington Post has ranged widely, covering topics as diverse as civil rights history, classical theater, the sport of cricket, the digitization of history, the role of monuments and museums in Washington, D.C., and airplane restoration efforts at the Smithsonian Institution, to name just a few. He regularly speaks to media outlets and to groups large and small in the Washington metro area and around the country about his books and related topics. A list of his upcoming and previous speaking engagements can be found on the "Events & Media" link of his website, www.scottwberg.net. Scott lives in Reston, Virginia with his wife, Cory; their two sons play collegiate soccer for the University of Mary Washington. He can be reached via his website or by using his e-mail address directly: scottwberg@scottwberg.com