Zachary Michael Jack’s new political novel Corn Poll: A Novel of the Iowa Caucuses has earned Foreword Review’s covered five-star rating and a selection as a national book-of-the-day. The political satire also scored an excellent review in the pages of the January 27th edition of Cityview.

Part political satire, part earnest call for electoral reform, Corn Poll: A Novel of the Iowa Caucuses is a story for political junkies and political cynics alike–for anyone who ever held their nose and cast a vote and everyone who ever dreamed We the People might one day stand up and demand the candidates we deserve. Not since the novel Primary Colors has the Middle American landscape yielded up such rich political fodder.

 

“A nice break from the grind of campaign news…. Beyond the spoofing of characters you’ll recognize, there’s a warm hope for something better in our political system.”
—David Yepsen, Director, Paul Simon Public Policy Institute, Southern Illinois University

“Corn Poll is a hoot and a holler for political reform. In the satirical tradition of Joe Klein’s Primary Colors and Jane Smiley’s Moo, this book will make you laugh and then think. In fact, what Zachary Michael Jack has to say might just make a difference in next year’s Iowa caucuses…and wouldn’t that be a good thing!”
—Dr. Timothy Walch, Director Emeritus, Herbert Hoover Presidential Library

“Covering the Iowa Caucuses for nearly forty years has taught me the greatest untold story in the Caucuses is the story of the people who cover them, real people with real thoughts and emotions. This book captures that image and brings new life to a political event that has become a tradition in the nation’s political life.”
—Mike Glover, former Associated Press Statehouse and Political Reporter, Managing Editor, the Iowa Daily Democrat

“Corn Poll is an engaging story….  It’s an insightful,  behind-the-scenes peek at Presidential candidates and the media personalities covering the campaign drama.”
—Dean Borg, host of Iowa Press on PBS, Iowa Public Radio correspondent, winner of the Jack Shelley Award for lifetime achievement from the Iowa Broadcast News Association

“A rollicking, entertaining novel of the Iowa caucuses by a smart and idealistic native son. This inspiring tale is infused with the hopeful and fighting spirit of La Follette-style Midwestern populism.”
—Bill Kauffman, author, Dispatches from the Muckdog Gazette and Bye, Bye Miss American Empire: Neighborhood Patriots, Back Country Rebels, and their Underdog Crusades to Redraw America’s Map

“Something for everyone! Political junkies will appreciate the inside jokes and cheeky references, but all who crave complex characters and a deeper understanding of the American heartland will find themselves riveted to the story and moved by the depth of Jack’s reflection on the current state of our electoral politics.”
—Dr. Stephen Maynard Caliendo, Professor of Political Science, North Central College, author, Inequality in America: Race, Poverty, and Fulfilling Democracy’s Promise

“Zachary Michael Jack has given us a great book—one that somehow changes the perspective of the reader when looking at real-life politics. It keeps us guessing, thinking, and laughing.”
—Dr. Jeff Taylor, Professor of Political Science, Dordt College (IA), author, Politics on a Human Scale and Where Did the Party Go: William Jennings Bryan, Hubert Humphrey, and the Jeffersonian Legacy

“The best political writing is as much about people, places and principles as it is about process and philosophy. Professor Jack deftly weaves together all of these elements in a thoughtful, provocative, but always entertaining story set in America’s heartland…. The perceptive reader will see political commentary worth considering in this compelling work of fiction—a perfect combination: a beach book with big ideas.”
—Dr. Thomas D. Cavenagh, Schneller Sisters Professor of Leadership, Ethics, and Values, Professor of Law and Conflict Resolution, North Central College, coauthor, with Lucille M. Ponte of Cyberjustice   

Love or hate the Iowa caucuses, Zachary Michael Jack’s entertaining novel, “Corn Poll” turns them on their “ear.”  With one more of his many literary gifts to Iowa, Zachary Michael Jack continues to prove he is one of the finest writers the Midwest has to offer.
—Dr. Robert Leonard, author, Yellow Cab, and KNIA/KRLS radio news editor

Zachary Michael Jack‘s analysis and commentary on Midwestern politics and culture have appeared in many periodicals nationwide, including the Cedar Rapids Gazette, the Des Moines Register, the Daily Yonder, Front Porch Republic, the Iowan magazine, and the Middle West Review, among many others. Zachary has been a featured speaker or presenter at the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies, the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library, and the Iowa Conference on Presidential Politics. The author of over twenty award-winning books and many works of fiction, including the 2010 Foreword Reviews runner-up novel-of-the-year in its class, Zachary is a recipient of the Hoover Medal from the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library. He teaches in the graduate and undergraduate Leadership Studies programs at North Central College and in the graduate and undergraduate writing programs.