STEVEN W. THRASHER
The author of one of the best non-fiction books of 2022, Steven W. Thrasher is a scholar, social critic and journalist. His book, The Viral Underclass: The Human Toll When Inequality and Disease Collide, told the heart-rending stories of friends, activists, and teachers navigating the coronavirus, HIV, and other viruses. Thrasher brings the reader along as he delves into the viral underclass and lays bare its inner workings. He has been referred to as the first journalism professor tasked with creating a curriculum focused on LGBTQ+ research. —K.M.