Matthew Baker ’08

Matthew Baker ’08 of New York City had
a new story collection, Why Visit America,
published in August by Henry Holt. Named one
of Esquire’s “20 Must-Read Books of Summer
2020,” the book received a starred review from
Booklist, which wrote: “Bold, captivating, and
deeply relevant, Baker’s imaginative stories offer
approachable, optimistic perspectives on morally
ambiguous topics facing Americans, including
what it means to be one nation.” Nine stories
in the collection have been optioned for film/
television by studios including Netflix, Amazon,
Fox, FX and Searchlight Pictures.