Taking The Capitol (and Jim Henson) to the Capital

Posted on August 10, 2026 | Leave a comment

I’m excited to finally be bringing The Capitol to Washington, D.C. for a weekend in October. But first, let me tell you about another event I’ll be doing that same weekend. It involves this guy:

This has been in the works for a while–and now that it’s finally been posted, I’m excited I can officially tell you about it: on Friday, October 23, I’ll be appearing with Jim Henson Company Archives Director Karen Falk at the Smithsonian Museum of American History for a conversation about the life and work of Jim Henson, told through six objects in the Smithsonian’s collection. Our moderator and guide will be Ryan Lintelman, entertainment curator in the Smithsonian’s Division of Culture and the Arts. Here’s the official description from Smithsonian Associates:

Jim Henson’s boundless imagination and enduring legacy are best revealed through his creations. From inventing beloved characters such as Kermit the Frog and Rowlf and crafting fantastical worlds in The Dark Crystal and Labyrinth to creating television for the whole family in The Muppet Show and Fraggle Rock, Henson’s creative genius was unparalleled.

The Jim Henson Company Archives Director Karen Falk and biographer Brian Jay Jones explore six extraordinary objects donated by Henson’s family to the National Museum of American History. Each offers a unique window into Henson’s creativity, artistic evolution, and long-lasting cultural impact. Ranging from early experiments to iconic creations, these artifacts reveal how Henson blended artistry, technology, and storytelling to reshape modern entertainment. Guided by Ryan Lintelman, entertainment curator in the Smithsonian’s Division of Culture and the Arts, the discussion weaves together biography, behind-the-scenes insights, and historical context.

Following the program, attendees have the rare opportunity to see objects from the National Museum of American History’s collection that are not on public display.

Which six objects will we be discussing? You’ll have to find out–but as you can see, it’s six objects that are presently not on display in any of the Smithsonian’s museums. And as Karen and I went down the list of the six, divvying up who would discuss what, I am giddily excited about one object in particular that I get to talk about.

You can find more information about the event here at the Smithsonian’s website–and while our event is at noon on a Friday, if you’re going to be in Washington that day, I hope you’ll register and come see us. It’ll be a blast, I promise.

The very next day, at 5 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, I’ll be discussing The Capitol at Politics and Prose with the help of ace biographer, historian, lawyer, and novelist David O. Stewart. David’s latest book is The Democracy We Must Keep: Seven Founders, Nine Documents and the Ideas that Shaped America, so between the two of us, we’ll have plenty to say about the hard work that goes into building a nation, and what our founding documents and infrastructure tell us about who we are as Americans. The event is free, but get there early to grab a seat.

Oh, and we’ll be at the flagship P&P on Connecticut Avenue, so don’t head for the one at the Wharf or at Union Market or you’ll miss us. And we’ll miss you.

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The Capitol Makes the WSJ

Posted on July 27, 2026 | 1 comment

Each week, The Wall Street Journal showcases fifteen books as part of its “15 Books We Read This Week” feature. And this week, I was delighted to see The Capitol among them.

Even better, reviewer Tevi Troy–a former Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services–wrote a thoughtful piece on the book, and ultimately concluded that, “The U.S. Capitol is perhaps the most recognizable symbol of the American republic. Mr. Jones has given it the biography it deserves.”

That was always one of my objectives–and I thank you very much for the kind words.

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Talking the Capitol, Dr. Seuss, and the Re-animator

Posted on July 11, 2026 | Leave a comment

My thanks to everyone who’s taken a moment to tell me how much they’re enjoying–and have been surprised by–The Capitol. It’s a bit of a different kind of book for me–the first question I’ve been getting during interviews is usually “why this particular subject?”–but one that I’m really proud of.

And speaking of interviews, I thought I’d post a few of them here, if you’d like to hear me discussing all things Capitol–and sometimes some things Dr. Seuss.

That was the case, for instance, when I chatted with the amiable Matt Matern on A Climate Change with Matt Matern. We began by discussing Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax, and Seuss’ brand of environmentalism–while The Lorax remains one of his most frequently banned books, it’s not the anti-logging message you might think it is . . . or so Seuss said. That led us into a discussion about good stewardship, and how those lessons can apply not only to natural resources but also to a building more than two centuries old.

I also had a wonderful time speaking with Dan Skinner with Some Books Considered at National Public Radio. We discussed some little known facts, ghost stories, and how researching the building changed–or, rather, enhanced–my affection for the building.

And then there’s this deep dive on the history of the building with Evan Axelbank at Axelbank Reports History and Today. Evan is a terrific interviewer, who really knows his stuff, and we really plunged into the early days of the Capitol, including George Washington’s love of domes, Madison’s handwringing over moving the site, and architect William Thornton’s desire to reanimate the dead body of George Washington by pumping him full of lamb’s blood. Yes, really.

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The Secret Origin of The Room Where It Happened

Posted on June 25, 2026 | Leave a comment

Okay, not so secret, actually. But off we go!

Politics, regional differences, compromise, improvisation and imagination are all part of the story of the making of the U.S. Capitol, whether it was deciding what materials to use, what the dome should look like, or — in this case — where to put the building in the first place.

I’m delighted to have a piece in The Washington Post today, giving you lots of details on what, exactly, led to a really important conversation in The Room Where It Happened.

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Pub Day for THE CAPITOL

Posted on June 2, 2026 | 1 comment

I’m delighted that today is the day I can finally put The Capitol in your hands. I’m really proud of this one, and I appreciate your patience; I know it’s been a while–seven years, in fact!–since I last saw you. I think–I hope!–you’ll find the wait was worth it.

As always, you can find The Capitol wherever you get your books. It’s also available in e-book and audiobook, so no matter how you prefer to consume your reading, you should be able to get it in the format of your preference. And I thank you.

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Jim Henson Week in Mississippi

Posted on May 11, 2026 | Leave a comment
Kermit welcomes you to The Jim Henson Boyhood Museum in Leland, MS. (Photo by Ayrton Breckenridge)

This week, the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger is celebrating the life and work of native son Jim Henson, who was born in Greenville and spent a good part of his early childhood in nearby Leland. As part of their celebration, I got to talk with reporter Charlie Drape, an enthusiastic fan who admitted he didn’t know much of Jim’s non-Muppet projects, so I had a great time running my mouth at length to get him up to speed.

We talked so much, in fact, that Charlie very kindly wrote a bit about my journey toward becoming Jim’s biographer, before sitting down for a more substantive Q&A, in which I discussed Jim’s Mississippi roots and the creative restlessness that defined him. You can read our conversation here. (I should note an odd edit in our conversation, in which I’m reported as saying, “you could tell how intrigued [Jim] was by the length of time he spent saying the word ‘interesting.’ The longer the ‘interesting,’ the more fascinated he was.” That’s not quite what I said; I said you could tell you had his interest when he said, ‘hmmmmmm.’ And the longer the ‘hmmmmm’ the more interested he was. But no harm, no foul.)

Apparently there’s plenty more in store this week–including this photo gallery of the Jim Henson Boyhood Home exhibit in Leland–and Charlie promises a deep dive into the world of Labyrinth as well.

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It’s Officially A Book

Posted on May 3, 2026 | 1 comment

With a month to go before publication date, I got a nice surprise in the mail yesterday when a lone hardcover of The Capitol arrived, along with a nice note from my editor.

It’s officially pretty, and it’s officially A Book, complete with some final corrections and light edits (even on the very very last pass, I *still* couldn’t keep my hands off of it) and with an index and photo insert–two things that weren’t in the Advance Reading Copy. And hey! You’ll even get some photos in full color.

I wasn’t expecting to get a copy in the mail just yet, so I opened the padded envelope without hoopla or expectations–and I can vouch for the fact that holding your newest book in your hand for the first time will never not be exciting.

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Ten Great Biographies for Your Bedside Table

Posted on March 24, 2026 | Leave a comment

Looking for a great biography to add to your reading pile? Add any or all of the ten books long listed for the 2026 Plutarch Award, presented annually by Biographers International Organization. Good stuff.

The winner of the Plutarch will be announced in May at the annual BIO Conference.

Fun fact (and to toot my own horn a bit): I wrote and introduced the resolution creating this award when I was a board member of BIO way back in 2011 or so. From the very beginning, the list of nominees and winners has been rock solid, and I’m really, really proud of this one. It’s still the only international literary award given to biographers, by biographers.

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In Case You Missed It (And Me) . . .

Posted on March 18, 2026 | Leave a comment

First thing’s first:

Look at me!
Look at me!
I’m quoted by the BBC!

Young Dr. Seuss (Ted Geisel) at Dartmouth
Young Ted Geisel, looking serious.

It’s been 100 years (!) since young Dr. Seuss–at the time he was simply young Mr. Geisel–set foot on the campus of Oxford University, in pursuit of a doctorate in English, and I was delighted to speak with the BBC about Seuss’s time at their illustrious institution.

Alas, Geisel wasn’t a terrific student and only lasted a year there, leaving Oxford without a degree. His class notebooks are filled with more drawings and doodles than notes on Milton and Shakespeare, though he was clearly trying. Still, you don’t get Dr. Seuss without a stop at Oxford, as it’s where he met someone critical to his story: Helen Palmer, who would become his wife, first reader, fellow Beginner Books editor, and the person who looked at his Oxford notebooks and said, “You should be be drawing for a living.” You can read the rest of the story right here.

Once you’re done reading that, here’s a terrific story in the Santa Fe Pasatiempo all about Jim Henson’s time in New Mexico.

Jim Henson, looking groovy.

When I started researching Jim Henson for the biography, I knew he had filmed parts of several Muppet movies in New Mexico, but I didn’t know how much the state meant to him, and how often he visited. Imagine my surprise when I learned his father had retired to Albuquerque in the early 1970s and lived about four minutes away from my own childhood home.

New Mexico was so important to him, in fact, that he once told his son John that he felt the mountains near Taos was the “place I’m supposed to be” — and his ashes were scattered there, somewhere in the Sangre de Cristos, in 1992.

Oh, and if you’re planning on journeying to Taos to visit the specific site where his ashes were scattered, you’re out of luck in that regard–as Lisa Henson told me, “I’m pretty sure we were on someone’s private property and I don’t think we could ever find the place again.” But go visit Taos anyway; you’ll quickly come to see why Jim thought he belonged there.

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Arthur Novell (1936-2026)

Posted on February 21, 2026 | 2 comments
Arthur Novell

I was sad to hear the news this week of the passing of Arthur Novell, who served as Jim Henson’s publicist for almost two decades. Arthur was not only a publicist, but a confidante and one of Jim’s reliable “fixers”–as many inside the organization warmly described him to me–who could be counted on to solve problems quickly and quietly. No matter what time of day it was, or where in the world Arthur might have been, he could almost always make things better with a phone call, taking care of the business of business and letting Jim Henson be Jim Henson.

After Jim’s death in 1990, Arthur was chosen by Jane Henson to serve as one of the founding board members of The Jim Henson Legacy on its establishment in 1992. That’s actually where he was when I first came to know him; he was serving as president of the Legacy when I approached the organization in 2008 to talk about a biography of Jim. He was genuinely warm and encouraging–and always so patient with me–and once I got the okay to proceed with the project around 2010, Arthur was one of the book’s biggest fans and cheerleaders.

There’s a good reason I called him the spiritual father of the biography; it wouldn’t have happened without his careful attention. I loved getting his e-mails dispensing guidance on how to approach performers, giving me his perspective on Jim’s career, or calling me “just to check in.” And there were times, I’m sure, when his hand on my shoulder–or his working behind the scenes on something I’m probably not even aware of to this day–made a real difference in my conversations with the Henson family, friends, and colleagues. With Arthur on your side, you were a made man.

After the book was published, Arthur and I stayed in touch, sometimes just a line or two in an e-mail. Any time I was in New York, I would try to have dinner–usually Chinese food–with him and his husband, Eddy, lingering for hours just so I could listen to the man tell stories, whether it was of his dancing on stage in New York as a young man, taking phone calls from Jim at 2 in the morning, or ushering around guests for Muppets Tonight. One of the last times we tried to get together, my train to New York was impossibly delayed and prevented us from having dinner. But Arthur texted me well into the evening and told me he was sorry we wouldn’t be able to see each other and that he missed talking with me.

That’s how he was.

Arthur was a lovely, lovely man, a true gentleman, and I’m forever grateful to him and even luckier to have known him. Godspeed, Arthur Novell; you were one of the good ones.

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