Jason Fagone


Jason Fagone is an American journalist and author. His work has appeared in GQ, Wired, Esquire, The Atlantic, New York, Grantland, The New York Times, and the Huffington Post Highline, among other outlets. In 2002, the Columbia Journalism Review named him one of "Ten Young Writers on the Rise". He currently writes investigative stories for The San Francisco Chronicle.
His first book, Horsemen of the Esophagus, is about competitive eating. Of the sport-like activity, Fagone writes, "You hate to see all these very clear human desires poured into something like an eating contest. But it’s kind of inspiring that we’re creative enough and resilient enough to make it work. It’s both an American horror show and an American success story."
His second book, Ingenious: A True Story Of Invention, Automotive Daring, And The Race To Revive America is about teams in the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE, including Edison2 and Illuminati Motor Works Seven, and the competition to make a 100+ MPGe vehicle. It was released on November 5, 2013 by Crown Publishing. Kirkus Reviews called it "a well-tooled, instructive tale".
Fagone's most recent book, The Woman Who Smashed Codes, is about the expert cryptanalyst Elizebeth Smith Friedman.
He is 39 years old and lives with his wife and daughter near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.