Michael O'Donnell, Author at The American Scholar

Michael O'Donnell

Michael O'Donnell is the author of Above the Fire. His next novel, Concert Black, will be published in 2026. His writing appears in The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, and The Economist.

Conjurer of Worlds

The writer who made fantasy history

By Michael O'Donnell | Monday December 1, 2025

The Egoist

When a Zen master loses his way

By Michael O'Donnell | Tuesday September 2, 2025

A Portrait of the Scholar

The life of Ireland’s towering literary figure became a work of art in its own right

By Michael O'Donnell | Thursday June 19, 2025