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Mike Sager, born in 1956, is an American author, journalist, publisher, and educator with a prolific career spanning several decades. He began his writing journey as a copy boy at The Washington Post, eventually becoming a staff writer after breaking an investigative story. His early career also included significant journalistic work in international settings, such as reporting from Nepal and Thailand. Sager later transitioned to magazine writing, holding contributing editor roles at Rolling Stone and writer-at-large positions for GQ and Esquire, where he has been a contributor for over forty years. He received the National Magazine Award for profile writing in 2010 for his Esquire piece, "The Man Who Never Was."

Sager's journalism is characterized by its deep immersion into various subcultures and communities, including gangs, addicts, and specific professional groups like Marines and Tupperware saleswomen. He has also become known for celebrity profiles, contributing to Esquire's "What I've Learned" feature. Beyond his writing, Sager founded The Sager Group LLC in 2012, a company involved in publishing and filmmaking. He has also served as an educator, lecturing at numerous journalism schools and leading writing workshops.

Mike Sager has developed a distinctive journalistic style that often involves deep immersion into the subjects he covers. His work has seen him embed with diverse groups, ranging from street gangs and heroin addicts to U.S. Marines and Aryan Nations members. This anthropological approach allows him to explore subcultures from within. He has also gained recognition for his profiles of prominent figures in entertainment, politics, and sports, contributing significantly to the "What I've Learned" series for Esquire. His reporting often delves into the complexities of human experience, exploring themes of survival, fame, and the fringes of society.

Sager's career began at The Washington Post, where he progressed from copy boy to staff writer. He later shifted his focus to magazine journalism, contributing to major publications like Rolling Stone, GQ, and Esquire. His work has been recognized with awards, including the National Magazine Award for profile writing. In 2012, he established The Sager Group LLC, a multimedia company that publishes independent books and produces film content. Through this venture, he has released a number of his own books and edited collections of journalistic work, expanding his influence beyond traditional reporting.

Beyond his practical journalism, Mike Sager has also engaged with academia, lecturing at various American schools of journalism and leading writing workshops. He has held positions such as a Pereira Visiting Writer at the University of California, Irvine, and currently serves as a faculty mentor for Goucher College's MFA program. His bibliography includes over a dozen books, encompassing novels and collections of true stories that often explore the darker or more unconventional aspects of human life, including subjects like sex, drugs, rock and roll, and celebrity.