By Brian R Alexander

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Brian Alexander

I'm the author of seven books, all non-fiction, including Glass House, and The Hospital. My new book, The Mayor, will be out later in 2026. I write about America and American culture, and I try to give voices to people who aren't heard often enough.

Private Government

Private Government

People accuse me of ranting about private equity. Guilty. I've become a dreaded dinner guest because, at some point, maybe after a couple of glasses of wine, I am easily baited into animated monologues about leveraged buyouts, carried interest, and "special dividends." Other guests back away

Will Private Equity Sponsor Your Kid's Little League Team?

Will Private Equity Sponsor Your Kid's Little League Team?

A few years ago, I was asked by staffers in then-Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown's office to speak to Democratic Senators at their weekly lunch in the Capitol. Of course, I agreed. Before going I asked the advice of Victor Fleischer, a tax law expert. He'd worked

Manly Men, Meaning, and the Modern Project (Part II)

Manly Men, Meaning, and the Modern Project (Part II)

Have a look at the photo above. I took that in 2015 or 2016 in the showroom of what was comically called Everyware Global, but what every single person in Lancaster, Ohio called Anchor Hocking. Everyware Global was a private equity creation, a mashup of two venerable brands, Anchor Hocking

Manly Men, Meaning, and the Modern Project (Part I)

Manly Men, Meaning, and the Modern Project (Part I)

After my dad graduated from Collinwood High School in Cleveland with grades so marginal that my grandmother blamed them on his pursuit of Betty Francis, the local "sweater girl" (look it up, kids), he went to work in the same tool and die outfit where my grandfather worked.

Wall Street Comes to Fayette: Update 3

There is yet more fallout from the implosion of First Brands, which I wrote about in reporting on the closing of Eagle Machining in Fayette, Ohio. If you recall, First Brands is an umbrella company formed by man named Patrick James, since indicted, whose roll-up of auto parts makers and

Gilded Age: A Tale of To-Day

Gilded Age: A Tale of To-Day

Last week there was a lot of talk about the Gilded Age and Trump's State of the Union declaration that he has ushered in a new "Golden Age" of America. The Gilded Age, in fact, has been discussed a lot in recent years, often in the

Western Civilization

Western Civilization