“At 17, I traveled to Mexico in a lemon yellow Mustang and saved money by bunking down in cheap, cockroach-infested flophouses. In my early 20s, I went on to thumb rides through Europe, readily sleeping in train stations, my backpack as a pillow. Once I even hunkered down for a night on a sidewalk grate - for warmth - in Paris.”

American book critic

Michael Dirda is an American book critic. He worked at The Washington Post from 1978 to 2026 and has been a Fulbright Fellow. He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1993. Dirda is best known for his literary criticism and reviewing, especially in print journalism. His career has centered on books and the reading life, and his work has been recognized with one of American journalism’s highest honors.