Bill Barich is the author of ten books, including his much-admired horse-racing classic, Laughing in the Hills, and a more recent work on racing, A Fine Place to Daydream: Racehorses, Romance, and the Irish. An expert on the ins and outs of the sport, Barich joined the HBO drama Luck as a story editor for the character-driven series starring Dustin Hoffman. Barich’s other works include A Pint of Plain, about the decline of the traditional Irish pub, and Long Way Home: On the Trail of Steinbeck’s America, an account of Barich’s 5,943-mile cross-country trip and a modern-day reassessment of the state of the nation.