Tom Deignan, a regular Commonweal contributor, is working on a book about religious violence in the 1920s.
Article The View from Behind Bars John J. Lennon has spent the last 24 years in prison for murder. Now, he is the author of a book about true crime, prison reform debates, and his own experience behind bars. By Tom Deignan November 7, 2025 Politics Books Social Justice
Article Books of Revelation Thirty years ago, the 'Left Behind' books foreshadowed the state of American faith and politics today. By Tom Deignan September 17, 2025 Fiction Religion Media
Article How the Irish Became Everything New books by Tyler Anbinder and Harold Holzer explore the messy complexities of immigration—from the era of Lincoln to Irish New York. By Tom Deignan November 1, 2024 Immigration History Books Politics Race
Article Way Out West Kevin Barry's latest novel, 'The Heart in Winter,' is a funny, devastating ride through an imagined Old West. By Tom Deignan July 23, 2024 Fiction Books Technology
Article The Limits of Braininess Nathan Hill's latest novel satirizes anyone who wears an Apple Watch or who has ever been misled by internet research. By Tom Deignan February 26, 2024 Books Culture Secularism and Modernity Fiction
Article After the Storm The characters populating the novels of Mary Beth Keane pursue various American dreams in the face of unpleasant American realities. By Tom Deignan September 16, 2023 Books Fiction Culture