Clemence Michallon in The Independent:
For anyone with a platform, Donald Trump’s presidency comes with a choice. Should they – the artists, the creative types, the famous ones – defend what they believe in? Or should they refrain from “going political”, at a time when fans might readily forsake an artist’s output if they don’t land on the same side? For Don Winslow, there is no debate. The author, with 22 books to his name, is one of the most heralded names in contemporary crime fiction. He’s also one of the most outspoken anti-Trump activists in the current American literary landscape.
Winslow’s Twitter timeline is the most direct reflection of this occupation. “Dear Eric Trump,” reads one of his recent messages, addressed to the US president’s second son, “Name one person who ever hired you for a job that wasn’t your dad? You can’t.” “Dear Republicans, How can Joe Biden take away your guns?” he asks in another tweet, this time about gun legislation. “Didn’t @BarackObama take away your guns in 2008 and 2012? HE DIDN’T. IT NEVER HAPPENED. THEY THINK YOU’RE SO STUPID THAT THEY ARE TELLING YOU THE SAME LIES.”
Activism used to be a side gig for Winslow. He’s been at it at least since June 2017, when he took out a full-page ad in The New York Times to denounce Donald Trump’s “woefully ignorant” approach to the war on drugs, a theme relevant to his Cartel trilogy. In the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, Winslow’s advocacy work has ramped up. Novel writing has been placed “on the back burner”, he tells The Independent – although future books are “simmering nicely”.
More here.