A Career in Journalism, Literature, and Education
Howard Means was Senior Writer for Washingtonian magazine from 1977-1982 and Senior Editor from 1989-2000. In between, he was Critic at Large and an editorial board member for the Orlando Sentinel and an op-ed columnist for King Features Syndicate. At the Washingtonian, he won three William Allen White Medals for feature writing. He began his career as an English teacher at St. Albans School in Washington, DC.
A Novel Rooted in Family and History
Set in the closing days of the Civil War and praised by Scott Shane as a “literary and historical triumph,” Almost Home is Means’ second novel and eleventh book, and in some ways the one closest to his heart and history. His paternal great-grandfather—captured at age 15 in his only battle of that war—spent nearly a year and a half in the Union prison at Rock Island, Illinois, before being released to walk home to Alabama. Meanwhile, his maternal great-grandfather, a Union quartermaster, spent the last weeks of the war foraging famine-ridden Virginia for food as Grant and Lee met at Appomattox Court House.
Major Works and Critical Acclaim
Means’ previous books include Splash! 10,000 Years of Swimming, published in 2020, “an exuberant and sweeping cultural history of the sport” (Julie Checkoway) and “perfect reading for those missing a splash-about during the lockdown,” according to the Guardian, and 67 Shots: Kent State and the End of American Innocence (2016), widely acknowledged as the definitive account of the May 1970 confrontation in Ohio that left four students dead and nine wounded, including one paralyzed for life.
Earlier Books and Collaborations
Among his earlier books are Johnny Appleseed: The Man, the Myth, and the American Story, of which Ken Burns wrote “John Chapman comes alive here, and it is a thrilling experience to escape the decades of myth”; The Avenger Takes His Place: Andrew Johnson and the 45 Days That Changed the Nation, a featured selection of the History Book Club; Money & Power: The History of Business, companion piece to the CNBC documentary of the same name and translated into Chinese, Japanese, and many other languages; and the first biography of Colin Powell. Means’ 1998 novel, CSA, was optioned for an ABC mini-series. Over the last thirty years, he has also assisted in the writing of numerous books, including best-selling memoirs by Michael Deaver, Robert Baer, Louis Freeh, and George Tenet.
Life Today
Born and raised in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, he lives now in Millwood, Virginia, with his wife, Candy.
