Michael Dolan is a writer, a former editor for American History magazine, and a musician. He also consults for documentary television productions and book manuscripts. Dolan's articles have appeared in the New Republic, the New Yorker, Smithsonian, Outside, and the New York Times Magazine, among others. From 1983 to 1995, he and his wife renovated a 1920s home near the Potomac River, including the replacement of an old front porch with one of Dolan's own design. This project inspired his book, The American Porch. Dolan's porch now hosts occasional rehearsals by his band, the Powerful House Ways & Means Committee. He lives in Washington, D.C., his hometown.