Tucson Festival of Books

Jacob Soboroff



Jason Frank Rothenberg

Jacob Soboroff is an MSNBC senior political and national correspondent, who comes to the festival with the newly published "Firestorm," an in-depth look at the wildfires that devastated Los Angeles last year. Soboroff lives in L.A., where his brother lost his home in Pacific Palisades. Soboroff's previous book was The New York Times bestseller "Separated: Inside an American Tragedy," which explored the Trump administration’s child separation policy.

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Awards: Walter Cronkite Award for Individual Achievement by a National Journalist + Hillman Prize for Broadcast Journalism


Scheduled events:
The Art of the Deep Dive
The "art of the deep dive" refers to an exhaustive investigation and analysis of a complex issue, going far beyond surface-level daily news coverage. Overall, it emphasizes commitment to a craft that values truth, accuracy, and depth over sensationalism and speed. These award-winning journalists take us behind the scenes in the recent election, at the Justice Department, and during one of our country’s worst national disasters.

Student Union Gallagher Theater (Seats 337)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sat, Mar 14, 10:00 am - 10:55 am
Current Issues / Politics / Social Science
Signing area: UA Campus Store Book Sales (Mall) (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelists: Jonathan Karl, Carol Leonnig, Jacob Soboroff
Moderator: Dan Balz
Investigative Reporting
A free and adversarial press is essential to a fully functioning democracy, holding those in power to accountability and educating the public. Meet three authors on the front lines of investigative reporting, covering difficult subjects and risking their safety to bring us the truth.

Student Union Gallagher Theater (Seats 337)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sat, Mar 14, 1:00 pm - 1:55 pm
Current Issues / Politics / Social Science
Signing area: UA Campus Store Book Sales (Mall) (following presentation)  View this venue on the Festival map

Panelists: Aaron Davis, Jacob Soboroff, Miranda Spivack
Moderator: Dan Balz
Hotshots: Courage in the Flames
Explore the peril, power, and personal toll of wildfire in America from battling blazes on elite hotshot crews to reporting on catastrophic fires that reshape communities and landscapes. Join authors Kelly Ramsey, River Selby, and Jacob Soboroff as they share firsthand stories of courage, resilience, and the changing face of fire in the West.

National Park Experience Stage (Seats 146, Wheelchair accessible)  View this venue on the Festival map
Sat, Mar 14, 4:00 pm - 4:55 pm
Nature / Environment
Signing area: Sales & Signing Area - National Parks (following presentation)

Panelists: Kelly Ramsey, River Selby, Jacob Soboroff
Moderator: Kevin Fedarko
Sponsor: Session made possible courtesy of Western National Parks

Books:
Firestorm
The Great Los Angeles Fires and America's New Age of Disaster
Current Issues / Politics / Social Science
HarperCollins Publishers
January 2026
ISBN 9780063467965
400 pages
Buy now

Separated
Inside an American Tragedy
Current Issues / Politics / Social Science
HarperCollins Publishers
June 2021
ISBN 9780062992208
388 pages
$17.99
Buy now