In addition to writing the first political biography of Woody Guthrie – 'Woody Guthrie, American Radical,' I have written a number of books on American culture: 'Singing for Peace: Antiwar Songs in American History,' 'American Culture in the 1970s,' 'The Civil War in American Culture,' and 'The Comedian as Confidence Man.' I am a two-time winner of the Woody Guthrie Research Fellowship from the Broadcast Music Industry Foundation and was consultant to Johnny Depp and Douglas Brinkley for the publication of their co-edited edition of Guthrie's recently discovered novel, 'House of Earth.'