Douglas Kennedy is the author of books like The Big Picture and The Pursuit of Happiness.
His latest book is The Great Wide Open, which is partly set in Ireland. Born in New York, Kennedy himself lived in Ireland for several years, including time spent at Trinity College, and has an Irish passport, which he says is very useful in the age of Trump and Brexit.
Needless to say, he is not a fan of Trump. He describes the book as "a coming of age story set in the 70s and early 80s, but it's also about the beginning of the culture wars in America. The result now is that we've elected our very own Mussolini."
He is of the firm belief that the American dream is dead: "Frankly, we're a failed state."
Kennedy traces this back to Ronald Reagan's presidency, saying that Reagan "single-handedly destroyed the middle class."
He is more optimistic about Irish society and was pleased with the results of the Eighth Amendment and marriage equality referendums, as well as how multicultural the country has become in recent years.
"As a citizen of Ireland, it's fascinating to watch this country become a beacon of social progress."
"I think the fact that the grip of the church is broken is an enormous change."
