Joseph A. Esposito

Joseph A. Esposito is an historian, writer and educator. He served in three presidential administrations, most recently as a deputy undersecretary for international affairs at the U.S. Department of Education. He also held various positions over eleven years at the U.S. Agency for International Development, and was a working group chair for the Commission for Assistance to a Free Cuba. He has taught history at three colleges, and is currently an adjunct associate professor at Northern Virginia Community College.

Esposito received his undergraduate degree in history, Phi Beta Kappa, from the Pennsylvania State University, and has master's degrees from the Pennsylvania State University, George Mason University, Georgetown University, University of Pennsylvania, and the University of Virginia. He also did doctoral work at American University.

He is the author of Dinner in Camelot: The Night America's Greatest Scientists, Writers, and Scholars Partied at the Kennedy White House (2018); audio book (2019).

He is a member of the Authors Guild and Biographers International Organization.

Twitter:  @EspositoWriter

Instagram:  @espositowriter

Are there particular films that have influenced your writing?

There are three political novels:  All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren; The Last Hurrah by Edwin O'Connor; and Advise and Consent by Allen Drury.  These books show political machinations and corruption at the city, state, and national levels.  All three books were made into movies with leading roles by Broderick Crawford, Spencer Tracy, and Henry Fonda.  

Not all books are for all readers… when you start a book and you just don’t like it, how long do you read until you bail?

If I don't enjoy a book in a first few pages, I immediately drop it. Books  represent an experience for me.  They need to inform as well as move me, whether nonfiction, which is my preference, or fiction.  I quickly pick up on the writing style and determine whether it is going to sustain me for the hours needed to read the book.  I also am attracted to the aesthetics of the book.

Is there a work of art that you love. Why? Have you ever visited it in person?

My favorite work of art is the painting "The House of Representatives" by Samuel F.B. Morse (1822).  The night session of the House  depicts the promise of democracy to me. It presents the early stages of the nation's effort to govern itself and the painting's colors and presentation add a sense of drama.

What brings you great joy?

Bookstores and book collecting.  All my life I have found books to be a source of adventure, inspiration, and even solace. I have spent many hours in used and new book stores, often learning simply by browsing and skimming the offerings  My preference is for American history.

What piece of clothing tells the most interesting story about your life?

Penny loafers.  I just love them.  I never wear laced shoes.  I also have a strong interest in blue bengal stripe dress shirts.  That's my uniform.