T. D. Thornton

I'm a Boston-based writer who aspires to give a voice to dark, edgy characters lurking far beneath the radar of mainstream media.

Gamblers, grifters, hustlers, prize fighters and racetrackers are among my most appealing characters, and I have a keen interest in writing about "low" subjects with a literary twist.

The research for my most recent book immersed me in the dark art of confidence hustling. "My Adventures with Your Money: George Graham Rice and the Golden Age of the Con Artist" details the flair and showmanship of America's greatest swindler.

My first book, "Not by a Long Shot--A Season at a Hard-Luck Horse Track," chronicled a year at a blue-collar racetrack. In 2008 "Long Shot" won the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award and was named a "Highly Recommended" finalist for the Massachusetts Book Award.

My journalism and creative nonfiction have appeared in The New York Times, Boston Globe, Slate, The Daily Beast and McSweeney's.