Mark Helprin and the American Nation

Venturing from Washington, DC to Earlysville, Virginia on a Saturday morning to interview Mark Helprin was nearly torture. Forced to contend with throngs of marathon runners blocking streets and exits in the District of Columbia and then multiple crashes on the Beltway, I began to wonder if leaving Washington that day was even possible. I arrived two hours late, stumbling into the beautiful countryside of Virginia, adjacent to the Blue Ridge Mountains. But all frustration ceased when Mark and his lovely wife, Lisa, opened their home to me. In excusing my tardiness, Helprin said, “Richard, it can be difficult getting out of Washington.” Indeed.