BuzzFeed and Rolling Stone reporter Michael Hastings was a prolific journalist, authoring three books before he died in June at age 33. It turns out he was working on some fiction as well — a novel based on his own life is set to be released in the summer by Blue Rider Press.
“The Last Magazine” centers on an eager young intern at a national magazine named Michael M. Hastings. The real Hastings began his career as an eager young intern at Newsweek, where he became a war reporter.
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According to the New York Times, which first reported the story, Hastings had worked on the novel intermittently for years. His widow, Elise Jordan, found the manuscript on his computer after his death. It wasn’t clear if Hastings intended for the novel ever to be published. NYT reported that he told only a few close friends and family about its existence.
Blue Rider Press also published Hastings’ “The Operators,” based on his 2010 Rolling Stone article that lead to Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s resignation and won Hastings a George Polk Award.
Blue Rider Press and Jordan did not respond to requests for comment.