Tom Junod Finally Reckons with What It Means to Be a Man

"Tom Junod is considering the epitaphs of seditionists. We're wandering the rows of Marietta Confederate Cemetery, not far from his home outside Atlanta. The sun is inching down, and the grounds are deserted. Tom has no ancestors buried here-he grew up on Long Island-but he's lived in the South for a while and spent years driving past these graves. "I've never been here and it's..." He looks around, absorbing the scene. "You can definitely write about this in some way.""

"His byline sits atop some of the most profound and provocative stories that Esquire and GQ have ever published. Like that make-you-cry Mister Rogers profile that became a Tom Hanks movie. Or "The Falling Man," his search for the identity of a single person who plunged from the World Trade Center on 9/11. Presidents, preppers, pit bulls, pornographers-no topic seemed beyond Tom's reach. He ran toward them all, often with success, sometimes with scandal."

Tom Junod walks the rows of Marietta Confederate Cemetery near his Atlanta home at sunset, noting empty grounds and a child's headstone engraved Clara 'had one day.' He has no ancestors there, grew up on Long Island, and has lived in the South for years. A companion prepares to ask how to portray an admired yet intimidating figure honestly. Junod's career is associated with Esquire and GQ and includes deeply affecting portrayals such as the Mister Rogers piece that became a film and the 'The Falling Man' investigation into a 9/11 jumper. His subjects range from presidents and preppers to pit bulls and pornographers, often courting success and scandal.

Read at Esquire