Frank S. Barry
A columnist and editorial board member at Bloomberg who wrote a book about a road trip on the Lincoln Highway during the 2020 election will be speaking at a free event sponsored by the Sidney Daily News on Monday evening at Amos Memorial Public Library.
Frank S. Barry released “Back Roads and Better Angels,” earlier this year. During the 2020 presidential campaign, he and his wife Laurel set out from New York City in a Winnebago and drove the entire length of the Lincoln Highway.
Barry’s aim during the trip was to talk to many people and find what holds America together an era of divisive politics. The country’s first transcontinental route was named for Abraham Lincoln, and Barry uses comparisons to the Civil War era throughout the book to investigate modern divisions.
Barry will discuss the novel and have a question-and-answer session with those in attendance from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Community Room.
Food and beverages will be provided for those in attendance.
Among those interviewed and included in the book is Chris Gibbs, the current Shelby County Democratic Party chairman who has gained national attention in recent years after publicly criticizing former President Trump and switching from the Republican to Democratic Party.
Barry’s promotional materials for the book say that “he digs deep …peeling back the myths that shape our identity, delving into race and religion, examining how we have overcome the gravest threats to democracy, and sparing neither major political party from criticism.
“As with any good road trip, there is conversation, laughter, and music. And, of course, there are mishaps. Neither Laurel nor Frank, only recently married, had ever driven an RV.”
The book has received strong reviews, including from Walter Isaacson, Ken Burns and John Mellencamp, among others.
Barry worked for former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and served as his chief speechwriter during his 2020 presidential campaign. He holds degrees from University of Notre Dame and New York University.
