Hidden America: The Unseen World of People Who Make Everything Work
Jeanne Marie Laskas' current book project, Hidden America: The Unseen World of People Who Make Everything Work, will be published by Putnam in 2010. The book will celebrate the unsung heroes who do the hands-on jobs that make America work—from coal miners to Alaska pipeline workers, beef farmers to shipping-port workers. They're people who remain virtually invisible to us, and yet we are utterly dependent on them. 

One chapter—"Underworld," which profiles a group of coal miners in Cadiz, Ohio—has already appeared in GQ (May 2007). It was named a finalist for a 2007 National Magazine Award by the American Society of Magazine Editors in the Features category, which honors the stylishness and originality with which the author treats her subject.
 
Click here to read the full article, "Underworld." >

Go deeper into the mines in a GQ Audio Slideshow. Jeanne Marie Laskas talks about reporting on life as a coal miner. Photos by James Nachtwey. >

Listen to Jeanne Marie's interview with NPR's "Talk of the Nation" about coal-mining culture. >

Read Jeanne Marie's mediabistro interview, "Hey How'd You Write That Ellie-Nominated Feature, Jeanne Marie Laskas?" >